How long does a toddler need a buggy for?

[vampofsavannahGA]

Just that really. I’ve got a DS coming up to 2, no intention of having any more. We got a dead cheap cosatto off FB which is very good to drive but folds up about as small as an armoured tank. So as to avoid having to take this one on holiday with us (with added bonus of actually being able to take some clothes) we bought a cheapo Mothercare Nano stroller, which neither folds nor steers with any kind of cooperative attitude.

DS prefers the Nano so we’ve principally been using that, but it's a nightmare to push as he’s getting bigger. I’m starting to regret my parsimony when he was little, and to yearn for a buggy that is both compact AND manoeuvrable, rather than one or neither of those.

Before I shell out money, is it going to be worth it? How much longer is DS likely to be in a buggy? At the moment it’s used four or five times a week, even though he’s a very good walker, and I can’t help feeling it would be a wonderful Christmas treat to my back and shoulders to get a better buggy, but DH remains to be convinced and I'd hate to waste money on another baby item!

We took our Maclaren on holiday till both dd and ds were about 5!😂

We used it fairly regularly till they were both about 3, as much to suit us as them. They’ve not grown up lazy though, both walked to and from school from age 5, and as adults are both active slim fit and healthy

Only used for day trips age 2.5 but we do also have a little life back pack that we use for longer walks. It's a secondhand Maclaren.

We're still using ours with our just turned three year old. We live in London and walk lots so we use our lots still.

Depends on the kid. My first stopped using it at around 2, my second at 15 months and my third is still in his at 2.9!

Oh and I use a backpack if I'm out with my DD, and she has her own backpack with a change of clothes that she often refuses to take off.

She has been potty trained since 2 and has been consistent since 2.5 years.

Have to say the main reason I use it for the 2.9 year old is so I have somewhere to stash everyone’s bags and coats 😂

My 4 year old still rides in the buggy a lot.
I really the silver cross pop for steering folding it’s great. But could you get one second hand or maybe a city mini?

Mine wouldn’t go in a buggy past 2. Now 3.5 and having jumped in a friends on a walk, she’s discovered the joy of being pushed about. Suddenly the light weight buggy is in use again. Good for me as I’m 19 weeks pregnant and I can hang bags and coats on it! Love her being able to get in and out when she wants and although she will walk for miles I love her sitting in the buggy with a snack rather than touching EVERYTHING in every shop! We have a £50 joie that we got for going on holiday 2 years ago. It’s great!

I got rid of our out n about nipper 360, that took up the entire boot of the car or most of our tiny front porch when not in use, when DD was 2.6. DD is now 3.9 and I still have an umbrella fold stroller, we were given for free, stashed away for days when she is knackered after nursery/preschool and I still need to walk the dog. It fits in the bit of the car along with her balance bike, so no bother there. Not used it for at least 2 months now though.

My DD is 2.7 months, we still take a stroller out with us for long days or if we know she'll be missing her nap at home. She loves to walk but if she's tired she'll just drag her feet and mess around but happily sit in the stroller with a snack. if I'm out on my own in town or somewhere busy I will take it too for her safety (see hilariously accurate post from someone else above!)

Every kid is different, as are parents. I have a friend who's kid hit two and she just refused to use the pushchair anymore no matter what, and another who's 4 year old would happily still be in it!

Definitely how long is a piece of string! My 3.5 year old is a good walker and we walk a lot, but he will often get on the buggy board of his sister's pushchair about 1.5-2 miles in. We do a lot of country walks too with an all terrain double pushchair and I wouldn't be without it yet, or we'd really have to shorten our walks.
Fortunately he's quite petite so no one really knows he's 3.5

DS is 2 and we still use ours every day but we do have an active dog who needs long walks and with all the will in the world he will never be able to keep up walking.

We’ve an Ocarro and it’s dangerously close to being outgrown as DS is massive but honestly think about getting something even if it’s second hand. It pushes like a dream, somewhere to shove coats, shopping, pop him in if it rains. I put him in in shops sometimes to save him touching 1001 items on the shelf. It must have covered over a thousand miles over the last 2 years. Quality gear is worth every penny if it makes your life easier.

Depends on child. First benefitted from a buggy board as needed so wasn't using the buggy by 2.5.
Second was using it until 3 (as I was pregnant and couldn't carry him, look after a 4-5year old and carry 2x children's stuff with me if he had a tantrum).
It completely depends on distances though. I would have thought if you do short distances, with one child with no time pressures you can ditch it earlier.

It really depends on your life. I gave mine up when DD was 18 months. She was a great walker, I drive, I had reins and used them.

If you object to reins, have a reluctant walker and you don't drive, could be 4 or 5 years.

DD still used a buggy until she was 4 but I didnt drive at the time and we walked everywhere. It was very useful when she was unwell and not up to scooting around and needing to do GP trips. I drive now and if I had another baby I probably wouldn't use one for as long.

I got a Joie stroller off Facebook for £20 so that I didn't have to keep lugging the big travel system buggy that we've had since he was a newborn. He's just turned 3 and I use it most days🤷‍♀️I think he's abit lazy & it makes it easier for me cause a 20 minute walk will take 2 hours without it. A lot of my friends children of the same age don't use one at all though. I really think it depends on each individual child.

DS is just turned 3 and we still use ours but mainly just for nursery runs. Nursery is a 1.5 miles away and DS just is too tired after nursery and I haven't got the time to wait for him to dawdle along on the way there. If I drove more (1 car between us and DH uses it for work) I'd have probably gotten rid of it by now.

Stopped using it at 2.5 but that’s just because next baby was born. We’ve used a buggy board since then for the older one and at 3.5 she still uses it often. She can walk and also cycle (proper bike, no stabilisers) but it’s obviously slow and/or dangerous so it’s often just easier for me to make her ride the buggy board so I control her pace. If I hadn’t had DC2 I’d prob still use the buggy for her. We are in central London and don’t drive though so walk a lot.

What Brolly said.

Depends how much you walk and for what reason.

I walk almost everywhere so it was 4.5 with them hopping in and out. They're teens now and I still miss having a monster buggy to carry everything in.

Dc4 is 2.5 now and I got rid of our buggy in the summer holidays. He spent more time out of it than in. He scoots, balance bikes or walks. I do occasionally have to shoulder carry on longer dog walks. If it was Dc2 I would of kept until she was 3 as she wasn’t keen on walking so much, she is nearly 6 and now walks miles with me .

4 DC all very different, always better to have one and push it empty than cope without!!!

2nd hand decent 3 wheeler is brilliant for older DC as great to push, something like nipper 360

I’m starting to regret my parsimony when he was little, and to yearn for a buggy that is both compact AND manoeuvrable, rather than one or neither of those.

It sounds like you need the Bugaboo Bee. Best purchase I’ve ever made!

It completely depends on the child. My 3 year old doesn’t use his buggy much Monday to Friday and walks to and from nursery. However we took his buggy to chessington and while he still did an awful lot of walking, he was able to sit in the buggy when he was tired and it was great for our bags! I think it also depends if you drive or not. I think people who drive can get rid of the buggy earlier than families who don’t.

Scooters are very useful in place of a buggy. You can get ones with seats but those are lower down and will kill your back if pulled for any length of time.

Good to get one with an adjustable handle
so you can raise if it child being pulled and lower if child scooting by themselves.

Certainly saved me in that awkward in between buggy and walking stage.