Toddler refusing to walk

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Looking for any advice! My DS is 2.5 years old, and has suddenly started refusing to walk and wants to be carried everywhere.

Over the summer he was doing great with walking - we would walk to our local shops, we would do laps of the local park, we would go for evening strolls around the block...

Then he started nursery in September and caught first a stomach bug then two really nasty colds in a row (several PCR tests, all negative), and was barely sleeping due to coughing at night.

He is much better now, seems to be enjoying his nursery, BUT since being poorly he hates walking and wants to be carried all the time. If we refuse he will have a screaming lying down tantrum, and has figured out that if he bumps his head we will rush to stop him, so we can't really just leave him to it.

Any suggestions on getting him back into walking? Even nursery have commented that he started off great when they go for walks, but now is reluctant.

My son wanted to be carried everywhere until we got him a balance bike.

I think it's just one of those things toddlers are unpredictable you never know why they do what they think is or isn't right. Obviously it is something that will pass eventually.

Just use the pram?

My son wanted to be carried everywhere until we got him a balance bike

I was going to suggest one of those first scooters?

Any sign he is in pain? If so then consider transient synovitis.

My 3yr old suddenly wants to be carried. If I don't pick her up she pretends to be a baby. My back is in pieces as she's a big girl for her age!

@minipie He seems okay moving around, no limping or signs of pain, I think. He will run around the house okay.

@CrazyOldBagLady maybe we should try a balance bike. He has a scooter but only wants to ride it in the house, but maybe a sit on thing will work better!

If mine refused to walk for no good reason they were plonked in the pushchair and all protests ignored.

I would say it’s just a phase so try to grit your teeth and carry him if you can. He’s only started nursery recently and may just need a bit of extra reassurance and babying. Forcing him to walk will probably just make the phase even longer and will be miserable for both of you.

Is he in pain ?
Feel him from toe to hips, and move all of his joints too.

Haven't you got a pushchair?

Get a toddler/preschool carrier depending on his weight and back carry

Pushchair and save your energy!

It might just be that he's 2 but my 4yo was like this for a long time, wouldn't walk anywhere. Never threw a massive tantrum, just seemed excessively tired (despite fine sleep etc, eats well). Before he started school I started giving him iron gummies and I swear it's had a significant impact. Normal vitamins don't have iron so look for specific ones but I'd try that.

Haven't you got a pushchair?

Given how poorly he's been, I'd be putting him in a pushchair as well when I think about it.

Thanks all! We do have a pushchair, I'm happy to push him if he's needing a rest or we are doing boring errands together or on a longer trip. He was just doing so well transitioning out of it, it's frustrating!

No go with a backpack carrier sadly, he used to go in a front carrier happily but he is terrified of our backpack one! Thankfully it was a hand me down from friends so at least we didn't buy new for that.

Yes, it was walking or pushchair for mine, absolutely no carrying by that age. You are risking your back if you’re not careful.

Just stick him in the buggy. He's more likely to create an aversion to walking if you try and make him. Toddlers are contrary like that, don't even option walking as an option and he'll soon want out.

I agree with the pushchair.it's not a race to get them walking; he has been I'll and may feel tired or just like being Molly coddled for a while. Why not? He'll soon lose enthusiasm for being pinned down.

He was just doing so well transitioning out of it, it's frustrating! they often have a little regression when they are or have been poorly.

When my lo went through a will not walk phase I set off a little early and made the walk SUPER interesting!

Oh my gosh, look at this spider web!
Take 10 steps forward when you've both looked at it and chatted
Oh look! Some cats, how many can you see?
Oh wow 2?
Take 10 steps forward and look for more cats
If I was a cat, I'd be black and white, what colour would you be?
Keeps walking with lo chatting about cat colours, names etc until new distraction needed.

It worked most days but it really took a lot of observation and quick thinking! Of course some days it was a nightmare and I just had to strap her in and march on.

Thanks all for the good advice! Based on folks' suggestions, we decided to stop trying to force him to walk, and let him choose when he feels ready to walk. Happy to report that he has been much happier now he doesn't feel forced to walk, and has definitely decided to walk more of his own accord. So, good advice to stop making it into a battle with him! Thank you.

We had this phase at around age 2. Just took the buggy with us, any refusal to walk was met with a breezy ‘ok, in the buggy then’, she was plonked in and we carried on. She soon got annoyed with not being able to stop and investigate every flower/bug/leaf and started walking properly.

However, she hadn’t been ill. If she’d been ill I’d probably just have started her out in the buggy and let her walk when she wanted to.