Help! Don't understand how toddler can do a full day out without a pushchair

[Rosebud1302]

Hi all,

I have a real internal conflict in my head about the whole pushchair situation. I know, silly thing to worry about in the grand scheme of life but I'm struggling with it.

My son is nearly 3 and a half. Now obviously for shorter trips he walks, goes on his bike etc. That is all fine. But I am really struggling with how he is meant to cope with full days out without it. He simply won't manage walking all day. I know this for a fact! I mean, I even struggle as an adult but I don't understand what that transition period is between being young enough to have a pushchair and being old enough to cope with a full day out is?

When I say full days out I mean a visit to a city using trains/buses to get there and back, walking round visiting place, then getting home and walking from the station to home. Or a full day at the zoo which again will mean public transport, a walk to and from home and walking round a zoo.

I just don't understand how he will manage that but also I feel like everyone will judge me if I bring a pushchair. I don't have a younger child so there isn't a buggy board etc.

Can anyone let me know what they did for full days out when their kids were his age? Carrying him isn't an option for more than a few minutes due to a bad back. I also don't want to just not go out with him because I adore taking him out and he loves it too. But the tired tantrums if I made him walk all day wouldn't be fun!

Thank you :)

He will be fine allow extra time to walk slowly and avoid peak times to get seat on train and bus. Stop for breaks. He will likely surprise you.

I just took the pram. I think I took it until DS was 4.5 or so. Mostly for putting stuff in it, lunches, bags and whatnot. But so he could use it when he needed it. Just for big days out like this. SD just turned 5 and we were taking it last summer on days out. This year I think we won't, but fuck I will miss it, purely for dumping the coats and bags in!

Just take a lightweight pushchair
Who cares what anyone else thinks ?

Maybe keep activities to half days until you know he can manage.

Mine is younger (just turned 3) and easily manages a full day out. I'm surprised you can get a 3.5yr old to sit in a pushchair - I think ours was last used about 12 months ago.
She is allowed to stop for a short break when needed (very infrequent), make sure she is sat down for lunch, and then when back in the car she just sleeps. Honestly days out without a pushchair are so much easier.
Yes we use the car instead of public transport but as they are sat down in the transport it makes no difference.
Start building it up with daily walks increasing distance and time every day

You need to build him up gradually to get him used to longer distances. I used to let mine walk alongside the pushchair and then put them in when they got tired.

Just take a lightweight pushchair and don't worry about what others think. I have a 6 yo and he regularly goes on the buggy board because he says he gets tired. It's good to have it if you know your lo will get tired. I don't think he's too old. If I'm honest I often envy mine getting wheeled about, I'd happily sit in a pushchair after a few hours out and about! 🤣

Mini micro scooter with a scooter strap so that when the child is too tired to scoot he can just be pulled along.

Have a rollup picnic blanket with you so that you can make your own rest stop area if you need to.

Build up slowly - kids grow fast. A day out that is too tiring one weekend may be fine a couple of weeks later after a little growth spurt. And they have more energy than you think.

Children differ a lot regarding their willingness to walk. One of my children was a nightmare. Everywhere we went she'd put her arms up and say 'carry, carry'. Then my youngest two will walk for miles and don't complain.

Hi OP, my DC is 3.5 and has refused to go in buggy or pushchair since he was 2. When younger we would take lots of small breaks or he might end up on his dads shoulders at end of zoo etc but now he is well able, tiredness gets him more than the exercise. He still naps occasionally!

I'm surprised you can get a 3.5yr old to sit in a pushchair

My daughter used to complain and say that she wanted me to take her to school in the pushchair! She is very small for her age though.

I had a child who would simply lay down on the pavement and refuse to walk. We used the pushchair until age 4! (Child grew up normal and is a great walker now, so wasn't "damaged" by not walking everywhere.)

All kids are different. When it comes to walking to school or to the shops or whatever then yes, make him walk because any horrendous situation can be dealt with more quickly. But for days out, just do what is easiest for you and don't worry about what everyone else says. When the faff of the pushchair becomes more than the horror of a hungry kid refusing to walk when miles away from the train station and just before rush hour (or whatever), that's when you give it up. When it suits and is easy for YOU.

I have a toddler sling that i take to days out in the city. I attach it to my backpack and when he runs out of steam he goes on my front or back and vice versa with the backpack.

A lot of the “my child is only 2 and we never use a buggy” crowd do use buggies for their children. Nasty, smelly, pollution causing buggies. If you drive your child everywhere then - yes - you won’t need a buggy half as much as a family that uses walking / busses / trains.

Use the buggy if you think you need it. So much better for the environment than using a car.

Don't worry about what others think. Do what works best for you and your family.

I used a scooter from that age.

Also - no car is very very VERY different to having a car when it comes to buggy use!!

Bloody hell just use a pushchair
There's nothing wrong with it at that age
Mine used a pushchair till she just turned 4
We'd bring it everywhere. But she'd walk when she wanted to and she'd be in it when she wanted to. We don't have a car. She still would walk miles and still does.
I don't understand why you wouldn't just bring a pushchair at this age. They don't have to be in it all the time

I think it depends on the child. My dd is 5 1/2 and just the worlds slowest, most unwilling walker. It's not because we've not tried. Occasionally she'll be great, but usually there's a lot of moaning, requests to be carried (I can't carry her now, she's too heavy) and frequent 'little rests'. I miss the buggy. Just take the buggy while you can.

I think to begin with you need to adapt your days out - walking to a train station, then round a zoo, then home from the train is a lot of walking. Try and build it up gradually. A scooter you can pull along too can work well sometimes.

@ThePlantsitter

Also - no car is very very VERY different to having a car when it comes to buggy use!!

Yes!

Use the buggy if it works for you OP.

I don't take youngest DC out far without DP as he can give him a shoulder ride at the end of a long day. I fully expect to be using the buggy at school pick up for him come September, and I don't give a shit what anyone thinks!

Mine still used a buggy at that age on the days you describe. Honestly don't care what anyone thought! She wasn't in it all day, just when she needed it. Useful for carrying all the clobber, too!

I don't understand how this works abroad - in France say? Or further out - in Asia?
Never saw children older than 2 in a pram / buggy board / buggy etc in France , or Japan, or Hungary for ex!

Why is there such a huge cultural difference?

@Bonheurdupasse

I don't understand how this works abroad - in France say? Or further out - in Asia? Never saw children older than 2 in a pram / buggy board / buggy etc in France , or Japan, or Hungary for ex!

Why is there such a huge cultural difference?

Did you have kids in those places or hang about with people with kids in those places? Because if not you probably just didn't see them and if so you can tell us surely?