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 :)

You plan activities that he can manage and build up gradually over a few months.
So don't ditch the buggy and launch him straight into a whole day sightseeing in a city, make adjustments.
If there's something you really can't get out of then just take a lightweight buggy, they're great for hanging bags on and will give him the occasional sit down when he needs it.

If you see other families on longer days out without a buggy, you often hear a lot of whining or they compromise in what they want to do to match the kids endurance. I'd rather take the buggy and do without the complaining or having to cut short the day, others have the opposite preference. What matters is that you do what works for you.

We do full days out as a family and my 3.5 year old often hops in the buggy next to his baby sister for a little while when he's tired. He sometimes even has a little nap if we set off early and he's done lots of running and playing.
He also likes to have a rest and a snack and me and DH can keep going which is great. It's also good if you need to queue. Plus you can shove all your costs and bags on it!
I actually bought the double when he was just 3 as I like to walk fast on long walks for fitness.
We love our trips and this makes it more enjoyable for everyone!

@theplantsitter
I lived there and walked the streets lots (no car or lots of money so had to). I literally didn't see "non-babies" (what would be considered in the UK infants) in prams or the like.

Mini micro scooter
They can go ages on those

Can you take a scooter? I’ve done this with my 4yo on big days out. She stands on it while we pull her along.

Would you think anything of a three or four year old on a buggy board of a younger siblings pushchair?

When my elder daughter was in reception/year one, it was common to see all the preschool aged siblings in pushchairs for the school pick up... they walked to mile to school in the morning, did the preschool session, walked home... but the mile there and back at the end of the school day was too much.

Some three year olds can walk miles. Some nap still. There's a huge range of normal. Pushchairs on days out are needed sometimes, especially with public transport. If nothing else, its a seat for them if the train is busy.

Def just take the buggy! I have a just turned 4 yr old, and while she walks to nursery, I always take the buggy for bags, food/coats ( have older kids) she rarely goes in it even if we are out the whole day like at a zoo or theme park, but its always there, because the thought of her getting tired and ratty..or hurting herself and wanting it..nope! Ill also take a buggy if we manage to go on holiday this summer, it makes my life easier so its a no brainer.

It's normal to bring a pushchair for a 3.5 year old on a long day out I think. We visited London for a week with nearly 4 yo DD and I wish to god we had brought one. Biggest mistake of the trip. It was just too much walking for her.

A globber is fab - a scooter with a seat....

[quote Bonheurdupasse]@theplantsitter
I lived there and walked the streets lots (no car or lots of money so had to). I literally didn't see "non-babies" (what would be considered in the UK infants) in prams or the like.[/quote]
Just because you didn't notice any doesn't mean they weren't there. I just don't understand what the point is of this rhetoric that British parents are doing it wrong (let's face it British mothers) by using pushchairs when there's no proof pushchair use is different anywhere else. It's just more bashing of mums who try to make things actually doable for themselves instead of everything being a constant harried struggle.

Kids that age never sit still and never stop morning til night! I’m not sure why you are worried.

I ditched the pushchair at 18 months, but I was sick of dragging it round, much easier without.

I actually miss my pushchair days
I bloody loved that babyjogger
And I'm sure it made me so fit we used to walk miles

DD is 3.5 and we still use a pushchair for her. My excuse is that she still naps, so it means we can be out and about and she gets a decent (1 hr) rest properly lying flat in the dark. We're out of the house 9am-5pm on non-nursery days so they are pretty full days out. I do feel a bit sheepish for using it sometimes, but honestly it's so much easier as we use it as a packhorse to throw coats on, hats and scarves in the basket, buckets and spades and packed lunch. I'm pg now with DC2 so I'm glad to have an excuse for a buggy board once she starts the school run!

A pushchair is just a tool use it if you need to. I didn't drive when DD was little so we regularly used a pushchair up to 4+ (she's always been tall and looked like a 6 year old). When we were at the venue she would walk and the pushchair would be for the bags and then she'd go in the pushchair for the journey home and promptly fall asleep (as Im sure she would if we had a car). Once she stopped falling asleep on the journey home I ditched the pushchair. It's easy to carry a child in from the car asleep and get all your bags in but an entirely different beast getting a sleeping or sleepy child of a bus/train and carrying all the day trip paraphernalia with you.

Just take the buggy if it's a really long day out. I'm not sure why some people ate suggesting to adjust the day rather than that - why miss out on a nice trip to zoo, theme Park etc because you have arbitrarily decided they are too old for buggy. We gradually phased them out, but I know the last things we were still taking the buggy to were those big days out where it came be really tiring and you want to make the most of the day not cut it short, especially when those days usually required big bags of picnics, layers of clothes etc so the last thing you'd want would be to end up carrying a child too!

For some reason I remember the last time we used the buggy for my eldest was legoland when she was 4. She didn't sit in it much that day, it carried to picnic more than her, but to be honest it was useful to have just for that, and a lifesaver for when we wanted to get quickly to the queue for another ride and she was flagging! I miss the buggy days when trying to find an easy to carry cool bag or decide if we really need our coats or not because we don't want to end up carrying them - knowing it would all have got dumped on the buggy basket or handles in the past!

You can build up stamina for walking on the shorter trips or days when there will be lots of opportunities to sit down as well.

Oh, and I'd find pushing a buggy much more comfortable for me than pulling a scooter or giving a piggy back!

Just use the buggy. I still use a double with my 4.5 year old and 18 month old.
We walk for miles, it’s handy for them to sit and picnic in or nap in, easy to carry stuff

Mini micro and a strap are life changing at this point! Have fun

Take an umbrella fold buggy. But if you struggle on a day out and you have no known health issues, you need to see a GP. A healthy adult should be able to have a day out and about with a good bit of walking interspersed with the odd tea break. You should be able to do several days like that in a row.

I assume you're not elderly if you have a 3 year old?

I wouldn't take a scooter for a day out - you'll end up carrying it and it's not like you can shove coats and bags on it. Just take a buggy if he can't manage it.

Mine's walked every where since before 3, a global pandemic with nothing to do meant I could really work on his walking stamina.

@theplantsitter
Ok maybe I’m wrong (although how can you miss them when being out and about for years..).
But then - have you, or anyone you know, ever seen children of 3-4 years old in prams etc in other countries ? (Not British tourists )

The people who judge you are the ones who drive everywhere. Use the buggy, enjoy your trip.

You build them up so half day and full day. A trip to the zoo is different to walking around a city.

Lots of breaks, and i did use a toddler carrier on my back for in case she crumbled.

I think you just carry on with the buggy. It’s handy to get places faster you can store all your stuff. They can have a rest when needs be. Massive difference if you drive places in a car.

Mine was a late Walker but I definitely would have used a buggy at 3.5 for a full day out. Not for somewhere local but walking all day was too much for him. I didn’t even think about it to be