When toddlers start walking how do you get around?

[Cleanqueennot]

This may be a dumb question but I am a first time mum. My baby is only 6 months but I’m starting to wonder how I will take him to the park etc in the summer and beyond. He turns 1 in July and I know he may not be walking by then but I’m still wondering what other parents do.

Will I still be pushing him in his buggy or is he going to want to walk everywhere as soon as he’s mobile? We have a park 15 mins walk from here, would that be too far for his little legs? Do you just hold their hand and walk like hunched over until you get to your destination? Haha. I probably would want to get some reins to walk with him. But aren’t those for older children? Not sure how it works if you take buggy with you but baby wants to walk. How do you push buggy and hold their hand?

Sorry for the long post!

Buggy. It takes a few years for them to build stamina for long walks. I still use it for DD who is 3.5 which raises eyebrows, but I can’t drive and if I need to be somewhere in a hurry it’s a godsend as she stops to inspect every twig and leaf on the ground. Plus much easier to put shopping in the basket underneath rather than trying to hold her hand and multiple bags on a busy road.

We still strap DD into a soft carrier (ergo type thing) on the front or back. It’s great because she can walk and we don’t have to push a buggy, can get into shops, she sleeps well in it and stays toasty

Definitely buggy. Also very useful for strapping them in when they don't want to go home and have a tantrum.

A bit of everything - some slow walks, some in the buggy, some holding their hand and pushing the buggy awkwardly with the other… we also carried DS around on our shoulders as soon as he could sit up properly and stay upright (about 12mo) and that’s still an emergency go-to. We also walk and hike a lot so have a LittleLife backpack, which has come in handy for urban excursions too!

When my daughter first started walking we would go in the buggy to the park and she would walk around there. When she was more confident we would walk to the park (5 mins for an adult) maybe 10 with her stopping every second - walk around there, play etc and then walk home. Sometimes she will walk to the shopping centre etc and now doesn't want to get back in the buggy.

The longest we've walked is about 1.5 miles which took ages due to speed.

I hold her hand normally not hunched over and push buggy with other hand. Sometimes she likes to walk hands free which I let her do, but always keep a hand near her ready to grab her if she tries to run off.

She's quite relaxed though and does what she is told, stops at roads - stops when I say stop etc.

I used the buggy until mine were confident walkers, probably around 3-3.5. You let them walk while you push the buggy in safe areas but if you're near a road or you just need to get somewhere and don't have time to go at a snails pace then they go in the buggy.

It's something that you gradually build up, so I stopped using the buggy when I noticed that dc hardly ever needed to go in it.

We walked pass when mine were young as we had dogs. Once they were 2 they very rarely used the buggy but I carried a toddler connecta with me and put them on my back in that if they had had enough.

I think if you need to be somewhere quickly a buggy is very useful for quite a bit longer but loved the connecta.

You will probably bring the buggy everywhere with you until he is about 4.

all the best

Haha I never even considered tantrums! Defo seems to be easier with the buggy then.

I’ve got a few slings and a carrier and tbh none of them feel that comfortable to do too much walking. I cast my memory back to September when DS was only 2 months old and I thought it was a good idea to put him in the sling for a walk. 30 mins in and the sweat dripping off me was sticking to DS face. I had to take his little hat off and use it as a pillow to protect him from my slippery chest 😂

I had baby and toddler size connecta slings. Great for front and back carries and you will get fitter if you carry them often!

We used both a buggy and a stroller until both of my DC were about 2.5 or so, and then just used the stroller.

DD was in it until she was a few months past 4 (I was pregnant with DS and found it helpful to hold onto), and then she just had to walk after that because I had DS in the buggy and couldn't push both.

DS is 4.5 now and we only stopped using the stroller when he started school. We still take it with us if we go somewhere with a lot of walking. He doesn't really go in it but it's useful for all of the bags!

Just to add, road safety is also something that comes into play, and it's not something that they learn in a day. You build on road safety slowly over time. Just because they have the stamina to walk it doesn't automatically mean that they can be trusted to walk sensibly without letting go of your hand and running off or getting distracted. So that's another reason to have the buggy on hand.

Really depends on the child.

Both my boys were walking at 10 months and we'd ditched the pushchair by 18 months. We live in an inner big city so don't use the car and either walk or bus everywhere. They got used to walking really quickly.

By 2 years old my eldest would scoot everywhere very fast (we trained him to stop at roads and garages to the amazement of passersby). My youngest preferred just walking and holding my hand.

Both have ADHD and are hyperactive so we went out at least twice a day everyday and walking was great for burning off their energy.

From about 15 months, DS2 was walked up a huge hill plus a flight of 45 steps every day to collect DS1 from school. His muscles were (are!) so strong.

We used pram until son was 18 months but he started walking at the months. We then got one of those scooters with a parent handle. We stopped using that for short walks when he was two and for longer walks when he turned 3. Think it depends on the individual child and their stamina. I also don't drive but we take walks every day

Started walking at ten months*

Surprised at buggies with 4 year olds when my two year old was doing - lot of walking at 2 and at 3 walks everywhere. He turns four then immediately goes to school you don't see reception kids in strollers do you? Unless additional needs of course.

Can you drive though? I can’t - walking everywhere would take double the time, holding DD’s hand and bags of shopping is a total ball ache, plus sometimes she just sits on the pavement and declares she’s tired and wants to be carried.

We kept it for a long as I don’t drive and at 1 my kids would still nap so long days out would have been a pain, they can still walk even if you take it not like they can’t come out and go back in? Had one till about 3 for each of mine (miss it for carrying shopping!)

We didn't take our boys to the supermarket unless just buying enough to fit in a rucksack so I can see if you're buying a lot then a whiny tired toddler who won't walk isnt going to help!

We just naturally made them walk everywhere (and far) and they did it fine.

Whichever method you use, make sure they also get used to walking distances, when you've got time and are not in a rush. We live by the sea and last weekend my 4 year old walked nearly 5 miles on sand and stones, often running ahead, my DNs complain if the car isn't parked close enough to the building they are leaving, because they've never walked anywhere really, it's buggy or car. It's now becoming an issue for their parents because they complain even on days out to the zoo etc because 'their legs are tired! They're 4 and 8. Even bike or scooter builds some stamina.

Totally agree with building up stamina! You'll reap the rewards later on.

Definitely buggy, toddlers are very cute when they're just starting to walk but they are highly inefficient at actually getting anywhere. Every crack in the pavement, stone, bug on the wall, signpost...... is a thing to stop and marvel at. They also get very tired very quickly and at the most inopportune times so unless you want to be lugging a child on your hip you'll want to have somewhere to put them.

I can drive but tbh even at this age I find him quite heavy to get in and out or the car. I’ve got arthritis in my hands so I try to avoid driving if husband isn’t around to help. Yes, I guess he can still walk around and then go back in the buggy. I was just wondering if kids will easily go back in or if they will demand to walk home. Then I will have to choose whether to just stick him back in buggy and take tantruming child away quickly OR let him walk home while I struggle to push buggy and hold his hand.

Can you tell I’m an over thinker haha

Definitely over thinking it, mine held onto the side of the buggy I didn’t hold their hands and push it they was taught to hold on to the side… also depends on the child mine would happily hop back in when tired

I was just wondering if kids will easily go back in or if they will demand to walk home. Then I will have to choose whether to just stick him back in buggy and take tantruming child away quickly OR let him walk home while I struggle to push buggy and hold his hand.

Quite often I'd end up carrying them in one arm whilst pushing the empty buggy with the other 😂

Mostly though I used slings and put them on my back. I still do this now and my youngest is nearly 4 (though with mobility issues so can't walk far).