3 year old hates buggy, what's the alternative?

[Prorespawner]

Hello all

DS is 3 and is pretty big for his age. He has started to get quite annoyed with his buggy and doesn't much like being in it. The problem is we do a fair bit of walking and he doesn't have the legs for it yet. He will walk for a bit but then demand to be picked up. He's over 2.5stone (he's tall as well, 90th centile for height and weight) so carrying him everywhere is not an option.

To be honest I hate the buggy as well now and would much rather something that takes up less room in the car etc. He has a scooter which helps but I now end up carrying him and the scooter which is not an improvement 😂

Anybody got any great alternatives that they find work? We are going on a seaside holiday next week so I am hoping for something that will do the job there

How about one of those bikes which you can push along. He can pedal it and when he’s tired you can push it. I’m not sure it will always replace the buggy but it may be an alternative.

Ah, came to say ‘scooter’ but see you’ve tried that… All I’ve got I’m afraid is to say that it’ll be better very soon - his stamina will be much higher in 6-12 months. Good luck!

Assuming his language is ok, you need to be a bit firmer. Buggy or walking, I'm not carrying you. And stick to it! If he decides to do a sitting protest, let him - he'll get back up when he is ready.

Good grief, at 3 he’s way too old for a buggy! Up here in Scotland we take 3 year olds up 1700 ft hills on their own wee legs.
My DD was out of the buggy at 16 months, as I needed it for her baby sister.
DD walked on toddler reins from then on.
Get him walking to strengthen his legs and build his stamina, OP, before he grows into a flabby couch potato!

I babysat a kid who was the same age and also funny about walking etc.
i know we shouldn’t bribe but I I did and only had to do it short term and it worked and his parents found it hilarious.

basically took him out on his scooter, and I would point to something in the distance and once he reached the check point he got a wotsit lol. Made the distance bigger and bigger each time until he only got a wotsit at the final destination lol. He was so keen for a wotsit that he got faster and faster each time and then one day he was just addicte frog ping fast lol. he stopped complaining or expecting wotsit and just loves to go fast. 😂
Maybe not a great parenting skill but hey every kid is different and it worked for him lol

Smarttrike

Scooter with a lead on it so you can pull it along when they get tired.

@Babdoc literally what I am trying to do....no need to get personal. We are a really active family. We fill our time with swimming, trampolining, walking, he goes to nursery on a farm 4 days a week where he is outside playing. Not much risk of a flabby coach potato.
He hates the buggy, so do I but walking for miles and miles is a tall order for any child

@lucasnorth yeah, that what I was thinking to be honest. Practice makes perfect and all that. I suppose allowing for regular breaks is an option as well

I used to pull mine along on the scooter for a bit when they got tired. You can get straps for the handlebars to make this easier.

At 3, he should be capable of riding a bike.

Bloody hell, what a ridiculous answer!

I don’t know many 3 year olds who can ride a bike! Unless you mean those weird ones without pedals?

He might be better on a balance bike or 'weird bikes' as the previous poster called them. He can sit, learn to balance and glide along. My 3 year old did learn to ride a bike due to using one if these. Good luck.

Mine were riding bikes to nursery when they were 2 and 3. Maybe they were early? But use stabillisers otherwise.

When my niece was small at 3 she was running around the junior parkrun with the older brothers. That was 2km. Over time she got stronger legs. By 5 she would walk all the way on a 5 mile hike. Her Dad offered to carry her last mile but she preferred to walk.

Ridiculous and cruel to your child. Coming up to three is a perfectly normal time to start moving away from the stroller. 16 months is not

My 13month can't even walk yet. No way will she be out of a buggy in 3months.

What about a sling or backpack. You can get them preschool ones suitable for 3+.

I had a toddler back carrier so my DD had to do a decent amount of walking and then i would put her on my back.

Also very firm, i've never just 'carried' her as she's too heavy, so scooter/walk or carry

Amused at the PPs who think it’s unreasonable or “cruel” to get toddlers walking, or take 3 year olds up mountains.
My two not only survived my “cruelty”, but are now in their thirties, and between them do Parkrun, krav maga, wild water swimming, aerial yoga and climb Munros.
DD2’s record is climbing six Munros in a day!
I suggest that NOT exercising your toddlers’ legs and developing their stamina is the “cruel” option, and probably one of the reasons for the rise in childhood obesity.

Then it's unfortunate for you didn't meet my DD and one of my nephews.

Ditch the buggy and get a Rose & Rebellion toddler carrier for when he needs a rest. I used mine with DD up to age 5 (occasionally on very long walks) and she was huge.

I'm waiting for the poster whose 2 year old runs marathons every week.

Try a trike/ balance bike. My just turned 2 hates the stroller. Will go on the trike that we can push along. Ours has footrests and pedals so she can rest her legs when she's fed up.

Lol at 16 months old my eldest couldn’t walk let alone ditch the pushchair 😂 We ditched the pushchair between 2 and 3 which seems pretty standard.
At 3 I would give him the option of buggy or walking. If they do that sit down on the path thing just stand and wait, no fuss or getting cross, they will soon get bored and realise that you mean it! I don’t drive so my dc got used to walking pretty quickly.

Push bike with stick handle - they come with shade canopies and baskets for shopping too ;)

Ours refused the buggy from about 1.5, but we don't drive (I'm the only one of the 4 of us not suffering from severe motion sickness within 5 minutes) and walk or train everywhere, which is sometimes too far for him. He very very occasionally needs it now at 4, depending on where we're going. Baby girl is still in her carrier at 15 months, but will advance to the push bike soon, she's desperate to go in!!