Buggy broken

[lisa270988]

Hi
My little boy was 4 on Sunday he still uses a buggy a lot be does walk to but still goes in a buggy a fair bit to. He is very small for his age so I think be gets tired easy.
My buggy has just broke! Would you buy a new one at this age or make him walk?
I do a lot of walking he is able to walk short distances about 20 minutes

I would get him a scooter.

At 4?
walk or scoot.

Nah he needs to be walking now. Build up stamina and strength and he’ll go those longer distances.

At 4 wouldn’t buy a new buggy. Is he at school or going next year? My dd is 5 and would be so embarrassed to be seen in a buggy especially if any of her school friends saw her, so there probably isn’t long left that he’d want to be in a buggy anyway.

Secondhand buggies are so cheap that it doesn't make much difference if you end up not using it much. If he's small for his age and you tend to walk a lot I'd just get one off ebay/vinted. We had a Baby Jogger which was £20 secondhand (very old model but worked just fine) and it's a good sturdy buggy for older kids. It's handy to have one for longer day trips to theme parks, beach etc even up to age 6.

If I was buying a buggy for a 4 year old I'd look for a second hand one, but I'd suggest a balance bike or similar to help build up his stamina.

Unless he had some kind of disability I wouldn’t normally consider buying a buggy for him.

What sort of distances do you usually walk with him?

I will walk about an hour round trip into town round town back home an hour or 2 round d trip I will to my mums and back which is an hour round trip. He can manage about 30 mins at a time. He is very small for his age about 90cm size of a 18 month 2 year old

But he's not doing all of that in one go? If you go to town he has some time when he’s not walking? The same if you go to your Mum’s?

I really would try a scooter, one of those with two wheels at the front and one at the back.

If he’s that small and struggling with stamina, I’m assuming he’s under a Paediatrician already? Have they given you any advice?

Well I'm walking round town so he gets into town then he gets tired and likes to sit I tbe buggy whilst I'm in town and the walk home.
If I go to mums he walks there fine the other day in Walked round fine and we went for 20 minute walk to the shop with my mum and then he walked 10 mins home but couldn't manage anymore. He has a scooter but still a bit little not quite taller enough. He was the under the paediatrics cause he was born weeks early but they wasn't worried at the stage

If he’s 4 and getting tired that easily I think I would take him to the GP personally. You could ask the GP to check his iron levels.

If you have a Red Book I’d also ask the GO to measure and weigh him and record it in the book. It’s a useful baseline if he does end up being referred.

As for the walking, can you play games like racing to the next lamppost or taking about what you can spot in people’s gardens? If he’s learning numbers you could talk about the numbers on doors/bins/car registrations?

You can’t keep him in a buggy forever and 4 is pushing it really. Most kids, even those much older than 4, wouldn’t want to routinely do an hour walk because they get bored and you just have to find ways around it like taking the bus, scooter/cycling or stopping halfway for a snack. Being small for his age shouldn’t stop him from scooting unless he has other medical issues- generally most people don’t let their 2YOs scoot on the pavement because they don’t trust them to stop for roads, physically they are normally more than capable. If he really genuinely can’t manage it and it’s not normal preschooler whinging combined maybe with you encouraging the buggy because it’s easier for you then I would see the GP.

We have seen the GP we been under the consultant at the hospital they said its because he was born 2 months premature and only weighing 2lb has a big effect on his size and how far he can walk ect. He can't seem to get the hang of scooter and is to small to pedal a bike. He can still fit into 18 month clothing. I encourage him to walk and he does walk but often needs a rest.

How about one of those little push along trikes?

It seems your son has very special specific circumstances.

If you find you do need to replace the buggy, I would also want a referral to physical or occupational therapy.

If he were small but physically able for his age, I wouldn’t be concerned. But if he still needs a buggy at 4, this would suggest his small stature is causing a delay, which should be investigated.