How can I encourage my two year old to walk more?

[ThePoisedOpalBird]

I have a lovely 2 year old who I am having lots of issues with tantrums and refusals.

One of the biggest issues I have is his refusal to walk anywhere. We go to the shops he wont walk or hold my hand. If we go to the beach or forest he wont walk and run around he wants to be in the pram (I have to have the pram due to younger baby) or be carried.

I have tried walking away from him or just trying to wait but he just lays on the floor and gets in a comfy position as if to nap!

I have tried making it fun (hopping like a from, racing to the lampost, being a monkey or dinosaur), I have tried encouraging him to look for leaves etc.

He is a bit better if we take his scuttle bug but he will soon be too big for it and I cant carry a normal bike, push a pram and carry a toddler around if he gets bored of a proper bike when out.

I can deal with most of his tantrums about not getting his way etc as I just ignore it but I am finding this really hard! He will happily sit in the pram or be carried instead of walking but this defeats the whole point of taking him out to burn energy as he just wants to sit or be carried.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I just used a buggy board to get from A to B, then we'd burn off energy within a park or soft play where it was more interesting and safer to run where they liked.

Yes buggy board and exercise when you get there. Just walking from A to B is boring. At least on a buggy board they are standing up and a bit more engaged than sitting in a pram.

If your baby can rear face in the buggy it can be very cute to have the two kids facing each other - Dc1 used to love making DC2 laugh.

When he’s a bit older, scooter - but he needs to be good at stopping when you tell him before getting a scooter.

You can get scooters with a seat that convert to a normal scooter later, that might work as a transition from scuttlebug?

He wont even run around the park and flat out refused to stand on a buggy board! I had to buy a hoppie (like a pram seat thing) just so I could get out and about with them both but he wont play in soft plays on his own and wont run around parks etc. He will go up and down the slide a couple of times and then says done!

He is an absolute nightmare if we stay home literally bouncing off the walls but once we go out he just want to sit in the pram or be carried.

My issue is he wont even run around when we get places! We go to the beach or forest or the park and he just wants to sit in the pram and be pushed around or carried!

I'm taking him out as at home he is bouncing off the walls running and screaming and climbing the furniture but the second we are out he just doesn't want to move 🙈

Does he like digging in the sand or anything?

Do you have a sling - if so it might be worth taking the baby out in the sling and seeing how he is if the buggy isn’t an option?

He may be a bit jealous of the baby getting pushed/carried and wanting to be in the buggy for that reason? Regression is normal

Not massively into digging sand. We did manage to get him to play on the beach (he finds the waves going in and out fun) but he wouldnt actually walk along it or walk along the none sand bits.

If I put baby in the sling he wants to be in it too (which I obviously cant do). He wouldn't walk pre baby either so not sure how much of it is regression but it 100% hasn't helped matters that he wants to do the same as the baby.

Its just very frustrating when he needs to burn energy and wont. We are going to the beach in the lovely weather this weekend and I am dreading it but I know if I don't keep trying he will never get there.

Why is it an issue? Are you trying to get him to sleep better?

Hypermobility? A friend's daughter has that, she always hated walking and it took until she was talking and she kept saying walking hurts that her parents looked into it. I have hypermobility myself, although mild, and hated exercise as a child. It never felt painful for me, just uncomfortable, and didn't really put 2 and 2 together until a rheumatologist took a look at me age 37.

Because he is having a really hard time with his behaviour. Aggression, destruction, bouncing off the walls and climbing all the furniture at home so it was suggested to try and get him out burning energy to try and regulate him and help.

He sleeps amazingly still having 3-4 hour daytime naps and 11-12 hours overnight.

He seems to run around just fine at home and nursery climbing everything and everyone. Just when out and about he seems to not care for it.

How old is he? There’s 2 and then there is nearly 3. How old is baby? I think 2 is still quite young to be walking everywhere. We had a double buggy and then a buggy board with a little seat for a while. I also used a toddler sling when dc1 was walking more but then got tired.

o feel like it’s almost too muc sleep 3/4 hours daytome
sleep plus 12 hours at night is 16 hours. He’s only up for 8 hours no wonder he’s got too much energy! I would also start to reduce the nap. Having said that both of mine didn’t sleep like that so maybe not?

He is only 2 years 2 months so young side of 2. I don't mind that he doesn't want to walk everywhere its the fact he doesn't want to walk anywhere I find frustrating. Baby is only 3 months.

Hes 15kg so not easy to keep carrying around!

He really struggles to stay awake for his 5 hour wake windows. He only makes it 5 hours after a 3-4 hour nap so I worry he will struggle massively if I cut his nap down and end up with a 5pm bedtime which is stupidly early.

I agree with this opinion that he is jealous of the baby, and is showing regression - probably wondering why he can’t be in the pram smiling at Mummy. He might need a little one-on-one time (if possible).

He also sounds like he doesn't like the beach. Maybe try other things like flying a kite, bat and ball, football, digging giant holes (getting lost in them!), and lots of ice-cream. I know my children didnt like waking when they were unmotivated and bored (still don’t!), so a ton load of snacks and silly songs were the only way I could get them moving. Sometimes, the children just aren’t fans of the beach (one of my children doesn't like the feel of sand).

Is he ok with other places like the swings? Places that he chooses to go to?

My child is exactly the same age and also doesn’t like walking sometimes. He can walk a really long way if he fancies it (managed 2 miles a couple of weekends ago). I still take a buggy for him if we have a decent way to walk but today it was a struggle to get him to walk 100m from our car to the soft play!! He just wants to be carried. Problem for us is my husband gives in and carries him, which I can’t do as he’s too damn heavy (and also I think he needs to build his walking stamina!)

Start with really short walks make it really fun. One everyday to make it routine. Slowly start increasing the time.

Is it because he sees the baby in the pram / being carried and is jealous or afraid to lose his place as Mummy’s baby?

I'd just buy a cheap double buggy, my first didn't much like walking and I had to buy one even though he was 2 and 8 months when next one born, he was in it til 4 (embarrassingly usually reading a book as very early reader but not interested in being very physical). If he needs that much sleep perhaps he is genuinely too tired to walk that much, he's still very young.🥰

He wouldnt walk pre baby and hasn't been in a facing mummy pram for a long time but yes very concious he is struggling with the adjustment. Unfortunately we don't really get any 1-1 time due to baby not sleeping without me but hopefully this will improve soon.

He is the same no matter where we go. If it is the forest he doesn't care about looking for leaves etc and the park he doesn't like the swings. He will go down the slide a couple of times and then says he is done!

If we take his scuttle bug he is better but only for a short period and he is getting a bit big for it soon and then I am a bit stuck as I cant carry a balance bike and push a pram and play/carry toddler.

He can't really choose places to go as he doesn't say much so its just based on where I think he may enjoy.

This is a great idea but how do I encourage it? Besides letting him ride his scuttle bug but this isnt really walking. I can also only let him use the scuttle bug in open places like the beach or forest or park as I cant keep him safe on the pavements on it whilst pushing the pram.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

He was like it pre baby so I don't think so but honestly its hard to say fully. But If that is why i'm not sure how to fix it!

I have a sling thing for the pram so he can sit in it but its more I am trying to get him to burn energy to help his behaviour 🙈

I used trickery and bribes. I pretended elves liked to give surprises to children who looked for them in the woods. Then I'd point to a very broad tree with big roots and say 'They usually live in trees like that. DC would run to inspect the tree and meanwhile I would sneak a tiny toy or coin or wrapped sweet among the roots. They started to love walks. Then once that wore off, they got old enough to be amazed by my old pedometer, and how many steps they had done.

DS2 was so resistant but now he loves walking for fun.

Mine would walk for hours with their own pushchair full of babies/sticks/treasures to push along - maybe you could engage him with being the big kid that pushes the pushchair and see if being on a par with you appeals as much as being the baby?

(This would potentially also work with a toy pet on a lead, or similar?)

Oh, and I also used to grab a handful of pennies and throw them just ahead of us on the path - finding pirate treasure always made it more exciting to be out and about and you can only spot it if you're walking, not from the buggy (also good for reminding that little babies can't have treasure, only big kids!).

What age did you start this? My son wouldn't understand this at the moment but a good idea for when he does!

Just make your life easier and use the pram or balance bike

I'd actually question whether this is medical rather than behavioural. The fact he's always been like this, needs loads of sleep, and is a bit tricky behaviourally makes me wonder if he's actually in pain and can't explain because a) he doesn't have the words and b) it's all he knows. If he's sore he won't want to walk, will be grumpy and sleep poorly so need a lot of sleep. My nephew has hip dysplasia for instance (not saying it's this) and is very similar.