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Parenting

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Original poster

What would you think if you saw

46 replies

Bumblingbovine · 15/12/2009 16:48

A - A 4 year old boy (nearly 5) on a seat on the back of his dad's bike being taken to school.
B - The same 4 (nearly 5 year old) boy being pushed to school in a pushchair

And if your reactions to A and B are different can you tell me why?

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gizmo · 15/12/2009 17:14

TBH, if I was feeling particularly judgy, I'd be slightly at a 5 year old on a bike seat. It's a good age for them to learn to cycle themselves - and that cures all tendency to dawdle!

awastingamanger · 15/12/2009 17:16

Bumbling, you need a shopping trolley.

2babyblues · 15/12/2009 17:20

I would probably be ok with both.

Though, with A I would probably freak out if it was on a busy road to be honest, as I don't think cycling (where we live at least) is particularly safe. If the child itself was on a bike I would expect this to be on the pavement with the adult walking with them to separate them from the road. Of course, there are lovely areas where there are cycle tracks with no traffic around (I just don't happen to live in one!!!).

If B I would probably think that they had a long school run or the child needed to go in a buggy for health reasons.

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EdgarAleNPie · 15/12/2009 17:20

i'd be judgey about both.

bike - not safe.

pushchair - infantilising.

(before i spawn a shedload of comments, yes i know that is not entirely reasonable, nonetheless, it is what i'd think.)

kids bikes for v. quiet roads, (same any bike with a child on it)

Original poster

Bumblingbovine · 15/12/2009 17:22

Gizmo - If you could come round and teach ds to ride a bike I'd be most grateful. dh is struggling somewhat with him on this

We have worked out that the bike he has really is a bit heavy for him (he doesn't have particularly strong leg muscles). He took an age to learn how to use his scooter (about a year from 2.5yrs to 3.5yrs) and then only when we bought a lighter one for him as the heavy one we bought first was no good at all for him.

We are getting him a lighter bike better designed for children in the New Year. In the meantime we are stuck with the seat.

We did consider a tag along bike but tbh it seemd a waste of money for what would only be a short time before ds learns to ride (hopefully)

Then all we will need is for me to practise some more. My cycling really is appalling - which is what happenes when you learn to ride for the first time as an adult.

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Original poster

Bumblingbovine · 15/12/2009 17:24

Ah someone who thinks both are wrong - at least it is consistent

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Original poster

Bumblingbovine · 15/12/2009 17:26

Dh has always takn ds on the bike since he was a year old. I really didn't worry too much about it. Maybe I should

We reasonable cycle paths here but the roads are quite busy as well.

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TheChewyToffeeMum · 15/12/2009 17:30

Edgar - statistically the bike seat is probably safer than a car which would be the alternative many people would choose.

blithedance · 15/12/2009 17:37

The boy needs a balance bike, Bovine. Totally. they are easy and fun. Keep it nice and you'll have no problem selling it.

A lot of small kids pedal bikes are crap - badly geared, heavy and hard to pedal. My 4yo can do a mile in 10-15 mins on his wooden bike, on the pavements with me puffing along behind. Fully kitted out in helmet and little Ikea hi-vis.

blithedance · 15/12/2009 17:38

Sorry, 0.75 mile in 15 mins. Bikes have made our school run bearable.

Original poster

Bumblingbovine · 15/12/2009 17:41

blithdance. We have ummed and ahhed about a balance bike. I didn't really know about them until quite recently and from what I've heard they are great and the transition to a pedal bike is very easy.

Do you think he is too old for one though? Most of them seem to say for 2-5yrs

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Cherys · 15/12/2009 18:24

When my two were that age I used the buggy sometimes because they were small for their age and the school was a mile away. I agree it's silly to judge one form of getting there as better than another. Why not get him a mini micro scooter or something similar for Christmas, as he'll get there ten times quicker and get some exercise too.

blithedance · 15/12/2009 20:16

Well he could have had it younger but if he's a bit nervous about cycling it might get him started quicker than stabilisers. If only they were more widely available you could try one out in a shop. Is your DS tall or short for his age? Mine were well past 3rd birthdays by the time they started on our balance bike.

Does your ds pedal a tricycle or a bike with stabilisers?

Buddleja · 15/12/2009 20:25

I wouldn't think anything.

If you held a gun to my head and made me think something then I'd think the parents didn't have a car and it was a long walk. Also in the case of the buggy it was raining (though obviously I wouldn't have to think that it was raining as I'd be able to notice)

BlueberryPancake · 15/12/2009 20:26

I still push DS1 in double buggy sometimes when going to school. He is double jointed and his knees hurt if he walks to nursery school at 9 am and back at 11:30. The walk is about 25 minutes if he walks, 15 if he's in the buggy with his little brother, who is 2.5. He is also flat footed.

He walks most of the way but will sit down if his knees hurt.

Frankly I don't give a damn if you people judge me when I push DS1 in double buggy. I rarely drive to school, and many parents who live same distance as me take their car.

Would you people stop judging other parents for their decision? or their situation? Everyone has their reasons you know. Being late, having a kid who struggles with morning, a muscle/developmental problem, a long journey, a very whiney kid, whatever. If they decide to put kid in buggy it's not for you to judge FGS!!!!

BlueberryPancake · 15/12/2009 20:50

DS1 has just turned 4 by the way. I will use double buggy if needed until the end of the winter. It's fantastic for carrying the shopping and is the easiest ever buggy to push, and I can do my jogging going to school if they are both sitting in (or one with all the shopping on the way back!)

Original poster

Bumblingbovine · 16/12/2009 10:12

I am thinking I might get ds a balance bike afterall

Blithdance
Ds is very energetic and I wouldn't say he was nervous but his strength and co-ordination are not fantastic. He was only able to use his tricycle on his own when he was 3.5yrs old. He just seemed unable to make the pedals go round more before then. We used it a lot for the park and the local shops etc but we always ended up pushing him.

He has a tiny bycycle with stabilisers (10" I think) which we were given by friends which he finally managed to use when he was just over 4 years old.

We have been trying to get him to use a normal bike (small one obviously but a bit bigger than the tiny one) without stabilisers but it really does seem beyind him at the moment.

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MaMight · 16/12/2009 10:23

I wouldn't think anything.

If pressed, I suppose I would assume that a 5-yr-old in a pushchair had special needs.

Wouldn't really give either scenario headspace though, other that to give bike dad a solidarity grin because I cycle around with my ds on the back of my bike too.

EdgarAleNPie · 18/12/2009 16:28

Edgar - statistically the bike seat is probably safer than a car which would be the alternative many people would choose

erm..prove it?

there was article on tv the other morning about how dangerous cycling is..

of course you very rarely see kids on bikes, which might be why v,. few have accidents...

but really, how can you possibly imagine the rear of a bike (with no crumple zones, no restraints, no safety features other than a hlmet..) to be as safe as the inside of a car?

UniS · 18/12/2009 20:30

Back of bike I'd wonder if I knew them. In buggy, I'd assume they lived further away than child could walk.

we use bike. stopped using buggy long before I stopped using bike trailer as preschool was a hilly 1.5 miles away. now use a tandem so boy has to pedal as well.

MumNWLondon · 22/12/2009 21:58

I still push my DS to nursery. He will be 4 in May - its just under a mile. Although he could make it there he'd be too tired to walk back (uphill) and I leave the buggy at school as I go straight to work. I suppose I could push it empty... re: scooter fine on the way there but impossible on the way back because of the incline. At least if we walk I and DD (in year 1) get the exercise as the alternative is driving.

Even in reception when she was five DD found it hard to walk home as she was totally exhausted and was glad of the buggy board. So I wouldn't ever be judgemental of someone pushing a nearly 5 year old.

Bike is different as maybe parents is continuing on somewhere and needs the bike.

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