what age did you say goodbye to buggy?

[scanty]

Just curious. My 4 and a half yr old hasn't used his buggy for a few months. Know that people go on at the age of some kids still in buggies - so what age did your child say goodbye to their buggy? To walk him to school in the morning, I feel he still needs it as it's a good 30-40 min walk and he dawdles badly and we would always be late and stressed. Or what if you wanted to go a really long walk?

LOL! And i love the word hoik too.

Just after 3 with both, got the micro scooters. However sometimes if we are going across London by tube etc and will be a long day dd will still use the buggy so she has somewhere to have a rest.

2yrs with me and allowed granny to continue to use it until nearly 3 yrs. Now I use a shopping trolley & hold on to Ds's hand. Easy.

katy1katy good tipes for getting 4yo etc to walk include:

Get him to push toys' buggy

Races to next tree (etc)

Who can find a (blue door, number 5, dandelion clock, newspaper shop)

Scooter

I used to throw magic dust down the pavement to get 2.6yo DD to do a walk of about 1.5 miles when she had to.

DS1 used to walk along a DS1path on the pavement (ie a Joshua-path (not his name)) which was actually where they had dug up the pavement to lay the TV cables.

Georgimama

think what was meant regarding only child is that is can get more complicated if you have several young children to manage, longish distances, traffic to manage, shopping bags to manage, no partner to share the load and carry whining child if they refuse to budge etc. Even if you cut the trip short you might still have a mile or more to walk with whinging child and groceries. I know some mums that car everywhere and only use their buggy for a quick whizz round the shopping centre before loading their shopping into the car for the drive home. Other mums might literally be walking miles with their kids and carrying shopping etc. Everybody's situation is different.

OK, well as I said, my mother had 3 children and each one had to walk when she had the next because the pram was needed. That was at age 2. She didn't have a car and she walked miles and so did we. She managed and we did as we were told.

By usualsuspect Fri 22-Jan-10 23:18:47
"Whenever it suits you and your child really, who cares if its the norm"

That's what I meant to say.

DD is 3.4 and we haven't used the buggy regularly for about a year. We still take it if I think she's going to need a rest or if she's poorly but generally she just walks and is happier doing it, too. She's not a particularly large or strong child but she is used to walking as I have always expected her to do it and she has mostly wanted to.

I don't see a problem with using a buggy for a child who is tired after school, really. I sometimes take a bus with DD when I would walk if I was alone, if I know she would get too tired out by walking. It's no different, really.

We haven't used our Jane three-wheeler pushchair for a few months but this week I've had both children off sick (ages 3 and 5) and I was used it for both of them when I needed to get out and walk the dog. They were too poorly to walk themselves, so I bundled them in with blankets/drinks etc and off we set.

It was rather pleasant actually. I got some exercise and the dog got his walk so I think I'll keep it in the garage for a bit longer before getting rid.

But assuming the children are well, it doesn't get used much anymore unless I am planning a quick burn into town, round the shops and back again DD2 is happy enough to sit in it as long as she has a little snack box to keep her busy.

About 3 years old.

Between 2.5 - 3y. Couldn't wait to get rid.

Do what suits you.

I put both mine in a buggy whenever I feel like it. Both (nearly 4 and nearly 2) are able to walk for a long time without getting tired etc, but that's not actually the problem. The problem is - deciding they want to go the wrong way, failing to look where they are going in a shop, tantrums, etc etc. Buggys are very useful and I still have 2 maclarens that I am keeping for a while yet. No way would I take them both out on my own without a buggy. My younger one decides where she wants to go and won't come with us. I took them both out (in an enclosed place) with DH today. No buggies, younger one on reins. It was really tiring and frustrating.

Around 3. Kids need to walk or scooter to burn energy. There's nothing more depressing than a huge child strapped into a buggy with a dummy shoved in their mouth.

Hear hear Barbamamma.

Sooner or later you are going to have to give up the buggy, and if you haven't dealt with them going the wrong way, tantrums, not looking where they are going early, how are you going to manage when they are 6? Buggies for parents convenience are just wrong, wrong, wrong.

dd was 2.4 when ds was born and she went in the pram the week after he was born. Think she has fallen asleep it in once too.
Now at 4 she would never go anywhere near it.
Ds has just gone 2 and although I keep it in the car I am struggling to remember when he was in it last.
I often threaten to put him in it if he is "carrying on" and that usually makes him stop.
He is an average walker (unlike dd who would always walk everywhere at pace and still does) so I am not sure how I will manage when dc3 arrives. I may get a buggy board but will have to see what the best option is at the time.
We do a fair bit of walking so I think dc just expect to have to walk.

Eldest was on a buggy board by two. We took a buggy with board everywhere for a couple of years, but it often ended up with big one in the buggy and small one on the board! Smaller one has been walking everywhere since about 2 and a half.

My 3 year old could not walk three miles, anymore than my 10 year old could do ten.

And we walk and cycle and scoot a lot.

When I could hardly cope I put eldest in the buggy at 4.3 months. Perhaps if there had been a smaller gap I would have used a buggy board, I don't know.

I am gobsmacked that 4 year olds are still in buggies are you seriously saying that some kids go to school/come home from school in a buggy? do the other kids not tease them? I can imagine that some in my dc's school would have had plenty to say and litte as they are this can get them upset. make them walk it is good for them and you. if they run away make them hold your hand or if you have a baby in pram make them hold handle.

DD has used the pushchair once since DS was born 10 months ago (DD was 2.6yo at the time), and we walk a lot. She walks 10 mins to nursery school and back each day, and usually another 20-30 minute round-trip to toddler group/library etc each day.

The one time I put her in the pushchair a few months ago (cos I was in a rush and DS was at home with DH) I felt totally embarrassed as she looked like a giant in it at age 3.3! I can't imagine having a 4yo in one. And who can be bothered with a double buggy! Its hard enough getting a normal pushchair round most shops.

However, DD does go in the trolley if the supermarket is busy, and we (very rarely) also use the buggy board if in a really busy shopping centre/city centre.

btw scanty I agree with georgimama's post wrt walking ability, stamina etc of NT 2.5yo and I have 3 children.

I agree riven and busymummy re school children being teased. We have had this before on MN but I am always amazed that anyone would put a (NT) school-aged child in a buggy.

lol @ Riven - no I can't walk 46 miles either! but I like yr rule of thumb and DS2 could certainly walk 2 miles at 2, I know, cause he did. He's 6 now and we did a 6-mile walk last Sunday.

"Buggies for parents convenience are just wrong, wrong, wrong".

I don't know why really but this made me laugh and laugh.

Such strong feelings for something so..I dunno...deeply unimportant.