Anyone else's nursery say they shouldn't be bringing child to nursery in a buggy?

[Gizmo2015]

As per the title really, just wondering if anyone else has been told the same?

I started my DS turned 3 end of June to my older childs primary schools nursery in September. Received an email addressed to all parents a few weeks later to say they were shocked to see parents bringing kids in in buggies, and we should only be doing so if they have special need. Buggies are recommended up to the age of 3 and all kids are over this age now and children should be learning to gain strength in their legs etc etc. Now we have a 15 min walk in to school (30 mins if little one is on foot) and I have to get both kids in on time. We do usually walk home. Many parents drive their kids in to school or drag them in on a scooter, is this better? My eldest went to the same nursery and I initially brought him in in a buggy no issues, we stopped using a buggy before the end of nursery which is what I planned on doing with my youngest.
So, I'm just wondering if this is becoming quite widespread now among nursery aged kids?

The OP said specifically that this was an email addressed to all parents. So it seems very unlikely that the nursery has somehow decided to send out a separate email to drivers only.

I would read between the lines.

I would bet there is a child going in to reception / year 1 who has never walked to nursery, but they can't really single out one child.

If a 3 1/2 year old is still a toddler wouldn’t they maybe have special needs and be exempt from this request anyway

The school is out of order but also the walk sounds absolutely doable so I'd be getting the child to walk and train them up. Use a scooter with them.

It’s a really noticeable change. I taught nursery 20 years ago. The only child arriving in a buggy had significant special needs.

I also fostered a child who had been using a buggy far too much. Her development was delayed as a result. Her coordination was poor, her balance and so on. We had to actively work at helping her catch up.

Sometimes people find it easier to infantilise their children than to encourage independence skills. So children use sucky bottles rather than cups to avoid spills and so on. It impacts speech development too.

Disgusting and judgemental email by the nursery. I’d be fuming!

Hilarious. So much projection. So the kids not being driven in cars are also the ones with unhealthy diets including drinking soft drink on the way to school? I suspect it would more often than not be the reverse.

We often used a pusher when out up to the age of 4 shock horror Often after walking miles and playing in parks or running and jumping through a zoo etc they were exhausted and having a chair on wheels was much needed. That kid is now a very athletic active teen still out and about having adventures with his friends but now with his own car (seat on wheels).

There is a difference - a buggy is preferable. Fresh air, ability to observe the world around you and interact with people, no pollution etc.

It's right to gently nudge people away from buggies, a positive 'active schools' or 'wheely day' type of campaign where you challenge people to walk/bike/scoot is better.

Our local school has also changed parking rules so you can't drive right up to school unless you have disability - for safety and to encourage walking/other active transport.

I would ignore that, my kids were in their buggies until they were 4, no special needs but I don't drive and the shops are half an hours walk away. They both walked a lot too and it's not done them any harm!

I taught nursery 20 years ago. The only child arriving in a buggy had significant special needs.

So, 0% of the kids arrived by car? How extremely unusual for the UK....

I do think, 'seriously?!' once they are in reception, because other children look at them and ask why they are in a buggy. But I don't ever say anything.

I would reply and point out that an alternative for you at the moment is the car and you feel the buggy is better.

I don't think it's the nursery's business how you get there. Although at 3 and a half your DC could be cycling in, which would be quicker all round. Get a lightweight bike and they'll be up on peddles in a week.

The best thing about cycling is that you can chain their bikes there and speed to work yourself rather than trudging along.

When dd was 3, her brother's primary was a 15/20 minute walk from the house and he had to be in by 8.55, her nursery was a 20 minute walk from the school and she started at 9.15. Parking was not possible near the school.

Nobody had an issue with me using the buggy for dd. Her nursery would have understood the pressures on families, been able to judge if a child wasn't developing as expected and would have known that if they were that arsy parents would take their fees elsewhere.

I'm no fan of older children in buggies but it isn't the schools place to dictate how you travel to school. Agree with PP if it's about lack of exercise then they should also ban driving children to school.

I used a buggy well passed 3 with my eldest as I prefer walking. Didn’t know it was so taboo… she couldn’t walk the 4 mile round trip to town etc and I didn’t want to drive so that was what we did.

id just ignore the email and would only address is if brought up directly to you.

my older two are 10 and 13 now and have been able to walk five miles plus for years. We rarely would use our car for a journey under a mile as I have normalised walking as a mode of transport. (Additionally both my kids play competitive sports too and both are healthy weights etc )

if you can do it in 30 minutes with him on foot I think thats reasonable to do.

surely that depends how much time you have available. It doesn’t mean op isn’t making time for physical play at other times. I think it’s a well intentioned but clunky letter

I think it was probably meant with good intentions . (They should have also mentioned driving). it could have been delivered to parents in a much more tactful way though I’m sure!
perhaps pointing out to parents that they are a lot of children whose gross motor skills are really suffering because they are always in a buggy or car seat. Not only physical skills but their processing, knowledge of the world, safety awareness etc all suffer from being constantly driven or pushed around.
we take out the nursery children on walks and you can absolutely tell the ones that are never given the opportunity to walk anywhere.

When I see pre-school children in my class in prams I do sigh to myself I've got to say. It just seems part of the babying culture we have with children who are 3/4. Calling them toddlers, dummies, not thinking they can do things they are capable of. When we go on walks you can tell some children are not used to walking at all. However, for a trip from home to school that avoids using the car I can understand that more, and theres a difference between it being used for longer journeys like that than being used anytime they need to walk. At that age I got my children to use a scooter.

I think the school was brave and maybe it has made parents who could get their children to walk more to consider whether they need to use a pram.

Honestly I do think if you looked into it there would be a correlation between children using buggies well beyond ‘normal’ buggy age and the sort of things described in that quote. I don’t like saying that as it does sound judgey but if you do go to an area of some deprivation you do see children, often well beyond toddlerhood, in pushchairs looking at phones, with juice / crisps / biscuits.

What you describe is totally different but unusual. I have a nearly four year old and he and his friends haven’t been in a pushchair for the best part of eighteen months.

It doesn't matter if some people drive and therefore have kids doing even less walking, it's not a race to the bottom. The emails not great, but that doesn't mean they are wrong.

You have a 15 minute walk you are using it for and call your 3.5yo a toddler - there's a chance you are babying them a bit, I would have them walk part of it at least, even if you need the buggy for back up to start with.

Your child won't just magically become a fit and healthy child who uncomplainingly walks everywhere, that's on you to get them there. Not everyone does, it depends if it's important to you, but you need to own it.

It's a 10 min walk to our nursery at adult pace. My child usually scoots or cycles as if we walk they are prone to just stop and refuse to move and I end up carrying them. No thanks!

Sometimes we still use the buggy if we're running late, it's raining or I'm going food shopping straight afterwards (good storage!). We are definitely in the minority doing that, there are only one or two others and one of them does have special needs.

I don't know how many drive, I suspect not many.

I honestly would ignore that email. As you say, I bet people will now drive instead which is so much worse for everyone - other parents who really need to drive won't get a space, people who live next to the school will inevitably get blocked in by a parent (this happens all the time at my dcs school) and the older dcs and parents won't get any exercise, plus will be showing the little ones it's OK to drive short distances.

Preschool children should be getting plenty of exercise during the day, not sitting inside all day. The walk is just a small part of their day and shouldn't be the lynchpin making sure they are physically active. I'd have serious questions about the person who decided to send thus email tbh. I work in a secondary school but have so worked in primary fwiw

A child being pushed to school in a buggy for a few months longer than the average is going to suffer far fewer ill effects than all the kids who get driven everywhere by their parents absolutely everywhere until they leave home at 18.

There were never any emails, but it was very much 'not the done thing'.

There's a school wide walk to school initiative, which the nursery class also do. They put a sticker on a chart each day to show if they walked/biked/drove part way/drove all the way, then win badges when they have enough points. Been pushed in a buggy is classed as equivalent to driving all the way (0 points), whereas most kids that are driven are classed as park and stride (1 point) as the roads around the school are closed to traffic at school run times, so people have to park then walk the last 5-10 minutes.

It would make more sense to advise parents how many minutes of walking a three year old should do per day and mention the journey to nursery as an opportunity to do these. Telling people what to do without knowing their specific circumstances is never going to be useful.