When are they TOO old for a buggy?

[OmiOmen]

I am really interested in peoples opinions about when you think a toddler/child is too old to be in a buggy any more?

I will explain why I am asking; Yesterday two young kids were walking past me with their mother and grandmother and the grandmother said very loudly to the younger child "See your too old to be in a pushchair, you can walk all this way fine!" just as she was walking past me and my husband who was pushing our sleeping son in his pushchair. Now, maybe I am jumping to conclusions but the way she said it, the timing and the look she gave us made me feel that it was in part aimed at us. The boy was about the same size as my son and I believe he was between 2 and 3 BUT my son is just over 1 and tall however since my husband was pushing the pushchair and is also very tall I find it odd that it never seems to click with anyone that he may not be as old as he looks. This is not the first time for something like this to happen, when my son was 6 months old someone told my husband he was far too old to be in a pushchair (he was only just pulling himself up and trying to wobble along holding on to things at 6 months so clearly could not walk when out). My son has always being active and he does walk on his harness a little while out but he can not walk long distances still and still naps while out and we also hold him from time to time so are not relying on the pushchair (although if I was out without my husband I would have to as no one would be left to push it). I think we will get a lightweight buggy soon but can not see not needing something at this point but I do not believe that a year old is too old to use a pushchair when needed and yet I seem to face a lot of people judging me for this (once again, I realise it is possibly due to my son looking and acting a little older than he is). I know toddlers the same age as my son who are only just starting to crawl and wonder if their parents get the same hassle.

Now I also see people and wonder why their child is in a pushchair. I have seen a LOT of kids in them and I mean actual children and not toddlers. Every time I go out I see some children in them that are physically too big to fit in them with their legs dragging on the floor and not enough room to sit in them. I see a lot who are more than willing and able to walk but their parents shout at them to stop climbing out and try to keep them sat in with cans of pop and bars of chocolate. I do think when you are forcing a child to stay in one and/or they physically do not fit in them then they are not needed.

Anyway, I am really interested in knowing what other people think.

 

[Blah11]

over 4 IMO. 3 is when they should be encouraged to walk more but i wouldnt find it odd if a 3 year old is still in one. I see loads of kids that are waaaay too old to be in a buggy in one I seen a pair of twins the other day in a pushchair and they looked atleast 5.
We still use the buggy when we're on a more than 20 minute proper walk, we have a 45min walk home from nursery and she gets tired about half way home. We don't take it to shopping centres anymore.

 

[tallybee]

It totally depends on the child Some are able to walk more at a younger age than others. I do think there are some who stick them in a buggy longer than necessary though. My daughter just turned 5 and there was a girl (same age) at her nursery whose mum used to turn up with a buggy for the girl at age 4 and with no physical problems I really don't see why a child should be in a buggy at all!

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

M used it till he was 2/3 and Ruby stayed in a pushchair till 4 because the school run to get M was over a mile long.

I think 4 max.

Although, I sometimes get the buggy out for M who is nearly 7 because if he doesn't want to walk then he wont. He has autism and yeah sometimes its a struggle not to mention dangerous. Should see the looks I get with him in it!

 

[annawrigley]

I would say 4. FOB's mum always tells me how she used to pick FOB up from school with his pushchair, and how he'd have naps at school and take a dummy and a teddy and stuff. I don't know why she tells me this stuff lol. But yeah I think that's getting a bit stupid

Noah will probably be out of his somewhere between 2 and 3. Hard to tell until we're there of course, but he's very big and barely fits in his at the moment, he's also very steady on his feet and loves walking and has endless energy lol so I reckon by maybe 2.5 he'll be fine without it. Town is a 10 minute walk away, so is one of his nurseries, the other nursery is a bus ride away but the bus stops each end are like 5 mins from the destination. My dad's house is 5 mins away, FOB's house is 10-15 mins away, so is the park. So I think by that age he should be fine to walk anywhere we ever go I'm a bit nervous about ditching it though cos he is 28lbs already so if he got tired and refused to walk and I didn't have the pushchair I don't actually know what I'd do cos I can't carry him for more than a few mins

 

[cleckner04]

I say 3. My friend's LO is 3 and it looked VERY odd to see him being pushed around in a stroller still. He was perfectly capable of walking on his own. I will spend days at the zoo and Emma walks the entire time. But in the evenings if I go for a walk, I put her in the stroller or the carrier but that's only because I want to walk fast to actually burn some good calories.

 

[OmarsMum]

When he refuses to use it. Omar still loves his buggy & he wont go out of the car if we dont take his buggy out of the boot. He asks for it & he loves to sit in it when we'r walking in a mall. He will walk for a short distance before he asks to go into his buggy again.

 

[Kimmer]

I would say 3. My ex's girlfriend picks her 4 year old up from school in a pushchair! It does start to look a little silly when they're in a buggy but wearing a school uniform

I would hope Skye is walking most places at 2, but I'm aware they still get tired at that age. I would say 3 at a max. 4 is too old IMO.

 

[mummy3]

Unless there is an underlying medical problem, 3 is the max IMO. My son is 3 and can go for miles lol, my 22m dd is getting close to walking alot but will still go in the stroller if we need to go far. I should imagine a 4+ year old child is missing out on the benefits of walking on their development

 

[bathbabe]

Id say they should be out of a pushchair at the very lastest by 4.

 

[Laura2919]

I say 3 to 4.. My girls were late walkers, 17 months but they rarely use the buggy. On Saturday I took the girls to my mums and we all went for a long walk around the common with my dog. We were there an hour walking up hills and then into the wood area and they didnt moan once. My mum said I should take the buggy and I said I werent pushing the heavy double buggy up hills and if they wanted to I would carry one and OH or dad could carry the other but not once did they get up.
I take it shopping because trying to control two 2 year olds is a nightmare but we rarely use it these days.

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

Unless their is a developmental problem or a medical reason then I would say 4 is the age the pushchair isn't needed anymore. I Having said that I hardly use the pushchair with Aidan now. Only taking him too and from nursery xx

 

[DanielleM]

My son was in his pushchair until he was 4 as he could not walk and they will not issue a wheelchair until school age. As Evan looks 'normal' I would get really horrible stares from other people and comments about how my child should be walking and stop being lazy. I felt like screaming back at them 'shut the f*** up he would walk if he could, but he can't!!'

Don't always assume that children in buggys are just lazy there are other reasons why they could be in the pushchair!

Edit: as soon as his wheelchair was issued he used this and not his buggy

 

[Nibblenic]

Id say 4ish.

Lo is just over 2 now and we always have to take the stroller or not debate kinda thing. Most of the time is is a decision baised on how much we want to carry her. As when she gets tired she wont walk. Since me and OH both have dogdy to really bad backs. The decision is oftern made on how we are feeling in terms of being able to carry her.

My friend has two Los on wouldnt even consider getting in a pram from 2 and walked everywhere. The other child would still sit in a buggy now if she could (was allowed) at 5. I think it also depends on the child.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

I miss the pushchair, I could put my bags on it lol

 

[going_crazy]

My son was in his pushchair until he was 4 as he could not walk and they will not issue a wheelchair until school age. As Evan looks 'normal' I would get really horrible stares from other people and comments about how my child should be walking and stop being lazy. I felt like screaming back at them 'shut the f*** up he would walk if he could, but he can't!!'

Don't always assume that children in buggys are just lazy there are other reasons why they could be in the pushchair!

Edit: as soon as his wheelchair was issued he used this and not his buggy

People can be too quick to judge sometimes - things aren't always black and white, so I agree with this

Having said that, in a child who doesn't have problems with walking etc, then IMO they should not need a pushchair by aged 3 or 4?
My older DD's were walking everywhere by age 2, but that's just them - not all children are the same xx

 

[OmiOmen]

Don't always assume that children in buggys are just lazy there are other reasons why they could be in the pushchair!

I just want to clarify that I do not assume there are not reasons for this or even that when there are no real reasons that the kids are lazy. When I say that I have seen non toddlers in pushchairs I have once or twice thought there was another reason for it so did not jump to conclusions BUT I have seen some that clearly are being forced to stay in them up to and including getting forced back in when trying to climb out or standing up in them because they are too big for them and their legs are dragging on the floor. For example, a few days ago I saw a couple trying to keep their child (I have no idea how old but I would guess 6-7 years old) in the pushchair by giving him pop and chocolates and they were ignoring him (he tried to fake chocking but they still ignored him) but were quite happy to shout about their phones but would not acknowledge their son at all. He clearly was capable of walking (and seemed willing to) and it was quite obvious they were keeping him in there to suit themselves.

I agree that people assume things too quick. I know when I am out people give me dirty looks when giving my son a snack and I guess they think that the bright box the raisins come in are sweets. Also, like I said my son is tall for his age so people seem to think he should not nap in his pushchair. But sometimes it is really obvious that parents are forcing their child (not talking toddlers here) to be in one when not only can they walk but are desperately trying to get out.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

My son was in his pushchair until he was 4 as he could not walk and they will not issue a wheelchair until school age. As Evan looks 'normal' I would get really horrible stares from other people and comments about how my child should be walking and stop being lazy. I felt like screaming back at them 'shut the f*** up he would walk if he could, but he can't!!'

Don't always assume that children in buggys are just lazy there are other reasons why they could be in the pushchair!

Edit: as soon as his wheelchair was issued he used this and not his buggy

I know how this feels. I think people judge to much, I dont think anything really, I see a child in a buggy and thats that, people just do what they want to do. The kid will outgrow the stroller eventually anyway.

 

[annawrigley]

Don't always assume that children in buggys are just lazy there are other reasons why they could be in the pushchair!

I just want to clarify that I do not assume there are not reasons for this or even that when there are no real reasons that the kids are lazy. When I say that I have seen non toddlers in pushchairs I have once or twice thought there was another reason for it so did not jump to conclusions BUT I have seen some that clearly are being forced to stay in them up to and including getting forced back in when trying to climb out or standing up in them because they are too big for them and their legs are dragging on the floor. For example, a few days ago I saw a couple trying to keep their child (I have no idea how old but I would guess 6-7 years old) in the pushchair by giving him pop and chocolates and they were ignoring him (he tried to fake chocking but they still ignored him) but were quite happy to shout about their phones but would not acknowledge their son at all. He clearly was capable of walking (and seemed willing to) and it was quite obvious they were keeping him in there to suit themselves.

I agree that people assume things too quick. I know when I am out people give me dirty looks when giving my son a snack and I guess they think that the bright box the raisins come in are sweets. Also, like I said my son is tall for his age so people seem to think he should not nap in his pushchair. But sometimes it is really obvious that parents are forcing their child (not talking toddlers here) to be in one when not only can they walk but are desperately trying to get out.

Had to read that a few times, thought it said smack lol

 

[bathbabe]

Don't always assume that children in buggys are just lazy there are other reasons why they could be in the pushchair!

I just want to clarify that I do not assume there are not reasons for this or even that when there are no real reasons that the kids are lazy. When I say that I have seen non toddlers in pushchairs I have once or twice thought there was another reason for it so did not jump to conclusions BUT I have seen some that clearly are being forced to stay in them up to and including getting forced back in when trying to climb out or standing up in them because they are too big for them and their legs are dragging on the floor. For example, a few days ago I saw a couple trying to keep their child (I have no idea how old but I would guess 6-7 years old) in the pushchair by giving him pop and chocolates and they were ignoring him (he tried to fake chocking but they still ignored him) but were quite happy to shout about their phones but would not acknowledge their son at all. He clearly was capable of walking (and seemed willing to) and it was quite obvious they were keeping him in there to suit themselves.

I agree that people assume things too quick. I know when I am out people give me dirty looks when giving my son a snack and I guess they think that the bright box the raisins come in are sweets. Also, like I said my son is tall for his age so people seem to think he should not nap in his pushchair. But sometimes it is really obvious that parents are forcing their child (not talking toddlers here) to be in one when not only can they walk but are desperately trying to get out.

Had to read that a few times, thought it said smack lol

Glad im not the only one who made that mistake