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"Make" is too strong a word but I don't know how else to say it. I see kids that seem to be three or so and still pushed in strollers.
I was at a Border's once and heard loud crying. The father was telling his son that they would NOT be taking the elevator and that he had to walk and the son wanted to be picked up.
It was one flight of stairs.
I have witnessed this more than once and I applaud parents who break the habit of carrying or pushing kids who should be exercising their legs!
I can't keep my two year old in the stroller even if I wanted to. She wants to walk. Now, her little legs do get a bit tired on long trips and I might carry her or break out the umbrella stroller. She put the kibosh on her "driving miss daisy" days.
There are times when I do strap her in whether she likes it or not. Like going through busy streets or the airport, unless my hands are free to catch her at less than a moments notice.
It's not just about the strollers, though. Where I live I see parents walking their kids to school and not dropping them off in SUVs. There is a big fitness thing around here. People are health-conscious and jog/walk/bike all the time.
I think maybe there are two elements to this: spoiling the kids and/or keeping them dependent. After all, when you walk around, you are becoming a separate being. At age 2 children are ambulatory. And they begin to assert themselves as individuals. Perhaps to discourage this, some parents want to keep them babies and under their control.
It's not just about the strollers, though. Where I live I see parents walking their kids to school and not dropping them off in SUVs. There is a big fitness thing around here. People are health-conscious and jog/walk/bike all the time.
Or their parents are dropping them off while on their way to work or somewhere else. And what difference does what the parents are driving matter? If they were being dropped off in convertibles what would that indicate?
I can't keep my two year old in the stroller even if I wanted to. She wants to walk. Now, her little legs do get a bit tired on long trips and I might carry her or break out the umbrella stroller. She put the kibosh on her "driving miss daisy" days.
There are times when I do strap her in whether she likes it or not. Like going through busy streets or the airport, unless my hands are free to catch her at less than a moments notice.
Yes, I believe that some parents may do it for that reason.
I am curious--don't they have backpacks to carry older (1-3 year-olds)? I see people pushing these tank-strollers and they seem so cumbersome.
I typically do not carry my toddler b'c 1.) she's in the 80th percentile in weight and 2.) I have a bad back. If I'm going to be somewhere all day, I use a stroller and tell her she can walk or sit in the stroller.
Her Daddy is more lenient but he is learning the error of his ways as she is not getting any lighter! He still gives in more than I do but he probably still carries her about 50% of the time. With me, she knows not to ask but when she does ask, I know she is REALLY tired.
My children were walked or in a stroller depending on the situation but not past the age of about 4. Once they were old enough to go to school and participate in after school sports they walked when we were out and about. I always had a hand on them or they had their hand holding on to me so I knew exactly who was where.
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Thanks for that link.
