Do you make your toddlers or older children walk?

[Hedgehog_Mom]

My husband would still be putting the kids in the grocery cart if he could lift them, I think. He was always afraid they'd get hit by someone else's cart.

I think it's important for them to learn how to behave in stores without being confined in the cart, but they have to be at a certain point in their development to be able to behave, and it comes at different ages for different kids. My youngest has been trustworthy in a store since she was able to walk, but my friend's son is 5 and it's impossible to shop with him unless you get him into the cart.

[i love living foods]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

I just don't understand why anyone would find it necessary to discuss someone's child in a stroller. What is gained by nitpicking a parent's decision to use a stroller (or not)? Parents make thousands of judgements about what is best for their child. Some are really important. Others, like whether to put a kid in a stroller are inconsequential. I just can't see why anyone would care about:

1. Whether someone else uses a stroller
2. Whether someone else breastfeeds
3. Whether someone else has family bed
4. When someone else starts potty training

These are all issues that are important for individuals but unless someone asked for your opinion what is gained by passing judgement on a stranger's stroller use?

Moderator Cut

This is not about judging anyone. It's really silly at the end of the day. It's called a DISCUSSION. I am a naturally curious person and I love being able to ask those in the know why they do things. I bring up things I have seen while out and about as a jumping off point.

[Kibbiekat]

Originally Posted by i love living foods

This is not about judging anyone. It's really silly at the end of the day. It's called a DISCUSSION. I am a naturally curious person and I love being able to ask those in the know why they do things. I bring up things I have seen while out and about as a jumping off point.

Well you do it in a very judgemental way

[aliss2]

Ah, but you are judging. You said it's nice to see some kids exercising their legs like they should. You see people walking for 10 seconds and then make it out like people with kids and strollers don't exercise their kids 'like they should'. Considering there are 24 hours in a day, at least 12 of which that child is awake, is 10-12 hours of potential exercise time not enough?

If you see someone driving to work instead of biking, do you think they don't get enough exercise? Probably not, because you assume that they exercise at some other point of their 24 hour day. Why do you feel that children should exercise 24 hours a day? You don't, of course, but do you realize how silly that comment is now?

Does it not cross your mind that some parents need to get from point A to point B in a timely manner on occasion and sometimes use strollers or carts to do so? Out of the 10+ hours a day that a child is awake, surely they can get sufficient exercise? They are not "in school" (assuming we are speaking of kids up to age 5 or 6), they are in preschool which involves lots of running, or at home which involves even more running. In fact my toddler does not even seem to be able to go pee in the toilet without running towards it.

So if you see someone in a cart for 10 seconds out of their 24 hour day, you might consider that their children is sufficiently exercised Perhaps too much so, which is why they are in a cart. I cannot always plan groceries or shopping errands to a perfect time (particularly when you have multiple children), so for YOUR sake and the sake of others who are subjected to my tired/hungry toddler, I may keep him in a cart in order to prevent you from being subjected to a tired/hungry mindless tantrum.

Or would you rather hear the tantrum? Or better yet, deliver my groceries You see, there are no perfect options here. That is not taking it personal (after this many years and my kids, I do not take offence to uninformed judgmental opinions, I pity them), that is just a simple explanation of why "we" do what "we" do.

[Declan's Dad]

Originally Posted by The Shepherd

I see kids six and seven still pushed in strollers. It seems to be quite common where I live.

Lazy parents tend to raise lazy kids.

[goodbyesnow]

I've had strollers for all 4 of my kids and did use them when they were 3 or 4 for longer outings. I feel bad when I see moms dragging little ones under the age of two in a large shopping mall or the zoo. their legs get tired, they get tired,they whine and want to stop, and the parents drag them along yelling. Kids get tired. For long walks, some need to be in a stroller. My son is 6 and due to low muscle tone because he has Down Syndrome, we have upgraded to a stroller that can hold 75 pounds. He'll probably be in it till he's 10! People look at him questioningly as many don't realize DS contributes to physical issues as well as cognitive delays.
Even my 3 typical kids had a stroller for long outings. When they are worn out after hours at an amusement park of shopping, they can fall asleep in a stroller and we can cover more ground. I used to walk a couple miles a day with my oldest when she was a toddler. She'd start walking, then ask to sit when she was tired. Does that make her lazy? I don't think so. Does that mean she didn't get enough exercise? I don't think so.
Sure, there are many kids that do not get enough exercise, but forcing a small child to walk long distances is just mean.

[runswithscissors]

Why are toddlers being "lumped" with "older children". And seriously 3 years old is too old to be in a stroller? Is the OP a parent??

Why do they have to be "shopping" at all? And we all know what that means. Spending HOURS doing nothing up and down isles, going to several stores even. Then standing in line to pay for stuff the parents decide to buy.

It's also a matter of the kids being dragged shopping all over the place even late at night. Overtired, stressed and with impatient parents. For some reason the WHOLE FAMILY has to go to Walmart at 10 PM???

"Back in the day" you played outside all day, ate, took a bath and went to bed. You were tired. You had a routine and going to a store was not a common occurrence especially at NIGHT. And when you did, you got the stuff and left. At a reasonable time of day. SHOCK! Even in the MORNING.

You didn't have to be schlepping around stores for hours while your mom was doing nothing but wasting time perusing the unimportant crap chachkies on the clearance isle at the store or trying on clothes etc.

I don' t even know where this theory is coming from. I avoid going shopping on the weekend to avoid the THRONGS of full families clogging up isles, and the kids - non in strollers - running up and down the isles at full speed, racing around the stores with their own empty carts, screaming at each other, AND the mothers chastising mere BABIES 3 years old who are TOO TIRED and wired to even be OUT. etc etc etc.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by i love living foods

This is not about judging anyone. It's really silly at the end of the day. It's called a DISCUSSION. I am a naturally curious person and I love being able to ask those in the know why they do things. I bring up things I have seen while out and about as a jumping off point.

This is not a dicussion. When you say things like:

Originally Posted by i love living foods

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!

It is quite clear that you are not interested in discussing anything. You want to make a statement that parents SHOULD do some things (make their kids walk) and SHOULDN'T do other things (carry them or push them in a stroller).

My addition to your "discussion" is that it doesn't matter whether a parent uses a stroller or not.