how does she know a child in a buggy is 5 year old! sometimes a child can look older for their age..kids in buggies is not the cause of obesity.its down to the parent on what they feed their kids.and the amount of chocolate and sweets the kids are allowed each day.my 2 and half year old walks part the way to town and then get tired so goes into her pushchair and falls asleep.
My two gave up their buggies at 18 months. Personally it works for us. I think that a lot of kids that cruise in buggies get loads of exercise elsewhere. Just because they are seen for the section of time out of the house doesn't mean they aren't on the go constantly at home. For me I don't like to see kids that are school age in buggies and a lot you can tell roughly how old they are by what they are saying, how well they speak. I think it's different for every family but I do think sometimes it is parents that don't want to walk slower or rely on having a buggy to hang things off. I see a lot of kids near me in school uniforms with their knees nearly under their chin that don't really need a buggy. if your kids can manage it though I don't see the harm in getting rid of the buggy. Our eldest stopped daytime naps at 18 months so going out wasn't an issue and our youngest naps at around 3pm so I try to be home around that time of day. We have ladybird backpacks for the girls that have the raines bit built in to them so they are safe walking and not holding hands. In favour of the buggy though it is so much easier to pass dropped sweets and dummies as my girls seem to think peoples littered food is free stuff for them. Luckily they've never snaffled anything yet
I have great trouble keeping my 2yo in her buggy! She just loves walking and running! We live in a seaside town and she's about the only person i know who can fun the full length of the sea-front without stopping and without getting tired!
However there are times when it is necessary to take her out in her buggy, for example when I go to the shops. I am 6 months pregnant and I would find it virtually impossible now to lug home bags of shopping, hold my daughter's hand and keep her away from the main road all at the same time. I also take her in her buggy if I have an appointment or have to get somewhere reasonably quickly because sometimes when she is walking she can take a thousand years to get anywhere what with stopping to examine every mark on the path, every insect and flower.
I think obesity in children is less to do with taking them out in their buggies and more to do with parents setting a good example by eating healthily and exercising regularly. It annoys me far more to see parents driving their children in the car less than half a mile to school and back every day. When I was at school everybody walked. Absolutely nobody but nobody went to school by car (except the teachers). It's different perhaps if the parent or child is disabled but as far as I'm concerned if you live within the catchment area of your local school then driving there is the height of laziness. I don't drive so if I want to go somewhere and don't want to spend all day waiting for buses then I walk - simple as that! And if walking is good enough for me, as it has been all my life, then it is good enough for my children.
I have had trouble keeping 2yr olds happy in a buggy! They wanted to get out and walk and unless they were ill or very tired they walked. Its very hard work getting anywhere quickly because they examine every leaf and pebble they pass so I have to set off at least 10mins earlier to get anywhere. I used reins until they would hold my hand and a wrist strap if they are not co-operative but otherwise I tried to stay away from the main roads as much as possible and trained them to walk by the walls not the kerb. My youngest is the most challenging as her older sisters used a buggy board for long walks as I had a baby in the pram so I find I end up carrying her a bit more than her sisters were.
Replies
My two gave up their buggies at 18 months. Personally it works for us. I think that a lot of kids that cruise in buggies get loads of exercise elsewhere. Just because they are seen for the section of time out of the house doesn't mean they aren't on the go constantly at home. For me I don't like to see kids that are school age in buggies and a lot you can tell roughly how old they are by what they are saying, how well they speak. I think it's different for every family but I do think sometimes it is parents that don't want to walk slower or rely on having a buggy to hang things off. I see a lot of kids near me in school uniforms with their knees nearly under their chin that don't really need a buggy. if your kids can manage it though I don't see the harm in getting rid of the buggy. Our eldest stopped daytime naps at 18 months so going out wasn't an issue and our youngest naps at around 3pm so I try to be home around that time of day. We have ladybird backpacks for the girls that have the raines bit built in to them so they are safe walking and not holding hands. In favour of the buggy though it is so much easier to pass dropped sweets and dummies as my girls seem to think peoples littered food is free stuff for them. Luckily they've never snaffled anything yet
I have great trouble keeping my 2yo in her buggy! She just loves walking and running! We live in a seaside town and she's about the only person i know who can fun the full length of the sea-front without stopping and without getting tired!
However there are times when it is necessary to take her out in her buggy, for example when I go to the shops. I am 6 months pregnant and I would find it virtually impossible now to lug home bags of shopping, hold my daughter's hand and keep her away from the main road all at the same time. I also take her in her buggy if I have an appointment or have to get somewhere reasonably quickly because sometimes when she is walking she can take a thousand years to get anywhere what with stopping to examine every mark on the path, every insect and flower.
I think obesity in children is less to do with taking them out in their buggies and more to do with parents setting a good example by eating healthily and exercising regularly. It annoys me far more to see parents driving their children in the car less than half a mile to school and back every day. When I was at school everybody walked. Absolutely nobody but nobody went to school by car (except the teachers). It's different perhaps if the parent or child is disabled but as far as I'm concerned if you live within the catchment area of your local school then driving there is the height of laziness. I don't drive so if I want to go somewhere and don't want to spend all day waiting for buses then I walk - simple as that! And if walking is good enough for me, as it has been all my life, then it is good enough for my children.