Knowing when to lose the pushchair

It’s so hard knowing when to lose the pushchair.

Children go through phases with their pushchair.

Quite happy to sit there.

Then refusing to get back in when they’ve been given a chance to walk.

Then refusing to leave it.

Not forgetting the in out in out (shake it all about), when they can’t decide what they want to do.

At age 2 1/2 years, anything that can keep his interest N’s happy to wander without needing the buggy. Mostly that’s anything out of doors, on the farm or with animals. But as soon as he’s in a town, and he wants to get in and out all the time.  Not forgetting the fact that he’s started liking hide and seek, so likes to put the hood up and hide underneath it.

It’s really hard to judge – I know that if we’re in town and park a way away, I know he’ll need it just to get into the town. But if we’re doing a short stint, he’ll be fine without.  Or should be fine without.

Obviously then time of day and general tiredness will take over.  Sometimes when I least expect it, he’ll want to climb in.

Then there’s the handy aspect of having a buggy with you. If I need to buy anything or carry a bag, it’s be much easier having a buggy with us.  Especially if all of a sudden N does his ‘pick up mummy’ around my legs wanting to be carried.

We were away last weekend for a christening, and popped to the beach and for a walk along the promenade.  We didn’t have room for the pushchair in the car as well as lots of luggage, so decided to not bother.  But I’d not anticipated such a long walk along the prom.  If I’d have thought about it, we could have taken his balance bike or scooter with us, but then I just know that he’d still have wanted picking up which would have meant trying to carry a child and vehicle!

What would be easier would be if someone could invent some kind of walking buggy board which could be raised from a standing level to a sit level, then I could just push that along.  Although I guess that’s a smart-trike.  I never really think of taking that out with us.  Maybe I’ll try that next time we go to town, although I can’t see shops or the shopping centre liking that being pushed around.

So I guess, we’ll be sticking with taking the pushchair out with us for a while longer.

How old were your children when it was ready to lose the pushchair?