How do I make my 5yo walk??

[Anonymous]

Don’t bring the stroller. Carry the 2 year old. Child refuses to walk you keep going ignore them and leave them behind. They will follow. Kid wails? Oh well. Ignore and keep on walking-give no reaction. The first few walks will be a hot mess but the kid will learn there is no other option than to walk.

[Anonymous]

Seriously just don’t bring a stroller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be consistent. Never let her sit in the stroller. Make her walk. Reward the behavior you want. Ignore the behavior you don’t.

Tell her if you get to place A in x number of minutes, you will have time to get a snack.

It’ll take a few times, but she will soon forget she ever sat in the stroller. Don’t give in to the whining.

This.
My younger DD was like yours (my older one would never sit in a stroller, even as a baby). We bought "travel candy" especially for bribing (incentivizing) the right behavior. Then it was "you get a piece of chocolate if you make it all the way to the gate without a fuss". Fast forward to 9 yo. She's an awesome hiker and enjoys walking - no bribe required. We did the same in the trails. "If you make it to that tree up there you get the jolly rancher". We are extremely athletic and active, so a kid that won't walk just wasn't going to work. Training kids is a bit like training a dog - gentle nudges, lots of praise, use treats when necessary.

[Anonymous]

What happens when the stroller isn’t there?

[Anonymous]

I agree with getting rid of the stroller. Maybe bring a kid backpack or Ergo to carry the two year old if needed.

A strong willed temper tampering 5 year old is going to get worse and worse over the years if you continue to give in. You really need to up your parenting game for that kind of kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 kids - DD is 5 and DS is 2. Anytime we go out, we bring one airplane stroller as a travel aide - either for our bags and coats, or for the 2 yo. And we expect the 5 yo to walk.

The problem is that the 5 yo would rather be pushed in the stroller while my husband carries the 2 yo. We’re not going on huge hikes, just short walks that would take an adult 10-20 minutes. DD is a somewhat volatile kid and this is one of her trigger points. She’ll throw a tantrum and refuse to go anywhere, or wail the whole way, or walk so slowly that it isn’t worth going. Needless to say, this ruins the whole excursion.

How can I make her walk?? I’ve trying empathizing - “You wish you could ride in the stroller etc.” and trying to make the walk fun “Let’s find some red leaves!” But it often doesn’t work.

He walks or he stays home with a babysitter! You are the parent and you make the rules. Stop letting a 5 year old rule.

[Anonymous]

As others have said, don’t bring a stroller. Put the 2 yo on your back in a carrier if needed. The scooter is also a good idea.
Another option is to just let her use the stroller for a little longer & don’t worry about it.

[Anonymous]

If it’s a safe place (ie hike) you walk away. This is a learned behavior.

[Anonymous]

Same. My 4 and 6 year old will fight my 2 year old for the stroller. I just use my double stroller and they have to take turns. When we went to Disney we brought a double stroller and a single.

My kids are actually athletic and not lazy. Guess I just got too cozy of a stroller. I don't blame them and wish someone would push me too, especially at Disney

[Anonymous]

Get rid of the stroller/don't bring it.

[Anonymous]

Not OP- All you people saying to carry the 2 year old- what if I don't want to? I just want 2 year old to be able to ride because she naps in the middle of the day in the stroller while we're out and about. I'm a small person with tall kids and I can't stand to carry kids on my back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dont bring the stroller. Carry less stuff. Offer her to bring a scooter if she wants. Start going on longer actual hikes with just her to build endurance.

This. Five is plenty old to walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You buried the lede: DD is a somewhat volatile kid and this is one of her trigger points. She’ll throw a tantrum and refuse to go anywhere, or wail the whole way, or walk so slowly that it isn’t worth going.

This isn’t about walking. It’s about a kid who is struggling. What are you doing to address the volatility? What does your pediatrician suggest? Are you working with a therapist?

Anonymous wrote:Could she have a disability or physical challenge that’s gone undiagnosed? My DD(4) the same way—she has tone and hypermobility issues that make it extra challenging endurance wise. We’ve done OT which has helped a bit with building core and posture strength. We also motivate on hikes with little objects that “the fairies leave” like little sparkles/sequins or gummies every .25 miles or so—she really likes this game.

These two PP's are onto something. I'd try to figure out why she's putting her foot down on this. Is she like this about everything (my child is, and has ASD but is very smart so was successful at masking in some situations - but not at home)? Is she like this about only the stroller, or only about things that require physical activity? Try to find a theme, so that you can bring more data to your pediatrician.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with getting rid of the stroller. Maybe bring a kid backpack or Ergo to carry the two year old if needed.

A strong willed temper tampering 5 year old is going to get worse and worse over the years if you continue to give in. You really need to up your parenting game for that kind of kid.

This kind of thing, suggested by multiple PPs, only works if your kid is typically developing. And makes good parents who have kids that are not typical feel like garbage because we've tried - one thousand times - and it doesn't work.

Only OP knows if she's tried the typical approach enough times that it's concerning it doesn't work, but it would be nice if people stopped pretending that this kind of parenting always always always works. It only works if your child is neurotypical. If they aren't, this advice does not apply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not OP- All you people saying to carry the 2 year old- what if I don't want to? I just want 2 year old to be able to ride because she naps in the middle of the day in the stroller while we're out and about. I'm a small person with tall kids and I can't stand to carry kids on my back.

To my way of thinking the problem is that OP’s DH is actually willing to carry the 2yo. My 4yo only gets to ride in the stroller when her baby sibling isn’t with us because she knows I can’t/won’t carry the 2yo and push the stroller at the same time. If the stroller is empty, of course the 5yo thinks she should be allowed to ride in it. Either the 2yo is in the stroller or the 5yo should be allowed in if she wants.