Age to stop strollers .... is age 6 normal??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister lives in Manhattan and literally all the kids up until 7 or 8 ride in strollers to their neighborhood school. It’s just a fast and efficient way to walk to school. Kids walk some of the way but maybe hop in to eat or whatever or are running late. It looks totally bizarre to me because in my area (Arlington) you never see that past like going to the zoo for the day. So maybe she’s from NYC? Or another urban area where it’s common.

I lived in Manhattan for 5 years and visit often I literally never saw an 8 year old in a stroller. That sounds completely absurd. It's harder to push an 8 year old in a stroller down a Manhattan street than it is to walk with. What neighborhood is that? Must be the UES

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that the NYC subway system allows kids in strollers to ride for free--so a lot parents keep their kid in a stroller to avoid paying fare.

Not true; kids are free until they are 48" tall. Whether they are in a stroller has nothing to do with it, though I suppose if you have your 50" tall kid in one, they'd probably let you in without paying the fare.

Riding the subway is a reason we got rid of the stroller; getting the stroller in and out of the subway is a pain! A lot of stations don't have elevators so you have to carry it up and down the stairs. A couple times doing that and you'll be telling your kid to walk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My sister lives in Manhattan and literally all the kids up until 7 or 8 ride in strollers to their neighborhood school. It’s just a fast and efficient way to walk to school. Kids walk some of the way but maybe hop in to eat or whatever or are running late. It looks totally bizarre to me because in my area (Arlington) you never see that past like going to the zoo for the day. So maybe she’s from NYC? Or another urban area where it’s common.

I lived in Manhattan for 5 years and visit often I literally never saw an 8 year old in a stroller. That sounds completely absurd. It's harder to push an 8 year old in a stroller down a Manhattan street than it is to walk with. What neighborhood is that? Must be the UES

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that the NYC subway system allows kids in strollers to ride for free--so a lot parents keep their kid in a stroller to avoid paying fare.

They're not free in strollers though perhaps the attendant would assume your kid is SN or something and let a 7yo in for free under the circumstances. As a New Yorker, I'd argue that city kids are way better at walking than elsewhere. It's a real pain to drag a (double!) stroller through the city. My 4yo walks several miles per day, to preschool, to the park from school, and home. Kids are on scooters almost as soon as they can walk.

[Anonymous]

I rarely use my stroller, and I regret that I bought it. When they were babies, I used baby carrier most of the time. When they were toddlers, I used push cars or hand carried them. Now, my 5 year old uses scooter, and if he is tired, I hold the handle bar to push him along. He cannot walk far, so scooter saves him some energy.

[Anonymous]

It’s funny how people are so wrong about NYC on this thread. No one is pushing their 8 year old to school or (up and down stairs!) into crowded subway trains!

NYC kids get very good at walking, but you do also see 3-5 year olds on scooters.

[Anonymous]

I use a bike trailer to push my kids' on distances over a mile. I'd say 6 years in a stroller is normal depending on the distance

[Anonymous]

Why do care if someone is using a stroller or not for their own child?

[Anonymous]

It depends on what you use a stroller for. We definitively barred our oldest from the stroller at age 5.5, a year ago. We occasionally need to walk 1.5 miles or even a little more, one way, as a family, and I have not found that it's realistic to expect a 3 or 4 year old to consistently make such a walk without a break. And definitely not at a speed that is practical for the adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s funny how people are so wrong about NYC on this thread. No one is pushing their 8 year old to school or (up and down stairs!) into crowded subway trains!

NYC kids get very good at walking, but you do also see 3-5 year olds on scooters.

Yes, as a New Yorker I see the opposite. Scooters all over the place with young kids, but certainly not strollers and DEFINITELY not double strollers. I can't even imagine dealing with a double stroller for a 5 and 8 year old, my lord, that is laughable. No, people do not do that. In the subway with that monstrosity? Hogging the sidewalks? No way. This is not a NYC thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use a bike trailer to push my kids' on distances over a mile. I'd say 6 years in a stroller is normal depending on the distance

By 6 my kid could walk as far as we wanted to walk.

[Anonymous]

I stopped at three for my last kid, stroller just was not efficient enough. Now that kid is freaking fast. Kids will do what you expect them to do.

[Anonymous]

I kept our double stroller until my oldest was 7. I used it for Disney and long walks. My kids are now 9 and 11 and we have a 3yo. The big kids will sit in the stroller for a break even now. They use the stroller as a chair and they absolutely would sit and want us to push them if they could fit.

I took my 4 and 6yo to Europe and I remember asking on here if I should take the double stroller. Everyone said unless my 6yo was handicapped, people would look at me funny for pushing a 6yo around. When we were in Europe, my 2 kids took turns sitting on the stroller. The older one was so hot and tired walking around all day.

I know kids who stopped using a stroller at age 2.

[Anonymous]

Pp again. I used to strap them in to run errands. Much faster to push kids. In covid times, I would probably strap them in hoping they wouldn’t wander and touch everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel like folks (especially OP) are missing the "double stroller" aspect here. I had an only and never used a stroller, but if I had a double stroller that I preferred to use over... what? Maybe she has a really babyish old single one from before she had Kid #2? I mean, why wouldn't I keep the double stroller I'd been using for years, at the very least for my youngest, who will only be 3 next year, and maybe I put toys/shopping bags in the other part, or let the 7-y-o hop in occasionally if they feel like it... I don't see why this is confusing.

Adding: I do find it a bit odd for folks to think it's unrealistic to expect *most* kids (w/o special needs) over 4, and especially 5, to walk. Even a mile+ commute every day, even at the zoo, etc. But it's also none of my business if they do use a stroller past preschool.

My 18-month old walked a mile yesterday, albeit, very slowly. My son and my sister could both walk well over a mile by 4. Unless it’s an entire day of walking, or they’re running late on a morning commute, a typically developing 6 yo doesn’t need a stroller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pp again. I used to strap them in to run errands. Much faster to push kids. In covid times, I would probably strap them in hoping they wouldn’t wander and touch everything.

And, of course, any other mundane errands where time is important.

[Anonymous]

Ds was out of a stroller by 4. We didn't even use one in Disney. I don't care what others do unless it's hurting their kids.