Anonymous
Post 07/17/2018 11:06     Subject: Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:I am a Nanny to a little boy who turns six in August.

I do full-time in the summer when he is not in any camps.

I do not drive because there are things to walk to by his house.
There are two playgrounds, a library, various community playgroups, a rec center + many kid-friendly restaurants too.
My problem...?

Unfortunately his parents still have me push him in the stroller when we go out!!
At first, I was okay w/everything, but now that it is getting hot...
I find it would really be a great relief if he could walk or ride his scooter like my Nanny friend’s charges the same age and under.
I think my charge is too big to be pushed around in a stroller.
Plus there are a few hills that I have to walk up and my back is not too happy w/all the pushing.

I would like to ask the parents for permission to have their son just walk or use his scooter, but when I asked about six months ago, they told me that it would be fruitless to try since he won’t leave the house w/out sitting in his stroller.

At what age do most children in general stop using a stroller?

Thanks in advance for any & all responses.


I feel sorry for that little boy - his parents seem like the overprotective types that are hurting more than helping him. 6 year old in a stroller is ridiculous - even while traveling, imo.
Anonymous
Post 06/28/2018 10:14     Subject: Re:Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
np: Ask the parents if he has low muscle tone or other medical issues. Some kids tire easily because of a mitochondrial condition. My son had to return to a stroller after developing epilepsy at 3. He now can walk well again, but we bring the stroller in case he tires at the end of a trip. He loves to push the stroller when he feels up to it.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2018 19:41     Subject: Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We live in a city and my rule was that the stroller gets retired when you turn 3. We'll take breaks, I'll give piggyback rides, but no stroller after the 3rd birthday.


This is my rule too. Honestly I felt a little silly using it after 2. My son is a little big for his age. But to PP who said no stroller after "capable of walking," when exactly is that? He walked (well) at 10 months, so at 1 yo i should throw out stroller? That's extreme.


I don’t mean toddling (walking like a penguin, leaning a little to each side as they walk, or hesitant), I mean walking. When the child is capable of walking a good distance, .25 mile sometime between 1 and 2 years, the stroller goes away. The child learns quickly that I will carry them a shirt way, then they can try again, and endurance builds up quickly!
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2018 09:01     Subject: Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We live in a city and my rule was that the stroller gets retired when you turn 3. We'll take breaks, I'll give piggyback rides, but no stroller after the 3rd birthday.


This is my rule too. Honestly I felt a little silly using it after 2. My son is a little big for his age. But to PP who said no stroller after "capable of walking," when exactly is that? He walked (well) at 10 months, so at 1 yo i should throw out stroller? That's extreme.


Or carry him everywhere? That's just crazy.
Anonymous
Post 06/25/2018 08:57     Subject: Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:We live in a city and my rule was that the stroller gets retired when you turn 3. We'll take breaks, I'll give piggyback rides, but no stroller after the 3rd birthday.


This is my rule too. Honestly I felt a little silly using it after 2. My son is a little big for his age. But to PP who said no stroller after "capable of walking," when exactly is that? He walked (well) at 10 months, so at 1 yo i should throw out stroller? That's extreme.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2018 19:18     Subject: Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:Some kids like being pushed around, especially when the weather is hot.

They get to sit down, canopied from the sun + totally relax.

Who could blame them...??!

But life is not about living in luxury all the time.
His parents need to stop letting their son rule the roast. Period.


Exactly.

My rule of thumb is no strollers after walking, and I carry toddlers who aren’t capable of full distances yet, but who need to walk at least part way. However, my 5 year old charge was in a stroller part of the time today, because we spent 6 hours at the zoo in the oppressive heat, saw every exhibit, and he was still in a relatively good mood when we left. I have asthma, and my trouble breathing with a heavy backpack was just as much of a factor in renting the stroller as his disinterest in walking (although he spent at least as much time out of the stroller as in, thank goodness!). Because we don’t use strollers most of the time, it didn’t cross his mind to ask for one; instead, within 15 minutes of arriving, he wanted to go home! Add in that he has special needs (emotional/behavioral) which already started to be an issue, and it was fine with me for this one excursion. We’ve been walking 1-5 miles twice per week while going around to the museums for a month now, and this is the first he’s EVER ridden in a stroller with me.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2018 19:10     Subject: Re:Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. My DD just turned 6 on Sat so only 2 months older than yours and she hasnt used a sroller since she was 3 except at Disney when she was 3.5.

We also have 2 large dogs we walk, she rides her scooter or her bike. Sat she rode for 4 miles. Your charge can too.
Tell hin youre going out for a scooter ride as an activity rather than to get somewhere. or a scooter ride to go get ice cream. Get him started with the fun stuff.


It frustrates me when a mom compares their child to another and says mine can do this way can't yours? Well, my kid walked part the time and was in a stroller for part of the time up to 7 years old. He has low muscle tone. He could walk, but not very far. So I don't know if there is anything wrong with the child the nanny mentioned, but maybe that child is NOT just like yours. I even bought a new and different stroller when my kid was 5, which was light and foldable, so it would be pushed part of the time and carried part of the time. I told him this was his last stroller and we were going to work together to walk further.

He was in the physical disabilities program at the school, but looking at him, you could not see what was wrong.


That’s why at least one person specified that BARRING SPECIAL NEEDS, a 6 year old should be walking. You said your child was in a physical disability program, so obviously it means your child has a reason. A child with asd who has trouble with being touched would also have a valid reason, at least in crowds. There’s no reason to list every possible special need that would make a stroller necessary. However, OP is the nanny, and if there were a special need, she would have stated it.
Anonymous
Post 06/19/2018 18:58     Subject: Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Some kids like being pushed around, especially when the weather is hot.

They get to sit down, canopied from the sun + totally relax.

Who could blame them...??!

But life is not about living in luxury all the time.
His parents need to stop letting their son rule the roast. Period.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2018 18:43     Subject: Re:Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. My DD just turned 6 on Sat so only 2 months older than yours and she hasnt used a sroller since she was 3 except at Disney when she was 3.5.

We also have 2 large dogs we walk, she rides her scooter or her bike. Sat she rode for 4 miles. Your charge can too.
Tell hin youre going out for a scooter ride as an activity rather than to get somewhere. or a scooter ride to go get ice cream. Get him started with the fun stuff.


It frustrates me when a mom compares their child to another and says mine can do this way can't yours? Well, my kid walked part the time and was in a stroller for part of the time up to 7 years old. He has low muscle tone. He could walk, but not very far. So I don't know if there is anything wrong with the child the nanny mentioned, but maybe that child is NOT just like yours. I even bought a new and different stroller when my kid was 5, which was light and foldable, so it would be pushed part of the time and carried part of the time. I told him this was his last stroller and we were going to work together to walk further.

He was in the physical disabilities program at the school, but looking at him, you could not see what was wrong.


Ok, calm down. Op and others haven’t mentioned the child having limited physical capabilities. Now THATS a valid reason to still be in the stroller. If the kids just being lazy or the parents are being ridiculous then there’s not reason for a 6 year old to be in a a stroller
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2018 18:20     Subject: Re:Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
Anonymous wrote:This is crazy. My DD just turned 6 on Sat so only 2 months older than yours and she hasnt used a sroller since she was 3 except at Disney when she was 3.5.

We also have 2 large dogs we walk, she rides her scooter or her bike. Sat she rode for 4 miles. Your charge can too.
Tell hin youre going out for a scooter ride as an activity rather than to get somewhere. or a scooter ride to go get ice cream. Get him started with the fun stuff.


It frustrates me when a mom compares their child to another and says mine can do this way can't yours? Well, my kid walked part the time and was in a stroller for part of the time up to 7 years old. He has low muscle tone. He could walk, but not very far. So I don't know if there is anything wrong with the child the nanny mentioned, but maybe that child is NOT just like yours. I even bought a new and different stroller when my kid was 5, which was light and foldable, so it would be pushed part of the time and carried part of the time. I told him this was his last stroller and we were going to work together to walk further.

He was in the physical disabilities program at the school, but looking at him, you could not see what was wrong.
Anonymous
Post 06/18/2018 07:26     Subject: Re:Should I Talk To My Employers Over This??
This is crazy. My DD just turned 6 on Sat so only 2 months older than yours and she hasnt used a sroller since she was 3 except at Disney when she was 3.5.

We also have 2 large dogs we walk, she rides her scooter or her bike. Sat she rode for 4 miles. Your charge can too.
Tell hin youre going out for a scooter ride as an activity rather than to get somewhere. or a scooter ride to go get ice cream. Get him started with the fun stuff.