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| Stroller | 46% | 138 votes | Total: 301 votes | |
| Walking | 54% | 163 votes |
Stroller
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Add to FavoritesHaving been a mother of three children, I found in my experience it was far safer and less tiring when the children were toddlers to go out in their strollers.
This day and age with busy streets and roads I think it is a lot safer for a child to go out in a stroller. When you get to your destination providing it is safe the child can then get out and walk.
For instance, when going to the supermarket, it would be a terrible idea to allow the child to walk and also will make it very difficult to do your shopping trying to avoid the child from pullings thing down and also bumping into things or being hurt by trolleys or other shoppers walking into them.
Also can you imagine how stressful it would be going to most busy areas such as airports, bus stations and train stations with a toddler walking.
There is a time and place for Toddlers to walk such as at home in the park and safe areas. But in general this is not the case with most parents busy lives and most areas are just not safe for toddlers.
The child can be quite happy in the stroller and is still getting the added advantage of having fresh air. There are so many lovely toys and books which can be attached to the stroller to help amuse the child.
When the child is in the stroller, as parents we can still play and talk to the child, avoiding the child from becoming bored or upset with the parents knowledge of knowing the child is safe.
Some people may think that the child will not get enough exercise. But there is plenty of time in a day for the child to run around and at the same time tire themselves out in a safe environment.
Years ago a child was not encouraged to walk outside too quick without strollers and it did the child no harm at all. Most children would go out in strollers well into their 4th year.
I think it is a priority to keep our children safe and if this means taking the children out in strollers so be it.
I am sure we have all at some stage heard stories of parents turning their heads for one minute and the child running off. The pure stress and anxiety that causes the parent. Also a child running into the road with near misses or in some cases the child being knocked over or sometimes killed.
It really is not worth taking that chance as it can happen to the most caring parent in the world. It just takes a split second to take your eyes off them and they are gone.
So for a matter of a few years of going out in a stroller you can have many safe and happy years together because, let's face it, they are not small for long.
Learn more about this author, Alicia Sloley.
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Walking
In a world where more and more children are becoming obese I don't think there can be any doubt that allowing your toddler to walk is the far better option. Habits engrained at an early stage remain with us through later life so start as you mean to go on.
As a parent there is a tendency to want to get things done, to organise your day and keep to that schedule. A toddler doesn't understand schedules, as you will soon come to realise, and it is better to accept that now. Thus, when you decide to take a trip to the shops and prepare to strap your toddler into the stroller, I urge you to stop and think again.
Without a doubt, coping with a boisterous toddler as you try to remember where the aisle for teabags is can be a challenge. However it is not impossible if you keep two things in mind.
Firstly, forget the clock. I promise you will waste more time trying to get your toddler, who is full of life and resents being strapped in, into the stroller than if you simply pop their coat on and head out of the door. Yes, it might take you twice as long to walk to the shop but along the way you will find time to talk with your child.
Talk about all the things that interest them as you walk. From the cat on someone's front step to the water running into the drain, the world is endlessly fascinating when you live at knee level. You might even discover a few new things yourself as you encourage your child's grasp of language.
Yes, a toddler out of the stroller will get into mischief amongst those enticing shelves. investigating tins and packets and sliding on that wonderful ice-rink of a floor but that is what a child should be doing. It is not something to yell at them about as far too many parents seem reduced to in sheer helplessnes. If you get the urge to shout at your child as they play amongst the tinned peas, stop and think.
Why are you going to shout at your child? Is it because they are doing something so very wrong or is it because you are scared and cowed by the disapproving looks of other shoppers? The ones who mutter about 'why can't she keep her child in check?' and 'I wouldn't let my child behave that way in public, doesn't she have any control?' We've all heard them, perhaps some people reading this have even been that person but a parent has to learn to turn a deaf ear to such comments.
Providing your child is not in any danger and is not putting others in danger, there is no reason why s/he shouldn't sit happily in the middle of the aisle playing drums with a tin of prunes. Yes, they might be making a noise but they are not throwing a tantrum and you are able to browse for your shopping in peace.
Of course a responsible parent will constantly have one eye and half an ear tuned into their child's activities and intervene as soon as the child gets out of their depth (no scaling hte freezer cabinets for instance). There are also many options to busy your child and keep them content as you shop together.
1 - Consider investing in a child-sized shopping cart or basket. Equip your toddler with a list (just like mummy's except that theirs will have pictures of the items) and the basket and get them to help you do the shopping.
2 - Use a harness or a wrist strap if you are not confident enough to let your child roam. Whilst keeping your child within a comfortable distance for you it allows them a degree of freedom that will stave off many a bout of the 'rolling on the floor and screaming' blues.
But it is not only shopping. Frequently you see a parent dump a toddler out of their carseat straight into a stroller before covering the short distance to the schoolyard, the doctor's surgery etc. Not only have they wasted time putting the stroller up and strapping the child in but they are teaching lazy habits.
Why take the car when you can walk the distance? Why go to all the trouble of setting up the stroller when your destination is two minutes walk away? It is beyond my comprehension.
Before you take that stroller out of your front door consider where you are going and be honest with yourself. Are you strapping your toddler down because it is convenient for you, even if you tell yourself it is to keep them safe? Are you really content to put up with a fractious toddler who wants to get out and walk, who ends up screaming in frustration (which makes you upset and fractious) rather than let your child walk and slow your pace to theirs?
Why take a stroller to the park? There, amongst all that space just waiting for a child to run around in, parents sit on benches with bored, screaming toddlers in strollers, chatting to their freinds. Why haven't they let that child out to run on the grass that is four feet from the bench?
For many the honest answer would be 'Because i am too lazy to get up and chase my child in and out of the bushes, up and down the grass and around the pond and I'll also look like an idiot' but instead they say 'It's not safe to let my child run. You never know who's about. They might get hurt' That is lying to yourself and denying your child the right to be free and to enjoy the world about them.
If you are walking, running, skipping, hopping, playing with your child they are in little to no danger. You'll also receive more smiles and friendly comments from other people than you will derision, believe me You'll be there to stop them falling into the duck pond as they try to catch goldfish. You'll be there (heart in your mouth) as they attempt to climb the stairs of the slide fro the first time. You'll be at their side as they fall and graze their knees, right there to comfort them, where you are needed.
Children need to run and play and learn that yes, sometimes play can hurt. Wrapping them in cottonwool does them no favours and you need to understand that you are protecting yourself from your fear of them getting hurt by strapping them down in a stroller. Of course there are times when you must use one and no toddler on this planet will refuse a stroller when they are exhausted from running and playing (allowing you a leisurely walk home in peace).
I am not advocating the building of huge bonfires on which we should burn all strollers as the work of the devil. What I am saying is that you need to think about why you are choosing to use a stroller at that time and decide if it is truly for the benefit of the child or for your convenience. Why don't you take your toddler for a walk while you think about it...
Learn more about this author, Gillian Taber.
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