Anyone who has had to run errands or traverse an airport with a baby can attest to one thing: baby strollers are lifesavers. They make it much easier and safer to get around with children.
However, strollers are only designed to tide kids over for a particular stage of growth. It is, therefore, important to stop using a stroller when your child hits specific milestones.
This then brings us to the big question: when do kids stop using strollers? Is it when they learn how to walk and talk or is there a specific age limit to adhere to? Read on as we tackle these and other essential tidbits about transitioning away from using strollers.
At What Age Do Kids Stop Using Strollers?
Most children stop using a stroller between the ages of 3 to 5 years. This is because, around this age, most kids have fully learned to walk. Plus, unlike younger toddlers, they have the energy to manage longer walking distances and are excited to discover their surroundings.
Additionally, children tend to stop using strollers at this age due to other age-related factors, such as stroller restrictions and child developmental milestones.
Stroller Limits
Stroller manufacturers design them to accommodate children within specific age, weight, and height limits.
For example, a stroller manufacturer may indicate that a specific stroller has an age limit of 3 years and a weight limit of 50 lbs. This means that you can no longer use the stroller once your baby achieves that age or weight because they will likely not fit in it comfortably thereby making it unsafe.
Child Developmental Milestones
Child developmental milestones refer to the abilities that children typically have at specific ages.
For instance, most children begin to sit up independently at around 6 months or thereabout. The same applies to other abilities like walking stably and a child being able to walk comfortably for a while.
Stroller manufacturers may, therefore, recommend an age range for how long you can use a stroller based on these milestones.
However, while it is important to follow these recommendations, children hit milestones at different timelines. It is thus prudent to use some parental discretion when deciding to stop using a stroller.
For example, if a child can walk comfortably and enjoys it before reaching the stroller’s age limit, you can stop using the stroller early. On the other hand, if it takes them a bit longer to walk comfortably and they are still within the stroller limits, there is nothing wrong with using the stroller a bit longer.
Signs Your Child is Ready to Leave the Stroller Behind
Parental discretion is all about observing your child and making a decision based on what is right for them. So, here are some signs that you can look out for to identify when it is time to say bye-bye to your stroller days.
Your Child is Tired of Sitting in the Stroller When Going Out
Most strollers have comfortable seats that you can even adjust to different positions for better comfort. Still, it is quite common for children to get tired of sitting in strollers as they get older. It is likely the same feeling adults get after sitting in traffic for hours on end.
Either way, when your child begins to show discomfort or complain, consider letting them walk more instead of using the stroller.
Your Child is Capable of Long-Distance Walking
Can your child comfortably walk with you to the next street or walk to an errand and back without needing you to carry them? Then they may be able to get by without a stroller.
The key here is to test their abilities regularly and then make a decision based on how well they cope. Moreover, walking regularly will help them become more confident and accustomed to it. It will make transitioning away from the stroller easier for both you and the child.
Your Child Can Follow the Instructions
Walking around with a child comes with its fair share of challenges. They can bump into people, stumble on objects, or even wander away in a crowded place. This is why it is so important to know that they can follow instructions before you stop using a stroller.
When they can follow your directions to stop, slow down, or hold your hand, it is a positive indication that they will do just fine without the stroller.
Your Child Shows Interest in Exploring the World
One of the joys of being outdoors is the freedom to move around and get rejuvenated by your surroundings. In the early stages of using a stroller, children may thus enjoy the joyride and the fascination of new sites.
However, as they grow and become more confident in their abilities, they get more curious and want to walk and explore. This feeling may make them fussy or uncooperative about sitting in the stroller when you are outdoors. Consider it as a major sign that they are ready to graduate from the stroller.
What Are the Negative Implications of Long-term Use of a Stroller?
Strollers, like most baby gear, are only ideal for a specific time in a child’s growth. Using them for too long can have negative ramifications such as:
Risques de sécurité
At certain ages or after certain milestones, it can become rather tricky to use a stroller safely because of your child’s new abilities.
You may, for example, notice your child attempting to kneel or stand in the stroller to reach for items. They may also try to unbuckle themselves and disembark from the stroller. This is especially risky if they are facing away from you in the stroller and you do not catch their actions on time.
Diminished Motor Skills
Walking independently gives children a chance to advance their motor skills. They discover things like balance, body coordination, how to avoid obstacles, or how to moderate their walking speed.
Remaining confined in a stroller delays children from discovering and honing these motor skills. So, it is better to encourage them to venture out of the stroller and gradually wean them off it.
Poor Health Fitness
The human body requires regular movement for optimal health. Regardless of whether one is a child or an adult. This includes activities like walking and running. They help keep our muscles, joints, and bones flexible. They also support metabolic activity and proper circulation in the body.
When kids use a stroller for too long, it creates a sedentary lifestyle for them. This, in turn, can lead to them becoming overweight and facing other health challenges like weak muscles in their limbs because they are not using them as much as they should.
Limited Social Development
The more kids move around outdoors, the more they pick up social skills. This is only possible if they get off the stroller and start to walk and interact with others and their surroundings.
It starts with basic things such as learning that they should follow your lead when walking outdoors or not let go of your hand in crowded places. Eventually, these skills advance into requesting space to pass or understanding different cues like always staying on a sidewalk or stranger danger.
Stroller Dependency
When you use a stroller for too long, it makes it easier for a child to feel dependent on it. Consequently, they may have a harder time when it is time to stop using it. This may present as resistance to walking or being less confident in situations where they should be eager to move around.
How Can You Stop Your Child from Relying on a Stroller?
Children pick up on routines and tend to resist changes. More so when it comes to things like strollers which can be fun and convenient for them to ride in. Nevertheless, it is vital to help them not become reliant on strollers due to the negative results that such reliance can cause.
Some of the ways you can avoid your child becoming over-reliant on a stroller include:
Gently Work Through Resistance
Some children may become overly reliant on a stroller because they find walking to be tedious compared to the fun ride that a stroller offers. This can be frustrating but the secret is to help them gradually get used to walking. Take breaks as well so that they do not get exhausted and end up hating walk sessions. They will build up more stamina over time and soon even begin to enjoy the freedom of walking around.
Introduce Alternatives
Introducing your child to mobile alternatives like tricycles, wagons, or scooters can help shift their focus from using a stroller. Better still, these alternatives can turn out to be more enjoyable and help them become more independent and social compared to using a stroller.
Intermittent Use
When your child can finally walk, resist the urge to use the stroller every time you go out with them. On some occasions, encourage them to walk while holding your hand for as far as they can go. You can even make it fun by turning it into a little challenge that they can brag about.
Alternatively, you can limit using a stroller to instances when you are going to specific places like a supermarket or a crowded place. It may also help to mention this to the child so that they understand that the stroller is not always a necessity.
The idea here is to create a routine where the child is not attached to the stroller. It will provide opportunities for them to explore walking and make them less resistant when you finally decide that they should stop using it.
Early Weaning
There will likely be a stage when a stroller may be a necessity. It can be because your child cannot walk for long distances yet, follow instructions, or coordinate their movements with precision.
However, when they get past this phase, it may be a good idea to start weaning them off the stroller. The more you put them in it, the more they learn to rely on it or prefer to be on it. Whereas if you start the weaning process early enough, over-reliance may not be such a major challenge.
Expert Tips for Parents: When to Keep the Stroller for Longer
No two children are ever alike. Even twins can have deviations in the things they like and how they approach development milestones.
Subsequently, there are situations when there is nothing wrong with using a stroller for longer than usual. You only need to ensure that the stroller is safe for such use and that the extended use is necessary and will not impact your child negatively.
Some of those situations include:
Special Needs or Health Concerns
Children with special needs or specific health challenges may require more help to get around. This may be due to challenges with their motor skills or delayed milestones.
On the flip side, it could be that you (the parent) have health concerns that make it tough to carry your child or effectively keep them safe in certain spaces. If a stroller helps you manage such challenges, then it is certainly okay to prolong its use.
Voyage
Travelling with children is a major feat. You can quickly get overwhelmed between caring for the child, navigating a new location, and managing all your luggage.
Using a travel stroller in such situations can help you keep your baby safe and make it easier to navigate with luggage. They are also less likely to get cranky because you can distract them with a game or their favourite show as they cosy up in the stroller.
Family Dynamics and Multiples
It is true that it certainly takes a village to raise kids. Unfortunately, family dynamics and other circumstances can mean that you do not have that much support and have to juggle things by yourself. This can apply to travel or something as ordinary as managing a grocery run by yourself with a baby in tow.
Similarly, raising multiples like twins, triplets, or more is far more tasking. The dynamics of moving around with them are not as direct as they may be when you are only handling one child.
So, if you find yourself in either of these scenarios, choose a stroller that can serve you safely until you and your little ones can get by without it.
Conclusion
Innovations like strollers make parenting a lot easier, safer, and enjoyable. You only have to ensure that you choose a suitable quality stroller and strive not to use it for longer than necessary.
Clafbébé strollers offer great safety, providing wholesale options to baby product distributors and retailers. Contact us for a quote or to learn more about the various stroller options we provide.
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