when do you stop needing a stroller?

[humboldthny]

We've never used a stroller at the parks - my dd had just turned 4 when we went for the first time...she'd been out of a stroller for a year at that point.

 

[baloo's girl]

Last time we visited, my children were 7 and 4. I rented a double stroller from Orlando Stroller Rental. It was the best money I ever spent. My children were happy riding, they fit the weight limits, and we never faced meltdowns. We mainly used the stroller to zip from land to land or the long stretches-we'd park the stroller and they'd hop out to do a particular area. We had friends that went with us on this trip, and they had children the same age. But they did not have a stroller. Their kids were miserable, fussy, and trying to get in our stroller whenever one of mine got out.

My kids are healthy, they are physically active-playing soccer and competitive dancing. But they are not used to a week long marathon of 10 miles a day of walking.

OP, you know your children best. Do what works for you and don't worry about naysayers.

We will be visiting WDW in the fall. We are outside the weight limit now for a double (by 5 lbs). So, the eldest will be walking. But I will rent a single for my 6 year old.

 

[WantToGoNow]

If you need to ask if you're children are too old/big for a stroller, then you probably already know the answer. If you want to use one, then use one. My children personally used their last stroller at age 5.

My ds9 is only 4 inches shorter than me (at 4'9"), he's fairly healthy (other than asthma, allergies, migraines, GERD, and low bone density) and he will be walking. My dd7 walked last year for 9 straight days so short of an injury that necessitate a stroller, she will be walking as well. Honestly, I believe both would be quite embarrased at the thought of riding in a stroller.

Now, I'm trying to convince my dd27 that she needs a scooter. She looks like a perfectly healthy young woman, but she's not. She has a heart condition and if you look closely you'll see the scar where her monitor was implanted 2 years ago. But she won't even go there so we will be touring at her pace.

 

[ccgirl]

Not to pick on you, but in these two sentences you hit on the assumption that (I believe) is wrong.

My family doesn't NEED a stroller either. But since the option exists, we take it - as we believe it adds to our overall enjoyment.

Just as your DD8 takes a turn with the backpack - you are in effect saying the parents get a break every now and then - and the kids pick up the slack. That's a good thing...with a stroller, the kids get a break every now and then. Not that they aren't capable of walking, not that they aren't fit. But just as with passing your backpack, the stroller is simply a strategy that helps us overall. We don't NEED to do it - just as you are fully capable of carrying the backpack the whole day. But it helps. So we do it.

What ever floats your boat as far as the stroller goes. No skin off my back one way or another. Passing the backpack has nothing to do with a strategy or needing/wanting a rest. It is more teaching her responsibility and having her help out. Some of the water in there is hers too, as is the poncho etc. We have her carry it so she shares in the responsibility- not to give us a rest.

Again, I could care less if others use a stroller.

 

[LONES]

Our kids will also be 7 & 5 on our next trip. We've been with them both in 2008, 2009 & 2010. We've never done the double stroller, but have always taken 2 strollers (our Graco, and then a smaller stroller). In 2010, (kids were 5 & 3), our small stroller broke a couple of days into the trip. It actually worked quite well just having the one stroller. The 3 year old spent most of the time in it, but when the 5 year old got tired, she could rest. It was also very nice at the end of the day going back to the busses, and from the bus to our hotel room. Our 3 year old was quite tiny (about 24lbs), so we would put the 40lb, half asleep 5 year old in the stroller, and carry the 3 year old. On our next trip, I think we will again bring one stroller. Our younger daughter will be 5, but is still not quite 3 feet tall, and only 29lbs.

It can be a pain taking the strollers on the busses, and trying to park them for the attractions, but for us... we see more positives to having it than negatives. It's a place to put our stuff (especially food and drinks in the trays). Also, we normally travel with my parents, and my mother seems to get around the parks much better when she's pushing the stroller. It gives her something to lean against, almost like a walker for her.

 

[PlanningNextTrip]

I think that it depends on each child. My son was 3.5 on our last trip and the only day that we brought the stroller was Epcot. It is just him and I that go, we had a touring plan, and took a break in the middle of the day. He did great...no melt down's, no cranky attitude!
We do walk a lot at home, so that probably helped the situation.
We are going back when he is 4.5 and on a DCL cruise to Hawaii and he'll be 4, and there will be no strollers coming with us.

 

[dizzneebabe]

With our boys, the last stroller trip was when they were 5 and 7. Our youngest would always fall asleep at the drop of a hat and be out! He was a HUGE kid--tall and 65 lbs. It was HELL having to carry him through the parks and then back to our room! So...he was almost 6 when we tried it without it.

Now, DD (7) has the same sleep patterns as her older brother. In Dec. she made it for 3 days without one and had a total melt down. She cried about EVERYTHING for about 5 hours--that wasn't fun for anyone! So, for the rest of the trip, she had a stroller--much happier. However...we went back in March for Spring Break and as we were leaving the house for the airport, I looked around and realized we hadn't brought up our stroller from the basement. I looked at DD and she said, "Nah-I don't need it." I said, "Are you sure?" She nodded and she walked all day AND night for 10 days!!! I think it helped that I bought her running shoes with a lot of support for the trip.

 

[aripantaloon]

It really depends on your child and your family's needs. On our last trip, my middle DD was just over 3 and we used the stroller. If we were to go again right now, we would still need a stroller for her. She is NOT a kid who likes to walk. We walk a few blocks to pick up my older DD from school and I take a double jog stroller for that most days. She will complain to high heaven that she's tired or her legs hurt or whatever whiny excuse she can come up with as to why she can't walk any more if she's not in the stroller.

Now, my older DD totally could have gone without a stroller at age 4.5.

I'm hoping by next year the middle one will walk more since I'm not taking a double and we need a stroller for the baby who will be 2.

 

[bigwino]

Last year, we rented a stroller for DD (who had just a week before turned 4). We will do the same when we return this coming weekend (and she has just turned 5, about a month ago). Though she walked often, I cannot fathom having done it w/o the stroller -- esp. for the walk back to the monorail after Illuminations, during which she fell asleep as we pushed (the one and only time she did so during the whole week). DD is an energizer bunny and doesn't like to stop to rest. She just conked out that night, and though she's a skinny little thing, I cannot imagine having to carry her the whole way back (or force her to stay awake to walk).

It was the first time at Disney for not only DD, but DH and I too, and we were very excited to do and see it all. And we did. And we had a fantastic time. Which is why we're Strollering again this year (I just made it a verb!)

For the record, our parenting style (lest anyone be tempted to judge me based solely upon my decision to rent a stroller for a week while at Disney), is that we raise DD to be a self-sufficient (within reason) high-functioning, polite member of society. And she's as active as they come (I often can't get her to rest when she needs to!). We sent her to a Montessori preK, which happens to put a big emphasis on independence and self-sufficiency. In non-Disney life, DD shunned the stroller at age 2, which often made it difficult to get actual errands done under any type of time constraint, but whatever, we rolled with it (PUN!)

BUT, as those of you with common sense have aptly recognized, Vacation at Disney does not = Every Other Day of Life, in the case of stroller usage and many other factors.

So for those of you who will judge us (including whomever it was that so sagely proclaimed 3 as the Universal Too Old For the Stroller At Disney Age), have at it! Are you "entitled" to your opinion? SURE!

But, so am I.

And since you have chosen to develop your opinion of the parenting styles of many based solely on your observation of Disney-related stroller usage, and nothing more, my opinion of you is as follows: you are clearly incapable of anything other than the most basic level of egocentric analysis, and I am thankful that I'm not hamstrung by those types of limitations on my thinking skills.

Happy Strollering to All!

 

[ccgirl]

Please lets remember the title of this thread is, "when do you stop needing a stroller?" The poster that answered 3 was merely answering the OP's post, not judging anyone. There is not right or wrong here...just differing of opinions. Just because someone does not agree does not mean they are judging.

 

[minnie mouse ears]

Last year, we rented a stroller for DD (who had just a week before turned 4). We will do the same when we return this coming weekend (and she has just turned 5, about a month ago). Though she walked often, I cannot fathom having done it w/o the stroller -- esp. for the walk back to the monorail after Illuminations, during which she fell asleep as we pushed (the one and only time she did so during the whole week). DD is an energizer bunny and doesn't like to stop to rest. She just conked out that night, and though she's a skinny little thing, I cannot imagine having to carry her the whole way back (or force her to stay awake to walk).

It was the first time at Disney for not only DD, but DH and I too, and we were very excited to do and see it all. And we did. And we had a fantastic time. Which is why we're Strollering again this year (I just made it a verb!)

For the record, our parenting style (lest anyone be tempted to judge me based solely upon my decision to rent a stroller for a week while at Disney), is that we raise DD to be a self-sufficient (within reason) high-functioning, polite member of society. And she's as active as they come (I often can't get her to rest when she needs to!). We sent her to a Montessori preK, which happens to put a big emphasis on independence and self-sufficiency. In non-Disney life, DD shunned the stroller at age 2, which often made it difficult to get actual errands done under any type of time constraint, but whatever, we rolled with it (PUN!)

BUT, as those of you with common sense have aptly recognized, Vacation at Disney does not = Every Other Day of Life, in the case of stroller usage and many other factors.

So for those of you who will judge us (including whomever it was that so sagely proclaimed 3 as the Universal Too Old For the Stroller At Disney Age), have at it! Are you "entitled" to your opinion? SURE!

But, so am I.

And since you have chosen to develop your opinion of the parenting styles of many based solely on your observation of Disney-related stroller usage, and nothing more, my opinion of you is as follows: you are clearly incapable of anything other than the most basic level of egocentric analysis, and I am thankful that I'm not hamstrung by those types of limitations on my thinking skills.

Happy Strollering to All!

BEST post yet.

 

[bigwino]

Please lets remember the title of this thread is, "when do you stop needing a stroller?" The poster that answered 3 was merely answering the OP's post, not judging anyone. There is not right or wrong here...just differing of opinions. Just because someone does not agree does not mean they are judging.

My post was truly only aimed at those who were blatantly judging and/or implying that somehow using a stroller for kids of a certain age relates to obesity, laziness, being coddled and the like. And at anyone who imposed their not-so-politely-delivered "answer" to OP's original question (i.e., the 3 y.o. response, which in my opinion, cannot reasonably be characterized as a polite, nonjudgmental response to the inquiry).

for those who were merely stating what does/does not work for them, I was absolutely not aiming my post in that direction.

 

[YodaGirl]

Please lets remember the title of this thread is, "when do you stop needing a stroller?" The poster that answered 3 was merely answering the OP's post, not judging anyone. There is not right or wrong here...just differing of opinions. Just because someone does not agree does not mean they are judging.

The OP was asking when people stop needing a stroller (as in an individual situation).

The poster who answered 3 was giving a blanket statement that NO ONE (with the exception of medical issues) needs a stroller, which was an over-reaching, judgmental statement. Had the poster said that HIS/HER children didn't need a stroller past 3, (s)he would have been answering the OP's question in a non-judgmental way. Answering for yourself and for society are two completely different things.

I honestly don't understand why people care so much what other people do.

Would I rent a stroller for a 6 yr old? No.

Do I care if someone else rents a stroller for a 10 yr old? No.