Stroller for 8 year old?

[pickles]

actually the OP simpply wanted to know if she should rent a stroller or bring one with her for the 8 yr old

we all simply have opinions about whether we think an 8 yr old needs a stroller or not. she never asked that..least now how I understood her post

 

[jenrose66]

We will be at DW for 7 full days......we plan on bringing the regular stroller for DD4...but I'm concerned that with all of the walking.....my DS8 will get tired.

I think that DS8 will fit in the stroller that we plan on bringing....but I'm wondering we should borrow another Umbrella Stroller or even rent one at the Parks.

What are your thoughts or suggestions?

I can see DS8 being incredibly tired....partly cuz he can be lazy and whiny at times....and I don't want to carry him around a lot.

I have 3 kids. They will be 6,3, and just under two on our trip. DH refuses to bring the double stroller. He says it will be too bulky in the crowds and on the bus. He says the two older boys are walking and we just bought DD a $25 umbrella stroller with a sunshade at Babies R Us. What I'm trying to do now is take my kids on daily walks to build up their stamina I have a feeling this is not going to go well.

 

[smw]

1. It's just ridiculous to compare able-bodied kids to those with special needs. It's a different issue and of course if they can't get around, use a stroller. Obviously we're not talking about special needs kids.

2. Able-bodied 8-yr-olds in strollers... it's insane. This is why we're leading the world in obesity. Kids can walk, believe it or not. When they're at their limit, go back to the hotel. If you want more, call a sitter for them and head back out yourselves.

 

[Johndoodle]

What I read in many answers is : yes you should cater and pamper your child in every way. Not talking about disabled kids.
Do not think about the future just give in to every wimp and even push him in a stroller even is he is 35.After the stroller episode the telephone call to Snowy's work will follow. O no XXX can't come to work he/she is to tired and mommy will get out the stroller to shove him to McDonals for a kids menu.
In the very near future we will have to deal with a generation of snowflakes that are used to a world that caters them in every way and will bow to all there wishes.

 

[Schmeck]

If you think he might need it to keep him from getting tired/cranky, by all means get a double stroller. Do what works for your family, don't listen to a bunch of people giving THEIR opinion about YOUR son.

Um, she posted to get our opinions, didn't she?

There are many other ways to keep a kid from getting tired and cranky - pushing an 8 yr old around all day would make me tired and cranky, and then I'd be wiped out and have a well rested 8 yr old to deal with.

Unless the child has a disability, there's no way I'd put an 8 yr old in a stroller and haul his whiny, lazy butt all over the park.

 

[RMulieri]

This!
First of all, my 8 year old would be mortified if we put him in a stroller. I just asked him if he would want us to get him a stroller if he got tired at WDW. He looked at me like I had two heads! And, personally, if he were being lazy and whiney about walking around Disney World, then I could think of a thousand other ways to spend all that money. For us, going to WDW is a privilege.

 

[goofy4tink]

I think one thing everyone here is missing is that the stroller stops the kids from WHINING so parents don't have to hear it for hours and hours and they can go on their merry way. Strap the kid in and voila -- it's like they aren't even there!

I'm an 'older' mom...have a 38 y/o, a 35 y/o and an 18 y/o. I have always had expectations for certain behaviour. You get whiny and nudgy?? We leave...plain and simple. My 18 y/o had a melt-down in a store. I told her that if she didn't stop, we were leaving. She didn't stop, we left. She never melted down like that again.
I prefer to change my touring while in WDW...I try to take more time, rather than rushing around. Being on my own is vastly different than when I used to go with the 5 y/o!!! It all depends on who is with me.

You know your children best...you will NOT be stared at by people...scratch that ...NORMAL people because it's none of their business! We brought our double stroller during our last visit to WDW with DD9 and DD6. Both are in great shape and COULD HAVE gone without the stroller, but it was very convenient to pop them in that when we all sat for a break or to put all of our bags into it when Mommy and Daddy got tired! Both of our girls are very petite and still fit in the stroller just fine. When we go back June 2013 however we will be leaving the stroller at home...for the very first time. Do what fits best for your family. If it works, bring the stroller...if it doesn't, then don't.

I kind of resent being put in the 'not normal' group if I look twice at a stroller with a child in it who's feet are scrapping the ground in front of them...so badly that dad has to continually yell....'Mary, pick up your **** feet....it's too hard to push you. If you can't, then get out and keep walking!!' That poor child barely fit in the rented stroller...and those are huge strollers.

If you think he might need it to keep him from getting tired/cranky, by all means get a double stroller. Do what works for your family, don't listen to a bunch of people giving THEIR opinion about YOUR son.

But, when you come to a public discussion board, and ask what you should do, you really shouldn't complain if some give advice other than what you want to hear. Everyone has an opinion....and they get to share that opinion on a public board.

 

[pgianna]

We didn't go to Disney until my kids were old enough to be able to handle the walking. No way i was going to push around a stroller for a week. Just my opinion, I hope I don't offend anybody. But yes, 8 years old is too old to be in a stroller. For us, a stroller didn't even come up as a conversation, wasn't even a consideration.

 

[AJA]

My 7 (almost 8) year old will not fit in a simple umbrella stroller. On most the weight limit is 40 pounds. I think there are some models like the Volo that will go up to 60 ish pounds? My 7 year old daughter is right at that 60 pound weight limit. Is your son very thin?

You may want to consider what other posters are saying. Your son is old enough to understand peer pressure, an honest answer to your question is people will assume he has special physical needs if they see him riding in a stroller and it may be embarrassing for him.

 

[*TheWigs*]

I'm an 'older' mom...have a 38 y/o, a 35 y/o and an 18 y/o. I have always had expectations for certain behaviour. You get whiny and nudgy?? We leave...plain and simple. My 18 y/o had a melt-down in a store. I told her that if she didn't stop, we were leaving. She didn't stop, we left. She never melted down like that again.
I prefer to change my touring while in WDW...I try to take more time, rather than rushing around. Being on my own is vastly different than when I used to go with the 5 y/o!!! It all depends on who is with me.


I kind of resent being put in the 'not normal' group if I look twice at a stroller with a child in it who's feet are scrapping the ground in front of them...so badly that dad has to continually yell....'Mary, pick up your **** feet....it's too hard to push you. If you can't, then get out and keep walking!!' That poor child barely fit in the rented stroller...and those are huge strollers.


But, when you come to a public discussion board, and ask what you should do, you really shouldn't complain if some give advice other than what you want to hear. Everyone has an opinion....and they get to share that opinion on a public board.

I've always been told it's not nice to stare.. But you are right, to each his own. I have put an older child in a stroller at Disney for convenience...keeping our DD close in crowds (and I NEVER banged up anyone's ankle-except maybe DH and that might have been intentional ), storing our "stuff", and as an extra seat when we rested.. It just worked for our family at the time. Also, I must have missed when OP complained about advice other than what they expected to hear.

 

[Jaime4004]

I would just bring one stroller and let the 4 year old walk occasionally. The 8 year old could pop into the stroller during those times.

Strollers are a pain and two strollers just makes it worse IMO.

That's what we do now. Just came back with a 4,6 and 8 yr old. The 8 yr old is by far the whiniest (if anyone has suggestions to nip that in the bud, i'm open. Leaving the park is not an option as the other 2 do not deserve that. But DH and I have taken turns waiting with her while others got to ride due to her behavior).
Anyway, back on topic. I would not bring a stroller specifically for the 8 yr old, but I have no problem with her hopping in it for a quick ride when the 4 yr old is walking, which is exactly what happened. When the 4 yr old wanted back in, I'd kick out whoever was in it. DD8 is a competitive gymnast, she has far more energy and stamina that many kids her age, but she still gets tired from the walking, standing and heat, as do I. Has nothing to do with obesity...
It's easy to say to rest a lot and the kids will be fine. That works best for one. However, 3 kids all having different staminas and some needing more rest than others would make for a very long day for us. I'd rather strap the little one in a stroller when he was tired than keep making the older ones stop for him.

 

[ttintagel]

The trick is finding a eight-year-old who's willing to ride in a stroller. I wouldn't have done it for all the tea in China. They're very proud of not being "babies."

 

[angelmav]

One more thing you would never see anywhere but the U.S....

We really need to get back to letting kids be more active in daily life.

 

[ccgirl]

That's what we do now. Just came back with a 4,6 and 8 yr old. The 8 yr old is by far the whiniest (if anyone has suggestions to nip that in the bud, i'm open. Leaving the park is not an option as the other 2 do not deserve that. But DH and I have taken turns waiting with her while others got to ride due to her behavior).
Anyway, back on topic. I would not bring a stroller specifically for the 8 yr old, but I have no problem with her hopping in it for a quick ride when the 4 yr old is walking, which is exactly what happened. When the 4 yr old wanted back in, I'd kick out whoever was in it. DD8 is a competitive gymnast, she has far more energy and stamina that many kids her age, but she still gets tired from the walking, standing and heat, as do I. Has nothing to do with obesity...
It's easy to say to rest a lot and the kids will be fine. That works best for one. However, 3 kids all having different staminas and some needing more rest than others would make for a very long day for us. I'd rather strap the little one in a stroller when he was tired than keep making the older ones stop for him.

Since you are looking for suggestions....don't give in. You mentioned she is a competitive gymnast. No reason a competitive gymnast needs a stroller. You start whining, you go back to the room. Leave one parent with the other 2 so they don't miss out. I bet she won't do that often. My DD did that exactly once. We went back to the room since she could nap since she was so tired. No pool since that is exhausting as well. Just a nap. If you give in, she has learned that if she whines enough she will get her way. I don't let my DS4 whine, I'm certainly not going to let his older sister whine. She needs to be thankful that she is even at WDW. SHe needs to be thankful that she has the legs to even be able to walk. As you can tell by some of the posts on here, not all children are so fortunate.

As to the posters complaining about people giving their opinion (not the OP other posters) that is what the OP asked for.....other opinions.

I hear people mention they put their older children in the stroller for convenience. Would you also put those children in diapers since it's more convenient to not stop for bathroom breaks so frequently? Personally, I don't see the difference...YMMV.

One more thing you would never see anywhere but the U.S....

We really need to get back to letting kids be more active in daily life.

I completely agree.

 

[Johndoodle]

One more thing you would never see anywhere but the U.S....

We really need to get back to letting kids be more active in daily life.

Another thing is you need a magnifying glass to find an EVC in Disney Paris. You have to have a very good reason to get a GAC there let alone drive around without a real reason.
O and I love Heidelberg.

 

[Sabrefan]

Hope everyone feels better about themselves for passing judgement on other families that are doing they believe are best for their kids


Anyways OP the strollers at WDW would easily fit an 8 year old, we had one for our 5 year old, and by the third day we got one for our 8 year old (at the time) we went in August and nothing can really prepare you for that kind of heat. If it hadn't been 1000 degrees both our 5 year old and 8 year old would have made it fine throughout the parks without a stroller but the heat really got to them. They both fit in the strollers just fine.

 

[Pills]

As has been said numerous times, depends on the kid.

When we went in '09, the ages were 7 and just shy of 3, so we had strollers for both. The 7 year old didn't use it much - mostly at night if we were out late.

When we went in '10, we brought a stroller for the 4 year old, but not for the 8 year old. My brother brought a double for his 5 and 2 YOs, though my 5 YO niece was barely in it. Because of that, my 4 YO wasn't in hers much either.

When we went last August, we again brought a stroller for the little one, who was just shy of 5, and she used it maybe a quarter of the time. After this trip, we told her that we're not bringing one for her again, and she was fine with it.

 

[katiemely]

i didn't necessarily agree with the tone of your post, but you do realize that many of those people are in scooters due to medical conditions that are often exacerbated by a life time of inactivity. A lifetime that begins when they are being pushed in a stroller at 8 years old.

If you are going to be a hater, you might as well be equal opportunity

this.

 

[Dopey420]

Hope everyone feels better about themselves for passing judgement on other families that are doing they believe are best for their kids

Passive-aggressive much? For your info, the OP ASKED for opinions (judgement.)

 

[Jaime4004]

Since you are looking for suggestions....don't give in. You mentioned she is a competitive gymnast. No reason a competitive gymnast needs a stroller. You start whining, you go back to the room. Leave one parent with the other 2 so they don't miss out. I bet she won't do that often. My DD did that exactly once. We went back to the room since she could nap since she was so tired. No pool since that is exhausting as well. Just a nap. If you give in, she has learned that if she whines enough she will get her way. I don't let my DS4 whine, I'm certainly not going to let his older sister whine. She needs to be thankful that she is even at WDW. SHe needs to be thankful that she has the legs to even be able to walk. As you can tell by some of the posts on here, not all children are so fortunate.

As to the posters complaining about people giving their opinion (not the OP other posters) that is what the OP asked for.....other opinions.

I hear people mention they put their older children in the stroller for convenience. Would you also put those children in diapers since it's more convenient to not stop for bathroom breaks so frequently? Personally, I don't see the difference...YMMV.



I completely agree.

The whining i'm looking to stop is in general, not stroller related. That wasn't a problem for us. I personally have no problem having one of the other kids hitch a ride in the stroller if the 4 yr old doesn't want to use it. Sometimes it was just the backpack in the stroller.
The whining occurs anywhere, not just WDW related, unfortunately. In WDW, it's "i'm hot, i'm tired, my feet hurt, this is a boring ride." I definitely don't give in. Ever. Though grandma often does, always trying to smooth things over . My mantra the whole trip was "I don't listen to whining" and would mostly ignore it. DH was big into the whole "do you know how lucky you are to be here. Do you know how many other kids can't..."
We stay offsite so it's a bit of a drive and only one rental car so leaving is not really a good option.
Now i'm hijacking about whiny kids..