Stroller for seven year old boy

[happygirlagain]

My DD is 9 and weighs 51 lbs. - by no means obese - we were at the mall yesterday with my DS 2 and after 6 hours walking the mall she wanted to ride in his stroller. I let her sit with him on her lap. I work at a Crime Lab - I always know where my children are - I know what can happen to small children out of your sight. My DS2 was walking yesterday and decided to run towards the escalator and nearly fell down it (we were on the second floor) - I really kept him it it after that - If my DD9 wants to ride in a stroller when we go on vacation in November - she can ride all she wants to. By the way I also have her ride in the bigger part of the basket at the grocery store until we have enough groceries to fill up the basket then she helps push it. If a kid wants to ride in one - let them - better the kids happy at the happiest place on earth, than complaining that its hot and their feet hurt.

 

[Merriwind]

I would rent one if and when he needs it. Most likely later in the day or eveing when he starts to tire. By the time DS was 8 he refused to ride in the stroller even though he was exasuted one night at epcot.

I agree with this post. DD is 7 now. We did bring a stroller last trip at 6.5. (WDW was the only place we've had a stroller in years.) Well, we sold the stroller at our garage sale. We've decided whenever visiting WDW, we'll rent a stroller on an as-needed basis. My guess is, other than maybe a long day of walking ending in an evening at Epcot, we won't ever need a stroller. But, it's nice to know that they're there if we need one. Heck, there are days I wouldn't mind a nice stroller ride!

 

[RayJay]

My question for everyone is where can I get a stroller where my 2 1/2 year old boy can't get out, I mean he is Houdini and can get out of anything, very frustrating when we try to stroller him so we usually don't. We have to have stroller for WDW though, 7 yr old DD needs it for medical reasons.

Any help on a good stroller that houdini couldn't get out of?

RayJay

 

[BAST]

We are going in August and will be taking our old beaten up Graco double stroller for the last time. When we went last August and in December, my DD5 (she was four at the time) used it extensively and my DD6 (soon 7) rarely used it at all. My guess is that this time, my DD5 will not use the stroller as much as she did last year but it will still be nice to have. We are park commando types and do like to have the stroller to let the kids rest/ nap instead of going back to the hotel.

We will be retiring the stroller at WDW - it will be free for the taking at about 3:30pm on Wednesday August 17 at a park exit yet to be decided..........

 

[meandtheguys2]

My question for everyone is where can I get a stroller where my 2 1/2 year old boy can't get out, I mean he is Houdini and can get out of anything, very frustrating when we try to stroller him so we usually don't. We have to have stroller for WDW though, 7 yr old DD needs it for medical reasons.

Any help on a good stroller that houdini couldn't get out of?

RayJay

Try a b-mod bribery to teach him to sit in the stroller when he is expected to. A sticker for 10 minutes kind of thing (only you know at what level he is currently.) Increase it as appropriate. Don't increase the reward, just slowly increase the length. Lots of verbal (sincere) praise. If you start early this might allow a better time for you.

Also, my kids loved the strollers at WDW. They were usually tickled to be riding around in them. The novelty might help.

 

[lovesdumbo]

Also, my kids loved the strollers at WDW. They were usually tickled to be riding around in them. The novelty might help.

My DD(21 months at the time) also LOVED the rental stroller but that didn't stop her from trying to hop out if she saw something interesting. She can't undo the strap on her Peg Perego Pliko but I don't think I would call her a Houdini. It is interesting in that it is a 5 point harness but it detaches from the back of the seat so she's got lots of freedom of movement but is still secure. She did love the park stroller we got for her older sister (5) and brother (nearly 4) and we would let her ride in the rental (older kid took her Pliko) until she needed a nap.

 

[3Mousketeers]

No offense, but I think 7 is WAY too old for a stroller.

Don't have time to read through the whole thread but was interested in it b/c our DS's are 7 (just turned) and 5-1/2 (and a 2 yr old DD). I have to disagree with this blanket statement and hope it doesn't turn people off from renting strollers if they feel they need one. First of all, my older kids stopped using a conventional stroller years ago (early in fact because they were both bigger big for their ages). But, the parks are a much different story. The strollers you rent are much more like jogging type strollers that are built to hold higher weights. I don't have much problem pushing my sons in it (well up a hill is pretty tough, LOL!). They certainly don't use it all day and in fact, it can be a pain to push around, but they do tire out at and need breaks in it. Another point is safety. When the crowds are thick, I feel much more comfortable with the kids in the stroller than grabbing onto their hands for dear life. We bring my DD's stroller from home so one of us pushes that one and the other pushes the boys. I know there will come a time when they either won't or can't use the stroller but for now it works for us. I should say I don't think you need one for MGM; definitely EPCOT if you're doing the World Showcase; AK if you take breaks can probably do without one; a must at MK.
Just my opinion!

 

[meandtheguys2]

My DD(21 months at the time) also LOVED the rental stroller but that didn't stop her from trying to hop out if she saw something interesting. She can't undo the strap on her Peg Perego Pliko but I don't think I would call her a Houdini. It is interesting in that it is a 5 point harness but it detaches from the back of the seat so she's got lots of freedom of movement but is still secure. She did love the park stroller we got for her older sister (5) and brother (nearly 4) and we would let her ride in the rental (older kid took her Pliko) until she needed a nap.

WOW! Thay sounds nice! All of the secure strollers I'd seen were ones that totally restricted movement! I will keep that in mind the next time I have a baby gift to buy!

 

[Pedler]

Mine was just an opinion. I think 7 is way too old for a child to have a stroller unless the child has a condition or disability of some kind. Kids are exactly that- KIDS! Let them walk, for goodness sakes!! If they get tired, find a bench. If they need a nap, go back to the hotel.

Obesity among children in rampant in the US and one reason is because the kids are sitting on theirs rears and not exercising at all. Disney is a great place to walk, so I say let them get their exercise.

I agree with this post completely. We are going at the end of August with a 6 & 8 year old. I would never dream of getting a stroller for the 6 year old. We are going at thier pace. If that means we go slower, stop more often, take breaks etc then so be it. If we get to the point that we would a stroller then we are doing to much. Also at some point the kid has to learn to walk to things and pace themselves. This just seems like too much coddeling for a 7 year old. Donning flame suite now!

FYI this is our first trip with the kids so we are not one of those families that can plan on seeing things another trip. Our next trip won't be until they teenagers.

 

[Pedler]

I think I understand some of the comments about getting feet clipped by strollers and such at WDW. I used to think how could there be that many babies / toddlers as a percentage of people at WDW. But if the age for strollers is pushing up higher than I had ever imagined then it makes sense.

Personally we ditched ours at around 3 1/2 years old and haven't looked back. Note: we also adjusted our travel habits and pace to the kids level that is part of why this is our first trip to WDW. Now I am not so much worried about them being able to keep up as us keeping up with them.

 

[GoingtoDisney]

We just got back and could have definitely used one at some parts during the day for our just turned 8 year old. I think it really depends on the child.

Our son is small and active, but he also has moments of low energy--has always been this way. He seems to tire quicker and the heat REALLY zaps the energy out of him. We had two strollers for our girls, 2.5 and 5, and we ended up rotated them with the kids. My dh ended up carrying a child on his shoulders some days while the other two were in the strollers.

Having one also made it much easier to get places and he often lagged so far behind that I was more comfortable having him with us. It's hard to keep stopping when you are in crowds.

 

[3Mousketeers]

I agree with this post completely. We are going at the end of August with a 6 & 8 year old. I would never dream of getting a stroller for the 6 year old. We are going at thier pace. If that means we go slower, stop more often, take breaks etc then so be it. If we get to the point that we would a stroller then we are doing to much. Also at some point the kid has to learn to walk to things and pace themselves. This just seems like too much coddeling for a 7 year old. Donning flame suite now!

FYI this is our first trip with the kids so we are not one of those families that can plan on seeing things another trip. Our next trip won't be until they teenagers.

I'm not into flaming anyone for their opinion. I just can't seem to figure out why people can't give opinions on these boards without making it so personal. To say that allowing a 7 yr old to ride in a stroller AT DISNEY WORLD is coddling is ridiculous. It is definitely a kid by kid decision here and I think the OP just wanted some input. NO my kids aren't obese and NO they aren't coddled just b/c we allow them to spend some time in a rental stroller at DISNEY WORLD. In fact, my kids are healthy, happy and extremely active.
Check back with us after your trip - its impossible to let the kids walk at their own pace unless you're there on a very uncrowded day. I agree you shouldn't overschedule your day to exhaust the kids but strictly looking at the way the kids walk around the park is a different thing. If you let your kids walk at "kid pace" they would either walk too slowly and get trampled or too quickly and you'll be running after them. I'm not saying I don't let the kids walk around the park - of course we do a huge amount of walking. But, when we are going a big distance in between rides or shows it makes so much more sense to let them ride. Again just my opinion - feel free to disagree - but no need to talk about coddling or obesity!!

 

[Pedler]

I'm not into flaming anyone for their opinion. I just can't seem to figure out why people can't give opinions on these boards without making it so personal. To say that allowing a 7 yr old to ride in a stroller AT DISNEY WORLD is coddling is ridiculous. It is definitely a kid by kid decision here and I think the OP just wanted some input. NO my kids aren't obese and NO they aren't coddled just b/c we allow them to spend some time in a rental stroller at DISNEY WORLD. In fact, my kids are healthy, happy and extremely active.
Check back with us after your trip - its impossible to let the kids walk at their own pace unless you're there on a very uncrowded day. I agree you shouldn't overschedule your day to exhaust the kids but strictly looking at the way the kids walk around the park is a different thing. If you let your kids walk at "kid pace" they would either walk too slowly and get trampled or too quickly and you'll be running after them. I'm not saying I don't let the kids walk around the park - of course we do a huge amount of walking. But, when we are going a big distance in between rides or shows it makes so much more sense to let them ride. Again just my opinion - feel free to disagree - but no need to talk about coddling or obesity!!

Hi there.

I don't think I mentioned obesity. Thats a whole other topic. As for our trip we will see how it goes but based on our experiences at "The Great New York State Fair" (thier words, not mine) and our recent trip to New York City I am not anticipating a problem. Our kids keep up at decent pace, know not to wander (and we keep a close eye on them or in the case of the 6 year old hand holding) and we do less than we could without the kids. At some point they have to stop riding and start walking. Otherwise where do you draw the line. Using the tired feet and doing more argument they should rent Seqways for use in the parks for adults. Anyways the decision to start walking for us the age was between 3 and 4. For some it appears to be higher. Each to thier own.

 

[3Mousketeers]

Hi there.

I don't think I mentioned obesity. Thats a whole other topic. As for our trip we will see how it goes but based on our experiences at "The Great New York State Fair" (thier words, not mine) and our recent trip to New York City I am not anticipating a problem. Our kids keep up at decent pace, know not to wander (and we keep a close eye on them or in the case of the 6 year old hand holding) and we do less than we could without the kids. At some point they have to stop riding and start walking. Otherwise where do you draw the line. Using the tired feet and doing more argument they should rent Seqways for use in the parks for adults. Anyways the decision to start walking for us the age was between 3 and 4. For some it appears to be higher. Each to thier own.

Hi Pedler - the obesity comment was in the quote you used in your post.
I can respect this post above - we just disagree - you have your reasons and I have mine. My problem was in the sweeping generalizations about coddling and obesity. I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip.

 

[C.Ann]

I agree with this post completely. We are going at the end of August with a 6 & 8 year old. I would never dream of getting a stroller for the 6 year old. We are going at thier pace. If that means we go slower, stop more often, take breaks etc then so be it. If we get to the point that we would a stroller then we are doing to much. Also at some point the kid has to learn to walk to things and pace themselves. This just seems like too much coddeling for a 7 year old. Donning flame suite now!

FYI this is our first trip with the kids so we are not one of those families that can plan on seeing things another trip. Our next trip won't be until they teenagers.

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You mentioned that this is your first trip to WDW with the kids - and that you'll be going the end of August.. Just wondering if your children have ever walked around in the Florida heat and humidity at that time of year before.. It can be pretty rough, hour after hour, day after day.. We were there in Sept. of 2001 (had never expereinced that Florida heat and humidity before) and even the adults had periods of time when they thought they were going to pass out..

Whatever your decision, have a great time.. Just be sure to allow twice as much time for resting as you do for the walking and rides..

Oh - and grab some of those battery operated mister fans at Walmart or somewhere before you go - they're a godsend.. The summer clearance sales should start well before you go and you can probably pick up the really good ones for about two bucks..

 

[Pedler]

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You mentioned that this is your first trip to WDW with the kids - and that you'll be going the end of August.. Just wondering if your children have ever walked around in the Florida heat and humidity at that time of year before.. It can be pretty rough, hour after hour, day after day.. We were there in Sept. of 2001 (had never expereinced that Florida heat and humidity before) and even the adults had periods of time when they thought they were going to pass out..

Whatever your decision, have a great time.. Just be sure to allow twice as much time for resting as you do for the walking and rides..

Oh - and grab some of those battery operated mister fans at Walmart or somewhere before you go - they're a godsend.. The summer clearance sales should start well before you go and you can probably pick up the really good ones for about two bucks..

They have not been in the Florida heat and humidity yet but I think they should handle it well. They have been to the "Great New York State Fair" (not my term) at the end of August and while the heat doesn't compare the conditions are far worse than Disney World will be at that time. Over 100,000 people in an area smaller than MK, no air conditioning to speak of, even in the buildings for the most part. Wall to wall people everywhere. Almost all of the food is carnival type food that you essentially eat at a picnic table if you can find one. That and because of show schedules I swear we lapped the entire fairgrounds 4-5 times. The day we went last year it was in the 90's and they went from 9 in the morning (with a one hour drive before hand) to about 5 in the evening. Then they were a bit out of it. Once they got back into the cars AC they were ready to go again. We weren't though so we went back home.

Based on our experiences there I don't anticipate too many problems at WDW. We do plan on being out of the parks for the afternoons and during the evenings it will be dinner and some "light" riding. Our touring plan also takes into acount some strategic scheduling of theater shows to get us off our feet and in some AC. not the most efficient to maximize attractions but it will work for us. With 7 days we have enough time to do what we want to do without feeling we have to push it. We also realize that we will not be able to tour the way we could without kids and are OK with that. THat is part of why we waited this long to go to WDW.

Thanks for the advice on the misting fans. Of course the only downside is that as the family pack mule I will end up carring those along with water bottels, camcorder, camera, wipes, etc..... Hmmm... do they have oats stations some where there?

 

[lovesdumbo]

Thanks for the advice on the misting fans. Of course the only downside is that as the family pack mule I will end up carring those along with water bottels, camcorder, camera, wipes, etc..... Hmmm... do they have oats stations some where there?

Sounds like you could use a stroller for all that stuff!

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks for the advice on the misting fans. Of course the only downside is that as the family pack mule I will end up carring those along with water bottels, camcorder, camera, wipes, etc..... Hmmm... do they have oats stations some where there?

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The ones I purchased had a nice shoulder strap on them so the kids could just sling them over their shoulder or around their necks (necklace style)..
Also, have you consider fanny packs for the kids that have the water bottle holder?

Being a pack mule is not fun - LOL - so you need to look at every possible option to lighten your load..

Oh - and one other thing.. 90 degree weather in Florida in August would be considered "cool" - LOL.. No comparison to the NY weather..

 

[KristiA]

We initially brought two single strollers. One for 2 yo and one to share for 5yo and 8 yo. Big mistake. That first day, the 5 yo and 8 yo fought over who got to sit in the stroller. They just got so tired and hot. So for the rest of time, we left one single in the hotel and ended up renting a double stroller every day for the 5 and 8 yo. Everyone was much happier after that.

 

[lovesdumbo]

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Oh - and grab some of those battery operated mister fans at Walmart or somewhere before you go - they're a godsend..

Have you ever tried a Misty Mate. You pump it up and the pressure makes it spray. I haven't tried it yet-didn't really need it last October but we're going a week earlier this year. This is the one I have Misty Mate . How long do the batteries last on the ones you use?