anybody have a nearly 3 year old?

hello

i am hoping some parents of 3 year olds can help me out there... i'm due in early january and dd will be 3 months shy of turning 3... i am umming and aaaaghing about prams really want one with an infant car seat to clip on, although can't find one that also has a toddler skate board.

my question is for those with 3 year olds or nearly 3 year olds, how far can they walk next to the pram, could i expect her to walk down the shops (about 15 minutes) or ride next to me at that age...? i am considering buying another pram with the toddler skateboard (without a compatable car seat) however am worried i will do this and then find we don't even use the skateboard and i will have compromised my pram choice for nothing.

i really have no idea what 3 year olds are like. we live in the country so busy roads aren't so much of an issue... i have bought her a two wheeler bike with training wheels that she is getting the hang of, i am thinking surely in another six months she could ride it next to the pram. am i insane?

what do you do with your 3 year olds when out and about with the baby in a pram?

hi hun, my DD is 3 on monday and number 2 is due in 8 weeks. i bought a new pram wth a toddler seat attatchment only because DD gets the wanders at the shops and chucks more tanties when shes walking than if she's in the pram.
i may not ever use the atatchment but im glad i have the option too if ever i need it.

A 3 year old could walk 15 mins to the shops. But they might not. There might be a snail on the path that they have to stare at for awhile and then they might want to go the other way, and then it might rain and they want to swoosh through the grass. And they might feel too tired to walk back home. :p

I'd have some way of carting your toddler home as a backup plan, because you really don't want to be pushing a pram with a toddler over your shoulder if it rains or if your DD cracks it.

My son is 3 next month, I also have a 19mth old and a 5mth old. I currently have a side by side double pram (big tank of a thing that I love) and a Phil and Teds with toddler seat.

My 3yo walks 99% of the time because a) he is way to independent and b) I have 2 others who need the pram. I just usually take my sling with me JIC he gets tired or is naughty and I need to put him in the pram, then baby gets sling-worn.

I think 3yo walking abilities vary, mine is full of beans from sun up to sun down so he could probably hike up a mountain if he wanted to :rofl: but others Ive met/seen arent big walkers yet. Prob helps my DS has been walking since 10mths.

Those skateboard things are cool though. Ive contemplated getting one JIC but like I said, I would prefer to sling bub and strap 3yo in the pram.

Jack is 3 in 6 weeks I am due about 3 weeks later, we haven't used a pram for the last oh 6 mths or so... he walks to the shops with DH quite often they can be gone 1 - 2hrs depends and he is fine

another option is have you pram and a sling if 3 yr old gets tired pop bub in sling :)

I have a toddler seat that I use for trips around the shopping centre or walks when I don't want to go at a snails pace.

Like suggested sling is handy but I found at about 4 months DD2 was too heavy for me to carry.

Look on e-bay for something cheap. Thats what I ended up doing, altho I prolly use the toddler seat 20% of the time when we are out its well worth it.

My MIL (bless her soul) bought me a second hand double pram that I totally LOVE. 99% of the time dd don't want to ride in it, but that 1% she does .... it's darn handy. NO way I'm pushing a baby AND carring a todler ... I'm not superwoman ya know ;)
And yes, they can walk 15 minutes to the store .... and back?? maybe ... like Nelle said

Darcy was 2 and 10months when Nate was born....we actually dowgraded from a pram to a single stroller. She most often walks but if I need her strapped in, I wear Nate in one of our several slings. I also have a backpack harness that I used for her early on, but these days she's old enough to understand.
eta both the slings I use are able to carry my 3yo if really necessary too (meitei and shell sling).

Personally i wouldnt buy another pram....at 3yrs they should walk 15 mins. I would think spending $ on a sling would be better for you in the longrun. As long as your not doing it every day...i think its a great bit of exercise for you, and your toddler. Make it fun for her, make a real big deal of your trip to the shops.

My largest age gap b/w my children is 29mths - so DD#1 was 2.5yrs when DD#2 was born. I bought a three wheeler with todd. seat, but after she turned 3yrs there was no way she was going to go in the todd. seat - which i was rather pleased with, coz it makes the stroller that much heavier.

GL with whatever you decide...

My DS2 will be 3 next month. We have not used a pram/stroller for him in nearly a year - in fact we've sold it now! He just walks everywhere.

My DD has only now started walking up to the shops and back - she is 3.5yrs. She will often walk for a while but get "tired" or she gets distracted. If she can't keep up or trips over she wants to get in the pram too. Other times I need to get somewhere in a hurry and she has to go in there.

She is now starting to get the hang of her bike so she might be able to use that but I don't trust her with roads etc (we live in a busy suburb).

Hi,
we were given a double but never really used it. I basically let dd walk, but if she gets tired I can have the pram facing me, she can stand on the footrest and hold on to the sides and look out over the top of the pram IYKWIM? She loves it!

Also if it is an issue of them getting tired in the shopping centre, then I jsut chuck my nearly 3yo in a trolly! The baby is still in a capsule, and I will try and keep her in it, till she is able to sit up properly in the trolly, then I will still use the trolly option.

I have a pram with a toddler seat, and although DS can walk, he often jumps in the seat for a free ride

Depends on the day how far my dd will walk. I got a pram with a toddler seat and have hardly used it. I carry dd2 in a mei-tai and dd walks with me or sits in a trolley at the shops. If we go to the park and I dont want to use the toddler seat I put the sling underneath so dd1 can use the pram on the way home if she is tired.(its harder to steer and on bin day its a pain in the butt manouvering around all the bins!)

For us getting a new pram was a waste of money, I could have saved $500 if I had jsut purchased the sling (shh dont tell my df)

thanks for all your replies.... i want to get a new pram anyway, as i HATE the pram i have the steering is THE WORST.... i have a maclaren stroller i can use at the shops once bubs is older, but i tend to take the trolley option anyway as dd1 is happier in one....

basically i bought everything second hand with dd1, and now we are in a better financial position so have decided i am going to treat myself to a new pram, its just a matter of working out what is going to work out best, i think i have decided on a pram with a toddler skateboard, and will buy a separate infant car capsule to carry in and out of the car, but it won't attach to pram.

thanks for all your help, and i like the idea of using a sling on the baby if dd1 needs a pram ride (i have a HAB and ergo already).

It is much cheaper to hire a capsule!

hiring sounds great - where do i do this through?

Either do a google search on hiring capsules in your area, or ring your local council and ask them who the closest private provider is. THe council usually only hires them out to low incone earners.
It is a fairly good option, costing around $80 - $100 for a 6 month hire