Bravo Nina Bravo!!!!! )
--
Sue
mom to three girls

...
Dawn Lawson wrote:


Nevermind wrote:

Great article! I have no objection to gently reminding busy people of
the joy of wandering with a child, and I do think it's important for
kids to get exercise, too!


And herein lies one of my fundamental objections to strapping kids into
things for adult convenience. (as well as not going out on cold or
rainy days, objecting to a child getting really dirty, etc etc.)

(Many people insist on vaccinating for diseases less likely to cause
hospitalization than stroller use, it seems, and I find that ironic,
because *I* am hassled due to the perception that I am putting my chld
at risk.)

anyhow, I think I said once before that I was finished with this thread,
and I maintain that strollers are overly bulky for their purpose, and
not necessary as often as many parents seem to maintain. Coupled with
comments from parents I have spent time with that they used to feel
similarly, but now that they have kids they don't care if they are rude,
and i'm allergic to strollers.

Whatever, that's my right, I suppose, though I find the cries of
"rights" to be somewhat diversonary as well.

Dawn


It's possible to think that exploration time and exercise should be
encouraged and also think that a stroller can be useful, if not a
godsend, when it comes to resting and naps (and safety, in certain
situations), not to mention the other legitimate reasons already
described, especially with multi-children families. It would break my
heart to see a crying, sleepy child in need of a nap far from home
without a stroller to lie down in. To them, it serves as a portable
cradle. (Sure, there are other ways for a child to nap while
out-and-about, but there are times, especially if there is only one
parent and multiple children, where the stroller will likely provide the
best sleeping environment.)

I found the article helpful as a reminder to allow for
exploration/exercise time and not let stroller use interfere with that.

Ideally, if a child wants to get down on the ground and walk or play,
the parent should allow that as possible (unless unsafe/impractical),
whether the child is in a stroller, a sling/carrier or a parent's arms.
In that situation, I would expect a stroller would seem no more
confining to a child than a parent's arms or a sling/carrier. Isn't the
whole point that children have different needs at different times?
Likewise, holding a child (or making them walk) when they would rather
be horizontal in a reclined stroller is certainly of no benefit to the
child.

I think part of the disjoint on this thread may be due to a difference
between lifestyles. I suspect that the people who hate strollers have
never spent a day at Sea World (which is typically an all-day affair and
not within in a short-driving distance from home for a quick nap) with
multiple kids. It's not part of my lifestyle either (and I'm not big on
stollers), but it is my sister's, and I have gone with her and her
children, and without a stroller it would have been absolutely
disasterous, with heartbreaks and frazzled nerves all around.

In the big scheme of things, the inconvenience of rude people blocking
the way with strollers is small stuff. I dont think it makes sense to
want people to give up huge tool of comfort, safety, and convenience,
for your convenience (that is, so you can avoid being inconvenienced for
a minute).