is about half an hour walk to school too much for my just turned 3 yrs old DD?

[Screaminglips]

as it takes me 10 mins fast walking with my DD in the buggy and about 20-30 mins walk for my DD to walk with me (She started preschool last week).

i do take the buggy with me just incase she gets tired...but she insisted to sit in the buggy - not strapped in - all the way to school as she said "im tired"..she doesnt look tired at all.

Or otherwise she'll walk everywhere else apsart from school!!

shall i be cruel and not bothering with the buggy when i pick her up later?? or do i need to give her some lea-way?

[TrickORTripletEm]

I found that mine were always extra tired after pre school,I don't think it would hurt to let her have the buggy,perhaps she could walk to school and have the buggy for afterwards?

[Screaminglips]

yes..well i took her dolly out with us this morning so she could push the buggy but she was having none of it !

Yes there is no harm her using the buggy as i dont want to wear her out by the time she gets to school...maybe i should give her a chance!.

[TrickORTripletEm]

Sometimes it is just not worth it!!! You'll have moaning all the way home,then she'll be grouchy at home.Result? Everyone stressed. Hate to tell you this but my DH was in a pushchair until he was five!!!
She's only three,loads of mums where I live take buggys to school,so you are not alone

[lemonaid]

I'd be inclined to make her walk there in the mornings (when fresh) but let her use the buggy on the way home for a while given that starting preschool can be pretty tiring. Then when you have a feel for how things are going you could drop the afternoon buggy.

[boo64]

Agree with Lemonaid - walk there but not if tired on the way back.
Ds is only 2.3 but easily manages 30 mins walk - you are not expecting too much one way. Def do as you are thinking and stop taking the buggy so she doesn't have that option - it is clearly just a habit if she walks the rest of the time.

[joedar]

I have the exact same problem, but the walk is less than 5 mins which she just can't do!! She complains all the way!! I try make her walk to school whereas after school I put her in the buggy as she is tired after all her play and work. I do think half an hour is a long enough walk for a 3 year olds little legs, but again it depends on how active she is in general. I'd def let her sit in the buggy for some of the journey. Happy walking!!

[Elibean]

When dd was only just 3, she got very tired sometimes after pre-school. I used to walk her there, and use the buggy to pick her up - in case she needed it - and its 5 minutes away.

[threestars]

I know I'm a bit late coming to this discussion, but my DS (aged 3) is exactly the same when I want him to walk. And if I don't have a buggy he'll pretend to sleep on the pavement to show how 'tired' he his. and if I continue to make him walk, he'll cry all the way to our destination.
My sister suggested I get him a scooter, and after seeing the 3 yr old brothers & sisters of her friends' kids whizzing around on them, and my DS looking longlingly at them, I'm getting one this week. Could this help?

[onlygirlinthehouse]

scooter was going to be my suggestion.

[JaamityvilleHorror]

Know what you need, Screaminglips? Something else to put in the buggy so L can't sit in it...like a new DC!! I know you're working on it...

I was going to suggest a scooter. J is quite good at walking but occasionally says she is tired. HAve thought about bringing her bike but would break my back whelling it back home. So was thinking of asking someone to get her a scooter for Christmas. Then I can hook it over the back of A's pushchair when J isn't using it.

[Smithagain]

When DD1 was three she HAD to walk to and from nursery school, because DD2 had just been born and needed the buggy. I refused to buy a double buggy for the very short time it would be needed. So she had to walk.

It was about 30 minutes at her pace. And she complained a lot and walked VERY SLOWLY. Sometimes it was agonising. But she coped. And we chatted a lot on the way there and back. And gradually she got into the swing of it. And yes, she was tired, but it was kind of a healthy tired, if you know what I mean.

Two years later, we now do the same journey in about two thirds of the time. She is a fantastic walker and some of her friends' mums are full of admiration for her ability to walk so far. I'm sure it was the right thing to get her into the habit of walking early on, so she doesn't question it now.

I love the fact that she is capable of doing a decent walk without whining and I never have to worry about whether she's getting enough exercise. And when she wakes up in a grump, the walk to school gets it right out of her system and she arrives there ready to learn.

Personally, I would ditch the buggy and see how she gets on.

[CarGirl]

it's partly whether you can be organised enough to always have the half an hour it takes to walk there (or back) I kept the buggyboard until dd was 4 as I often wanted to stay at home a bit longer and then walk up in the ten minutes it took me pushing them both rather than frog marching dd3 to walk/run all the way there. Although she had to do the return journey twice a day as she did pre-school and then we went back at 3pm to collect her older sisters, but she started school literally when she turned 4 so the buggyboard was duly ditched as it is only one return trip now.

[chankins]

I must be mean because I make my dc walk loads ! Takes 20 mins to walk 5 yr old to school, then 5 mins round corner to drop 3 and a half r old at nursery, then back home again later, as well as other trips out because we have no car. Having said that, if the baby is in his buggy and not his lovely new sling, then the three yr old gets to go on the buggy board ! It doesn't get much use from her though as she likes to run and catch up with big sis.  I guess they just know no other way as we walk everywhere !