Our First Walk

[SandeeAR]

Wish I could take my 4 for a walk. I have a nice park about a block away. However, we live on a main street in our town, with no sidewalks. We would have to go thru front yards are on the street. Neither are a good option. Thankfully, I have a very nice large back yard. I really would love to walk, just for a change.

[countrymom]

I take the kids for a walk almost daily, most days are really good but some days I'm sweating like crazy. But its important that they know how to behave out in public.

[queenbee]

I just bought this for my daycare - It's our Daycare's Christmas Gift

I bought the three seat combo, with an additional two more seats so I can take my little ones for a joy ride. I can already imagine how much easier it's going to be for walks since our Bye Bye Buggy has come to feel like we're pushing up a extremely steep hill (which we are NOT).

http://www.step2.com/p/Complete-Choo-Choo-Train-Combo

[Country Kids]

I just bought this for my daycare - It's our Daycare's Christmas Gift

I bought the three seat combo, with an additional two more seats so I can take my little ones for a joy ride. I can already imagine how much easier it's going to be for walks since our Bye Bye Buggy has come to feel like we're pushing up a extremely steep hill (which we are NOT).


http://www.step2.com/p/Complete-Choo-Choo-Train-Combo

Is that the $125.00 price. I would need 6 seats and man that might be hard to pull and expensive! Its looks way cool though!

[hoopinglady]

I just bought this for my daycare - It's our Daycare's Christmas Gift

I bought the three seat combo, with an additional two more seats so I can take my little ones for a joy ride. I can already imagine how much easier it's going to be for walks since our Bye Bye Buggy has come to feel like we're pushing up a extremely steep hill (which we are NOT).


http://www.step2.com/p/Complete-Choo-Choo-Train-Combo

Oh, that's adorable..and affordable too.

I'd still like the toddlers to walk some. Hmmmmmm...

[queenbee]

Is that the $125.00 price. I would need 6 seats and man that might be hard to pull and expensive! Its looks way cool though!

Yes, the combo (three seats) is $125. I do think it says you can only add two more seats onto the 3 to make 5 total, but I may be wrong. If they all attach together and it's not a complete hassle to pull along, I don't see anything wrong with adding more.

[countrymom]

maybe I'm wrong, but I think toddlers should learn to walk, I find that so many of them want to be carried or sit in a stroller that no wonder they are packing on the fat.

[hoopinglady]

maybe I'm wrong, but I think toddlers should learn to walk, I find that so many of them want to be carried or sit in a stroller that no wonder they are packing on the fat.

I agree. My son is very active and energetic. He isn't lazy, I believe he just feels more comfy in my arms in places that are unfamiliar. Had I not had both babies I would have carried him some and tried walking some.

We walk to the grocery nearly every night and I take the stroller so I can loop the grocery bags on the end of it. So, to this point it's been convenient. He hasn't been made to walk in public much at all.

It seems like resisting holding hands is fairly age typical at this point. (but is it too much to ask?)

My main goal yesterday was to show him he's not going to get his own way by screeching which he is prone to do at every turn nowadays. Oh my goodness gravy can that boy wail.

[SilverSabre25]

It seems like resisting holding hands is fairly age typical at this point. (but is it too much to ask?)

This is a great age to give him choices like "Do you want me to hold your hand or the back of your shirt/hood of your coat/ponytail?" This gives YOU the control and safety net you need, but gives HIM the power to say what happens to his body.

[SilverSabre25]

My main goal yesterday was to show him he's not going to get his own way by screeching which he is prone to do at every turn nowadays. Oh my goodness gravy can that boy wail.

At his age, make sure that while you're not giving him his way, you're giving him the words he needs to identify those emotions of anger, frustration, disappointment, or whatever else you think may be feeding into the screeching. Having the words to name it can help a little later on when he can tell you with words instead of screeching. Remember also that children don't have the self-control to hold the screeching in, but we as grown-ups do. So don't expect him to hold that in until he's much older.

He may be screeching because he didn't get his way, but he is also screeching because he's feeling strong emotions that he doesn't know how to handle. If you are calm and show him that, while it's not okay to screech like that and it won't change anything, you also know how he's feeling and understand it--that makes it less scary.

Think also about interpreting the screeching differently--he's not trying to get his way (although like everyone, even grown-ups, he would like to), he's trying to express and deal with the emotions that are called up when he does not get his way. What's your real goal? Stopping the screeching, or raising an emotionally literate child?

"Wow, I can tell you're feeling very angry right now because I won't hold you. We need to walk down the sidewalk now; would you like to hold my pocket or my hand?" "I know you're feeling frustrated about holding my hand right now, but I can't hear you when you're screeching like this. We'll wait until you calm down enough to make a choice about hand or coat. Would you like a hug or would you like to lay there in the grass? Grass? Okay, let me know when you're ready to talk about it."

Sometimes...you will need to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk, carry him out of a store, or even (depending on the reason for the shouting), carry on through the store, being as calm-but-firm as you can be, and let him feel his way through that storm of emotions. It's just like a grown-up needing a good cry, or a good shout-and-throw-things fest, and then we feel better and can handle things better for awhile.

[hoopinglady]

At his age, make sure that while you're not giving him his way, you're giving him the words he needs to identify those emotions of anger, frustration, disappointment, or whatever else you think may be feeding into the screeching. Having the words to name it can help a little later on when he can tell you with words instead of screeching. Remember also that children don't have the self-control to hold the screeching in, but we as grown-ups do. So don't expect him to hold that in until he's much older.

He may be screeching because he didn't get his way, but he is also screeching because he's feeling strong emotions that he doesn't know how to handle. If you are calm and show him that, while it's not okay to screech like that and it won't change anything, you also know how he's feeling and understand it--that makes it less scary.

Think also about interpreting the screeching differently--he's not trying to get his way (although like everyone, even grown-ups, he would like to), he's trying to express and deal with the emotions that are called up when he does not get his way. What's your real goal? Stopping the screeching, or raising an emotionally literate child?

"Wow, I can tell you're feeling very angry right now because I won't hold you. We need to walk down the sidewalk now; would you like to hold my pocket or my hand?" "I know you're feeling frustrated about holding my hand right now, but I can't hear you when you're screeching like this. We'll wait until you calm down enough to make a choice about hand or coat. Would you like a hug or would you like to lay there in the grass? Grass? Okay, let me know when you're ready to talk about it."

Sometimes...you will need to sit down in the middle of the sidewalk, carry him out of a store, or even (depending on the reason for the shouting), carry on through the store, being as calm-but-firm as you can be, and let him feel his way through that storm of emotions. It's just like a grown-up needing a good cry, or a good shout-and-throw-things fest, and then we feel better and can handle things better for awhile.

Thanks a ton. Very good advice.

[beachgrl]

After your post yesterday and seeing the others on here before this is somethign I am thinking of doing too. I only have a toddler and 3 yr dcb right now so it would be very managable..we live in the country off a very busy road so nowhere to walk with sidewalks or in a neighborhood but I know my neighbors and we could most certainly at least walk around the property more and check out other parts other than just where we play everyday.

[hoopinglady]

Highly recommend!

Day two was a huge success!

I talked to my ds before we left the house and he didn't even think about fighting. (was very exhausting, I imagine) The other toddler tried to meltdown a few times but I was able to avert it.

We also had assigned teams for hand holding.

It was great and we were gone nearly an hour!

Love this! Thank you all so much.

[Zoe]

Yay! I bet that feels good!