children backpack carriers image
Angel
My son is eight and he is with me almost always. I need to exercise walk but he cannot go as far as I need to go or as fast. Is he too big to ride in a exercise stroller part of the way on our walks?
It would hurt my back to carry him. I am a 42 year old woman who is not strong enough to carry him on my back.
Answer
I'd say 8 is too old. My daughter will be two this summer and I have no problem having her and my almost 4 year old son in a double jog stroller when I run more than 2 miles. I just ran a half marathon and so I understand the lack of babysitters and the need for long training runs, however at 8 your son should be getting exercise of his own. My son is 3 and I have him ride his trike along while I run. If he's not used to doing it, it'll be a lot harder at first than if he's always gone with you. But 8 is an age when you can reason with him and say, "Mommy needs to get healthy in order to... I want you to be healthy with me."
Our family are big hikers: We follow the "a mile for every year starting at 2" rule: we believe it's reasonable to expect our kids to join us on hikes and that's part of our fun together. Last summer, my son climbed Sentinal Dome in Yosemite with us (daughter in a backpack carrier) and this summer we hope to do another similar hike. When hiking with kids, just remember to keep the terrain in mind - it shouldn't be someplace they could easily fall or where there's a lot of poison oak. Plan 2/3 of their max distance because kids never hike in a straight line - for example, a 3 mile loop for my son might be too much because of all the deer trails he explores along the way and all the running up to look at something ahead and running back to me it would be more like 4 or 5 miles for him. It does take longer to hike with kids, but you have great bonding time to talk and get to really explore the world around you. Make it about the journey, not the destination, my daughter loves to collect pinecones and my son loves to make tracks with sticks in the dirt. Geocaching also allows for discoveries along the way to make it more fun for them.
I'd say 8 is too old. My daughter will be two this summer and I have no problem having her and my almost 4 year old son in a double jog stroller when I run more than 2 miles. I just ran a half marathon and so I understand the lack of babysitters and the need for long training runs, however at 8 your son should be getting exercise of his own. My son is 3 and I have him ride his trike along while I run. If he's not used to doing it, it'll be a lot harder at first than if he's always gone with you. But 8 is an age when you can reason with him and say, "Mommy needs to get healthy in order to... I want you to be healthy with me."
Our family are big hikers: We follow the "a mile for every year starting at 2" rule: we believe it's reasonable to expect our kids to join us on hikes and that's part of our fun together. Last summer, my son climbed Sentinal Dome in Yosemite with us (daughter in a backpack carrier) and this summer we hope to do another similar hike. When hiking with kids, just remember to keep the terrain in mind - it shouldn't be someplace they could easily fall or where there's a lot of poison oak. Plan 2/3 of their max distance because kids never hike in a straight line - for example, a 3 mile loop for my son might be too much because of all the deer trails he explores along the way and all the running up to look at something ahead and running back to me it would be more like 4 or 5 miles for him. It does take longer to hike with kids, but you have great bonding time to talk and get to really explore the world around you. Make it about the journey, not the destination, my daughter loves to collect pinecones and my son loves to make tracks with sticks in the dirt. Geocaching also allows for discoveries along the way to make it more fun for them.
How do I handle all the baggage and my child when flying alone?
Amanda R
I am going to be flying non-stop to Colorado from St. Louis in a couple weeks. I will be flying alone with my one year old. I need to take his carseat(checking) and stroller(would like to keep it so I can use it in the airport so I guess it is like a carryon but it will be held at the front of the plane), and a suitcase (will be checking), and a diaperbag that I will be carrying on. My question is how am I going to handle all of this stuff when I pick it up at baggage claim and until I check it through? Will there be people that can help me get my bags or not?
Will they let me check the stroller so I can have it plane side?
Answer
I'm an ex-F/A who flies now alone with my three between Europe and California about every six months since each was about 4 months old. We also take shorter trips a lot.
1. I don't take a purse. I take a small fanny pack or long strapped small bag with my essentials and a backpack. It's a bit bigger than the standard size (I have one just for flying) and fits the onboard limits. With just one child, consider leaving or packing the diaper bag.
2. Attach the carseat to the stroller. Use bungee cords and perhaps try them back-to-back. Another option is to check/leave the stroller and put the carseat on "wheelie" cart. Make sure it's all metal and there is a gadget sold that fits several carseats. http://www.amazon.com/Gogo-Kidz-Travelmate/dp/B000MWZWV8 It's available on other sites too but that's just to show you what it is. I've done fine with an *all metal* cart and extra bungee cords. My old wheelie from my first airline found a second life by carting carseats!
3. Make sure you have a good carrier for your baby. Forget those fiddly Bjorns and use a wrap, sling or pouch. A Mei Tai or something like an Ergo carrier works well too. Carriers should last to at least 2 years. My 3 year old can still go in her sling. Great for calming babies onboard or getting sleeping children off the aircraft. Check out http://www.peppermint.com or http://www.kangarookorner.com for ideas (I don't work for those sites-they actually represent multiple companies).
4. In baggage claim, load the bags, put the carseat on the top along with any hand luggage and the stroller and push it *all* while the baby goes in the carrier. I've managed alone through customs and two other children this way.
For the record, I've never used a skycap. They're not used for international but use one if available. Tip well so that they'll be nice to the next family ;)
What I do with the backpack is that I wrap diapers, extra clothes, etc. and rubber band them to make room. I bring a cloth bag (the kind you buy in grocery stores as an alternative to plastic and paper) and use that onboard for diaper changes, etc. (so I'm not hauling the whole backpack around). I simply put what I need for each trip to the lav.
I have an article on flying with children that I put on a blog to share with other parents. It's totally non-commercial and sort of my own personal Mitvah. Feel free to check out;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com for more details on carseats, packing, booking and other tips.
Otherwise, have a good trip (and be grateful you don't have to face Customs!)
I'm an ex-F/A who flies now alone with my three between Europe and California about every six months since each was about 4 months old. We also take shorter trips a lot.
1. I don't take a purse. I take a small fanny pack or long strapped small bag with my essentials and a backpack. It's a bit bigger than the standard size (I have one just for flying) and fits the onboard limits. With just one child, consider leaving or packing the diaper bag.
2. Attach the carseat to the stroller. Use bungee cords and perhaps try them back-to-back. Another option is to check/leave the stroller and put the carseat on "wheelie" cart. Make sure it's all metal and there is a gadget sold that fits several carseats. http://www.amazon.com/Gogo-Kidz-Travelmate/dp/B000MWZWV8 It's available on other sites too but that's just to show you what it is. I've done fine with an *all metal* cart and extra bungee cords. My old wheelie from my first airline found a second life by carting carseats!
3. Make sure you have a good carrier for your baby. Forget those fiddly Bjorns and use a wrap, sling or pouch. A Mei Tai or something like an Ergo carrier works well too. Carriers should last to at least 2 years. My 3 year old can still go in her sling. Great for calming babies onboard or getting sleeping children off the aircraft. Check out http://www.peppermint.com or http://www.kangarookorner.com for ideas (I don't work for those sites-they actually represent multiple companies).
4. In baggage claim, load the bags, put the carseat on the top along with any hand luggage and the stroller and push it *all* while the baby goes in the carrier. I've managed alone through customs and two other children this way.
For the record, I've never used a skycap. They're not used for international but use one if available. Tip well so that they'll be nice to the next family ;)
What I do with the backpack is that I wrap diapers, extra clothes, etc. and rubber band them to make room. I bring a cloth bag (the kind you buy in grocery stores as an alternative to plastic and paper) and use that onboard for diaper changes, etc. (so I'm not hauling the whole backpack around). I simply put what I need for each trip to the lav.
I have an article on flying with children that I put on a blog to share with other parents. It's totally non-commercial and sort of my own personal Mitvah. Feel free to check out;
http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com for more details on carseats, packing, booking and other tips.
Otherwise, have a good trip (and be grateful you don't have to face Customs!)
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title Post: How old is too old for a child to ride in a exercise stroller?
Rating: 95% based on 981 ratings. 4,6 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 95% based on 981 ratings. 4,6 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment