When to Stop Using a Stroller

I think around 3 for normal use. But for those looong days (zoo, theme park, fairs) maybe 4 or even a young 5, depends on the kid.

My youngest was 3ish the last time we got ours out.

My oldest used it from time to time until he was nearly 5. He plays hard, and crashes hard, so it was a nice place for him to be able to crash after long excursions.

My middle son is 3.5 now, and he's pretty much done with the stroller, except for the zoo, when by the end of a 3 hr trip his legs are too tired to walk back to the car, so I either let him ride in the stroller, or carry him (depending upon whether the baby is in the stroller or if I am carrying him).

If your 3 yr old gets tired, are you able to carry him/her on your back or shoulders? If so, you should be able to ditch the stroller.

(Added: My 5 yr old would actually like to be able to use the stroller from time to time, but he exceeds the 50 lb weight limit of all of ours, so he can't.)

We had a double stroller, Mom, a hand-me-down from another family whose kids were 3 and 4 years older than ours. So, I will assume that they used that stroller for 7 years, since we got it when our older son was 4. It was an oldie, but goodie LOL!

We used that stroller until our older son was 6, including taking it to Disney. When the older one wasn't sitting in it, the younger one could lay down and take his naps wherever we were.

I specifically used it for attending places with lots of people and lots of ground to cover and especially if I were handling both kids by myself. If my husband were with me, that was easier.

I would say to stop using it when your younger child is a lot bigger and you don't feel the need to take it anywhere. You will know. What your sister did shouldn't have any bearing on what you decide, because your kids are different than hers.

Dawn

My kids are 3 and 4 (almost 5). I still use my double for long days at the zoo or festivals or hikes or fairs. It is great for on-the-move timeouts when they pester each other, and my younger still naps a couple times a week and will sleep in the stroller if the day gets too long for her. I also like it when we go someplace that is crowded because I can easily keep them together and keep them from getting stepped on by other people when we find ourselves in those shoulder to shoulder crowd moments.

I recently also got a cheap, small umbrella stroller because my 3 yr old tends to run away from me, or the opposite - refuse to walk, so her choice is to walk with me properly or ride. I usually only use this one when I am shopping with her while my oldest is at school.

Our stroller days are definitely numbered, but we aren't quite there yet.

I remember using the stroller the summer they turned three for the zoo, but come fall they started nursery school, and there was no way they would have sat in the stroller and risked having their school friends see them. By three my kids were done napping, they were energetic and liked walking.

I think I will get rid of my last stroller when my youngest is 5 or 6. Right now it's handy to have if we need to do a lot of walking. It's really lightweight and easy to have in the trunk if needed.

When he turned 3, the same with my two older ones as well. He was done with it and I held on to it thinking he would use it and we didn't. We put it out front of the house for free and someone snatched it in minutes.

The last time we took the stroller anywhere it was to the airport when DS was 18 months old. And we didn't use it. When we realized we were not using it when we needed to make it through an airport, we got rid of it.

In our family, we used a good umbrella stroller until Kiddo was 5 or so. Not so much for the zoo (I stopped bringing it on shorter trips when he was newly four), but because we are a one-car family, and sometimes I like to walk a long mile or two to the store, etc. That can be a long walk for a kid! I finally got to the point that pushing the stroller hurt my back, so we passed it along.

You'll know when you get to the point of "this isn't worth it". I found a backpack was all I needed as a substitute!

My youngest is 2 years old now, and I find myself using it very rarely. If we go to the park, he walks. If we were to go to the zoo or something, I would take it, but other than somewhere like that, we don't use it. By the age of 3, my daughter was done with the stroller all together. I expect the same for my son. We have 3, it will be nice to get rid of them!

I never used a stroller with my son, because I had a wacky kid (HIGH energy... we'd start off the day going 3 miles, take a 20 minute break, and then take off again. The challenge was keeping him sitting).

Amongst my friends and family, though? Full spectrum. Some, like me, had high energy kids. Others had looooooong distances (10+ miles every day) and used them until age 7 or 8 (EU). Most, though, just started reserving strollers for planned whole-day-outings. Like the fair. Stroller would stay home for anything under an hour. Then anything under 2 hours, 4 hours, etc.

why don't you get a wagon? Yeah, its big but both kids can sit in it if they want and you can also carry your stuff too. I have a Radio Flyer and my parents bought me a bag that attaches to the back of it. It's a decent size and folds up if you aren't using it (all while it's still on the wagon). On my wagon., the handle folds underneath the wagon so I can fit it in the back of my car.