What age is too old to be in a stroller?

[capecodhome]

We are leaving in two weeks and my sister in law wants to get her almost 7 year old daughter a stroller. This sounds very odd to me. She has no physical issues just some serious Parenting issues (mom never disiplines her).
My sister in law piggy backed her on a couple 1/2 mile walks :brick:, and i can see why she would want a stroller (so she is not carring her for miles and miles). I really want my husband to say something to his sister ( where she just tells her to walk you big baby) or is this ok and its just me?
P.S. I know for a fact at camp this summer, she has been on the move 8-12 hours at a time. We also are traveling with my DS (18 months old) and 60 year old grandma with bad legs so we dont plan on a go, go, go, pace.

 

[crazydaveh]

I have seen older kids (maybe around 10-12) passed out in the double strollers. I am 31, there have been times that I have wanted to be in one of those strollers sleeping while someone is pushing me around!

I'd say let her see them and then decide. You might not be getting one in the morning, but come afternoon, it might just come in handy! My 6 year old niece usually gets one on her visits, but this past year she thought that she would be a big girl and not need one. She was begging for one by early afternoon.

Good luck!

 

[tigsmom]

We are leaving in two weeks and my sister in law wants to get her almost 7 year old daughter a stroller. This sounds very odd to me. She has no physical issues just some serious Parenting issues (mom never disiplines her).
My sister in law piggy backed her on 1/2 mile walks :brick:, and i can see why should would want a stroller so she is not carring her for miles and miles. I really want my husband to say something to her (just walk you big baby) or is this ok and its just me?
P.S. I know for a fact at camp this summer, she has been on the move 8-12 hours at a time. We also are traveling with my DS (18 months old) and 60 year old grandma with bad legs so we dont plan on a go, go, go, pace.

While stroller age is a hot subject around here it really boils down to one thing..its not really your business nor your husband's. Its your SIL's life and she can raise her family as she sees fit (even if everybody else disagrees with her).
Saying something to her or even trying to force your DH to speak up will only cause trouble. Do what you have to for your child and assist grandma the best you can and leave your SIL be, you will have a happier vacation.

 

[capecodhome]

Thank you for the great advice. I love my sister in law and would not want to offend her.

 

[capecodhome]

I have seen older kids (maybe around 10-12) passed out in the double strollers. I am 31, there have been times that I have wanted to be in one of those strollers sleeping while someone is pushing me around!

I'd say let her see them and then decide. You might not be getting one in the morning, but come afternoon, it might just come in handy! My 6 year old niece usually gets one on her visits, but this past year she thought that she would be a big girl and not need one. She was begging for one by early afternoon.

Good luck!

Its been a long time since i was six and forget what its like. Thanks for the great insight.

 

[chels26]

i completely agree with the above posters.. let her do what she wants..
(how ever..in my family).. once your over the age of 5(maybe 6ish) your not allowed to sit in a stroller. My 7&8 year old cousins wouldn't dream of sitting in a stroller, they're too afraid they'd miss anything good. They like to walk around the parks.. and my family has also had bad experiences with strollers. From them getting stolen or not being able to fold them up to take it on the bus... we're just better off with out them.

 

[tookydo]

Just got back from Disney on August 22nd. I have two sons, 5 and 7. We also visited Disney in August 2006 and before that trip I bought a side by side double umbrella stroller. I used it on both trips without hesitation; not because of discipline problems or laziness on my kids part, but I think we got more out of the day by using it. We thought the extreme heat would get to the kids, especially with all the walking, and would cut our day short. When we go to the parks we are there when the gates open and we leave after dark. Aside from extending our day, we thought it was a great way to always know where they were - they couldn't get "lost in the crowd". It also allowed us to get from one place to another much quicker. And the storage area under the seat was an added bonus. I only paid $100 for it so I more than got my money's worth considering the cost of renting a double stroller for both trips. I plan to sell it and recoup even more. I guess the bottom line is how much time will you be spending in the parks, how hot will it be, and how crowded will it be. I would have to say that I noticed many other children in strollers that were at least 7 or older, so it's not as unusual as you think.

Hope you have a great time! :wave:

 

[happymom52003]

We still plan on taking a stroller for our oldest who will be six on our next trip. He walks alot of the time on our WDW trips, but it is nice to have the stroller when he gets tired or when we are trying to get from point a to point b quickly. He is still quite a few pounds away from the weight limit on the stroller, so its not like he is too big for it. We have a toddler in a stroller as well.
As for saying something to your sil, I agree with other posters....never give unwanted advice to inlaws, especially regarding their children! It does not matter how close you are....unwanted advice (especially if it is critical) is never appreciated. Every parent has a different way of doing things. What works for some does not work for others.

 

[capecodhome]

I know my place with in laws and would never and would always :zipit: .
But with all this experience out there i have another question. she is pretty tall and thin for 7 would she be comfortable in a single or would she need a double?

 

[wjaye918]

We are leaving in two weeks and my sister in law wants to get her almost 7 year old daughter a stroller. This sounds very odd to me. She has no physical issues just some serious Parenting issues (mom never disiplines her).
My sister in law piggy backed her on a couple 1/2 mile walks :brick:, and i can see why she would want a stroller (so she is not carring her for miles and miles). I really want my husband to say something to his sister ( where she just tells her to walk you big baby) or is this ok and its just me?
P.S. I know for a fact at camp this summer, she has been on the move 8-12 hours at a time. We also are traveling with my DS (18 months old) and 60 year old grandma with bad legs so we dont plan on a go, go, go, pace.

I think it depends on the size of the child, not the age.
My daughter was 5 when she stopped riding and that was only because daughter #2 arrived and needed the seat!

 

[Unplugged]

I know my place with in laws and would never and would always :zipit: .
But with all this experience out there i have another question. she is pretty tall and thin for 7 would she be comfortable in a single or would she need a double?

When you decide, don't forget to weigh in any shopping or items you may carry and would like to drop in there while on the go. Large backpacks, camera bags, shopping items, etc. You may be able to suggest a double to your SIL for her daughter's convenience and slip a few things into storage for your own.:wave:

 

[santa's surpriz]

This is silly advice, came from a good friend when we were deciding what needed to be included on my wedding invitations. "Pick your Battles." A stroller may seem like a minute detail after all you are going to Disney World with family. A disagreement on where to go or where to eat may seem more important. Besides, SIL get might tired and a little cranky if she carries that child around the parks all day. Good luck and have a great time!

PS. I frequently have disagreements with child raising with my ex-SIL. Asking my ex-husband to step in as a mediator or buffer always backfires in my face. (Even when we were still married.)

 

[Laura]

I don't think there should be an age...parents should just transition to walking when their kids are ready and when they feel comfortable, and usually the ones with a big opinion on this matter don't even have kids of their own.

My kids are getting older now (4 & 6), but we still bring some umbrella strollers along for many reasons....

1. Because between autograph books, ponchos, souvenirs, and extra clothes it's convenient to be able to throw all that stuff in a stroller bag

2. Because we like to stay at the parks until fireworks, which is WAY past the time my kids go to bed. They end up spending the last couple hours asleep while we watch the shows, and I'd much rather push than carry them when they're asleep.

3. Because their legs are half the size of mine, and I can't imagine having to tour Disney taking twice as many strides as I already do. It's exhausting enough doing it with my long legs, so I can't imagine making my kids do twice that.

With them being the ages they are now, they don't use the strollers much. Usually we'll go to a "land" and park the stroller for a few hours and tour on foot. 75% of the day the strollers are nothing more than "junk transporters", but that last 25% the kids' legs are really tired and I can't imagine finishing off the day without them.

Oh and FYI - my 6 year old is a skinny, scrawny little thing. His 4 year old sister wears bigger clothes than he does and I think she'll actually outgrow stroller riding before him!

 

[mickey&me]

My $.02

Feel free to refuse to carry your niece or to share your child's stroller with her. Other than that, allow your SIL the privilege of "messing up" with her kid however she sees fit. There may come a time when she will ask for parenting strategies from you, at which time she will be open to receive your advice without being offended. Until then, "grin and bear it."

Have a great vacation with your family. Kudos on setting your own leisurely pace.

 

[dragonfox98]

Hello! My daughter is almost 8 and my son is about 6.5 and we are planning on renting a double stroller for the duration of our stay. It's not because we are lazy or undisciplined (so far from it in fact) and I will admit - we made comments to each other last year about older kids being pushed around in strollers. However, I know my kids and I do not blame them for getting tired of walking after awhile (especially in EPCOT). So, to cut down on costs, we're just going to get a weeks rental instead of renting day-by-day. Besides, this way I will have a place to put all those cool souveniers!

 

[ann0d1]

I think if it makes your vacation a better experience than go for it. It is a lot of walking and some kids tire out easier than others. We purchased an umbrella stroller at Walmart in Florida, for 12.00 ( and it was Winnie the Pooh) for our 6 year old and he looked huge it, but after the vacation we gave to someone coming into the park on our last day. Sure bet paying the rental!

 

[luvGoofy]

On our last visit in August with our 2 children age 6 1/2 and 3 we just got the single stroller and figured we would see how it went. Our 6 year old only complained a few times but did ride every now and then. For the most part she was too busy trying to see what was going on everywhere to sit in there for long. That being said it really depends on the child. I've seen them alot older in strollers. I'm dreading the day I won't need one anymore because then I won't have anywhere to store all my stuff

 

[TinkerbellK]

quite frankly, i do not care what age kids are in strollers, as long as I don't have to push them, and they are not too heavy for people to safely control them...

if it avoids even 1 temper tantrum, then as a fellow guest, i say go for the stroller! your kid's stroller doesnt matter to me, but a temper tantrum in line really can make things difficult for everyone!

 

[Eyorefan]

I'm with everyone else. Let her do whatever she wants with her kid, trust me, riding in a stroller at Disney World is not going to harm her for life. As far as age goes I agree that it depends on the kid and the family. My daughter was 5 the last time we used one. When we went when she was 6 we didn't rent one and she never brought it up. We tend to take it easy though and go back to the hotel in the middle of the day so that probably helps with her not getting that tired.

 

[dubba10]

I'm not saying anything one way or the other , just wanted to share my son's thought's. The last time we were at the world it was Dec. of '05 and Ds was 6 . We decided not to use any strollers ,the kids never complained . My son's only comments were every time we saw a older (larger) kid in a stroller, he'd say "they must have a bad knee".
Bottom line do what you want and everybody else , Mind your own business.