https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 13:08:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299613 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:07:06 +0000 Rockies11 2299613@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do stroller or hold hands. I put all the bags in the stroller if she's out of it to help with the wrangling. She walks on the inside of the street and I death grip her hand. We started practicing street safety as soon as she started walking on the street. She loves intersections with the walk signals - she watches for them and knows the "man's hand" means stop and "man" means cross and loves screaming about that all the time. If I had concerns about her bolting, I would absolutely have her on a leash. And if she can walk the distance, I leave the stroller behind because I am too lazy to wrangle both. I don't fight her on the walking because my dream is that she walks everywhere some day, lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299604 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:03:47 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2299604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We also had this. I would just be really consistent telling him- you can walk until we reach the big street, then you need to get in the stroller. Then when we reach the street- this is the big street, you need to get in the stroller. At first I would have to force him in, but I made sure it was always in the same spot that I made him get in, so eventually he got the point and started climbing in himself. You're at a tough age- hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299594 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:56:46 +0000 BKCaribBaby 2299594@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is my daughter. We live in a very busy intersection in Brooklyn. We let her walk and push her stroller but she has three options: push the stroller while I push it with her, hold my hand while we walk or sit in the stroller. She usually opts for the first. Also when we cross, I pick her up, unless I am with my DH or her nanny, and she holds both of our hands. </p> <p>One great thing about this is that you might be able to dich the stroller early. My daughter loves to walk, so I'm hoping for that. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299580 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:47:54 +0000 Nutella 2299580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We go through this too at 19 months, so some days when I can't deal with wrangling I just put him in the pram at home and he is happy enough. My issue is that he doesn't want to hold hands EVER - so that adds extra danger to the whole thing! Hoping it is just a phase! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299473 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:03:00 +0000 KT326 2299473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nana87: i felt the same way too at first. It was hard to let go of that feeling of being judged. But now I just don't care what other people may be thinking. I'm keeping my son safe and enforcing the rules. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299345 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:56:21 +0000 lamariniere 2299345@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hilsy85: Exactly the same here! </p> <p>If my younger LO doesn't hold hands while we are on the sidewalk, she goes into the stroller immediately, or if I don't have the stroller, I carry her even if she kicks and screams. I also always carry her across the street and tell her every time "Name is too little to walk across the street by herself. Mama carries her". Street safety is nothing to take lightly! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299337 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:48:35 +0000 Greentea 2299337@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I am alone with DD, we "compromise" and she gets in the stroller, then we get out and play at the park etc.. then back in the stroller. It takes some convincing. When DH is along, he usually mans the stroller empty and I hold her hand and let her walk. It isn't safe to hold her hand and the stroller... I have to really hold tight and watch her... she likes to jet and we live in a super traffic area. In busy intersections we carry her. We end up carrying her a lot... But I can't man the stroller and hold her hand... she jets and once the stroller rolled down a hill (empty) because obviously I had to grab her when she jetted from me!</p> <p>She is pretty freaked out from the sound of big trucks- so that helps, we talk about how we have to hold hands, always stay on the sidewalk, never go in the street, etc. because "there are a lot of big trucks around here..." </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299286 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:16:14 +0000 mrbee 2299286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This was a real struggle for us too!! Eventually Bee found a solution that worked for us: we would bring coloring books and crayons (the ones that they sell for traveling), and that would keep our daughter occupied for the stroller walk home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299284 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:14:34 +0000 Bubbles 2299284@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in London and walk everywhere so deal with this a lot! My DS is 21 months and in no way trustworthy around a busy road. If he's in the pushchair I won't let him get out as I can't push it and manage him safely. But if we are walking somewhere close by, he knows he either has to hold my hand or be carried. I then just hold his hand with a death grip that there's no way he'd ever get out of! It does sometimes lead to tantrums in the street but that doesn't really bother me. We also practice crossing roads together, looking both ways for cars and waiting etc and he definitely gets it - but I think it will be a very long time before I'm comfortable letting him walk without holding hands! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299274 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 12:01:29 +0000 rachiecakes 2299274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I also do what @hilsy85: @KT326: do - I think it's really important to get small kids to realize the dangers of traffic. When J was too small to really understand that, I'd put him in the stroller if he couldn't hold my hand or tried to break free. He learned pretty quickly if he wanted to walk, he had to hold hands. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299263 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:56:00 +0000 hilsy85 2299263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@nana87: I would just go over and over it again, before you let her walk and while she is walking. It took a while, and definitely at 18 months my LO was not capable of walking in a trustworthy manner! It's really only since he's been 2.5 that I can trust him to understand the rules and walk appropriately. I have had SOOO many tantrum experiences on the street, and especially in NYC no one bats an eye! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299258 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:52:55 +0000 nana87 2299258@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@KT326: I need a thicker skin when it comes to tantrums! I feel like everyone on the street is judging me, and they probably aren't and if they are, who cares right? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299246 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:47:14 +0000 nana87 2299246@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: I totally see the utility in a leash now! I just have this sketch from Saturday Night Live in my head every time I see one, lol ETA this is the sketch <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/18878" rel="nofollow">http://www.hulu.com/watch/18878</a></p> <p>@PurplePeony: it's definitely hard to wrangle both the kid walking and the stroller! Our commute is about 20 blocks, and I have her lunch bag plus my work bag, so I just can't carry everything. If I didn't have the stroller we could take the bus or subway though...</p> <p>@hilsy85: yeah I do need to enforce the rules. she's actually really good at holding hands, or holding onto the stroller, it's just it still makes me nervous if we're on a busier street for the occasional time she tries to break away....maybe I need to take her on a quieter street even though it's a longer route so we have more time to practice with me being less nervous! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299240 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:43:11 +0000 KT326 2299240@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do exactly what @hilsy85 does. There are rules and if he can't follow them he has to sit in the stroller. There have been many tantrums in the stroller! </p> <p>Now at 3.5 we don't usually take the stroller and he does really well just walking with us. We still have him hold our hand to walk through a parking lot or if we are on a particularly busy street. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299232 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:33:50 +0000 hilsy85 2299232@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would enforce rules. If it is truly crowded and a lot of traffic then she needs to hold hands or the stroller or she sits in it. And just enforce that. My LO knows that if he is not being a good listener he sits in the stroller. Has he tantrums about it, yes, but that's ok. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299218 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:23:47 +0000 PurplePeony 2299218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We deal with this, too. DH has parking at work, and it's about 5 blocks from my work and DD's daycare, so we walk between the two buildings pretty often. It's on one of the main downtown streets -- cars, buses, bikes, etc. We used to use the stroller but now I actually prefer not to because it's too hard to wrangle both stroller and kid when she wants to walk. Mostly, I try to make sure we walk as close to buildings/far from the street as possible, always make sure to keep myself between her and the street, carry her across intersections, and make her hold my hand as much as I can. If she's being difficult, I just carry her. But I don't know what I'd do if we had a longer walk. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299215 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:22:11 +0000 Cherrybee 2299215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always have E on her reigns (toddler leash). Its just not safe otherwise because she's a runner! Reigns are the norm here though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/urban-parents-walking-outside#post-2299204 Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:15:55 +0000 nana87 2299204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO will be 18 months next week, and she's starting to have big opinions about wanting to walk rather than sit in her stroller... :shocked: It's usually an issue on the way home from daycare--she throws a huge tantrum about getting in the stroller (at home, she very happily crawls into the stroller herself before we leave the apartment). I let her walk for a little while we're on quieter, more residential streets (and she mostly pushes her stroller herself so she's somewhat contained), but most of our commute is along a really busy street (we're in NYC and it's Broadway. not downtown or near Times Square or anything, but big street!). And honestly, that scares the $h!t out of me! Yesterday I let her walk about 4 blocks down a parallel street, but then I needed to put her in the stroller and she screamed bloody murder for the rest of the walk home...</p> <p>What do you all do?? I've always thought toddler leashes were ridiculous but she's too young to really understand street safety...We live right near a park and I can take her to walk there where it's safer sometimes, but we have to commute too. </p>