Recently we posted a link to coverage of a study on our UrbanMoms Facebook fanpage and posed this question on Twitter, “Do strollers contribute to obesity?” The study suggests that parents keep their children in strollers too long contributing to a sedentary lifestyle which then leads to obesity. I admit, it is a bit of a stretch but it did get me thinking and it did get moms from across Canada reacting.
I have definitely seen kids that I think are way beyond stroller age lounging while their parents push them along. Mostly I see this at amusement parks where the parents are obese and the child in question has a bag of chips and a bottle of pop in hand. Does this mean that strollers lead to obesity? I would have to say “no”. I think likely this is just a symptom of a much larger lifestyle issue. But, I do think that in some cases stroller overuse is a reflection of our sedentary society.
It wasn’t this that caught my attention. Obesity is a complicated beast and, unfortunately, it is much bigger than just pointing the finger at one thing. What did give me pause was the reaction of some in defense of strollers for safety reasons. “What if my child ran ahead? Or wouldn’t hold my hand?”
My daughter quit the stroller at 2. She wanted to be like her big brother so she refused to sit in it. So she walked.
Keeping up with the Big Kids was challenging!
We are a family of fast walkers and her little legs would make every effort to keep up but it was often impossible. She slowed us down. We had to be vigilant as she would dart ahead and we could not always count on her to stop, hold a hand and look both ways.
We would go on long walks and she would need to take breaks and sometimes we would have to carry her. On occasion she would let us bring the wagon. But the only way she would ride in it is if her big brother went in it too. This meant a pretty hefty load for mom and dad and a very resistant Big Boy. Mostly, she walked.
I get by with a little help from my mom!
Was it inconvenient? Sometimes. Did it slow us down? Absolutely. Did we have to be ever vigilant just in case? For sure. But it was amazing how quickly we figured it out. She was so proud of herself being the big girl and we were so happy to see her active. She walked everywhere from such a young age that she never complains now and it would never occur to her to do otherwise. She might choose her scooter or bike but she will use her own two legs to get there. Both my kids do.
What worries me about this more than even the obesity issue is this sense of fear. That there is potential danger looming around every corner. That our children are not capable.
I love my children but I know I have a job as their mother. It is my job to help them to help themselves. It is not my job to do it for them. I am here to help build their confidence so they can walk on their own two feet. My job is to trust them and believe in them, to let them fail and to be there to help them get back up again. As hard as it is, it is my job to watch them struggle and provide a soft place to land when they fall but to let them learn the hard way, on their own.
I am by no means saying that every parent who chooses the stroller is afraid. Of course not. There are many reasons and each family is different. But this discussion struck a chord and the comments got me thinking. I do worry about this trend of The Precious Child where danger lurks around every corner and we are too afraid to let our kids out of the stroller (the house, our grasp). I worry how this Precious Child will ever know they are capable enough to go it solo. I worry that our fears will become theirs.
What do you think? Are you very protective of your kids?