Why the push for the stroller? Sheesh....

[hey mommy]

My IL's keep telling me to put S in a stroller. We're going to kite day today and they want me to bring the stroller. Why? It's in the grass. It's going to be hard to push anyway. He doesn't like it b/c he can't see much. He prefers the Moby over anything else. I'll take a blanket to lay him down on when he wants to get out of the moby. It's like they can't stand seeing people hold babies. At their house they always push to put him in the swing.

They'll ask to hold him and then 2 min. later put him in the swing. Why??? I don't get it. And then they complain b/c he cries! Umm, gee, maybe b/c he wants to be held! Good grief.


Any good comebacks for these situations?

I know it's their 'detached parenting' style. My parents are the opposite. They love holding him and never want to let him go. They were the same way with C and they saw C more often than they see S and my IL's see S more often than they saw C when he was a baby.

[abh5e8]

:hug its rough. my mom is like that too. always encouraging me to put the babies down. and will say, oh see how much they like it in the (swing, stroller, bouncy, saucer, etc) she is/was so afraid they would become "spoiled" and also thinks they are deprived of serious baby fun. eye-roll.

i just didn't make a big deal about it and continued to parent the way i feel best :)

[KatieMae]

I'm not a stroller person. At all. :shrug3 I would say, "Ya know, it's really a hassle to push around a big stroller to hold such a small child, especially on grass. I'd rather just put him in my carrier where I know he'll be happy."

[AngelaVA]

Oh my gosh that would annoy the daylights out of me. I think it's just being passive aggressive, especially asking to hold him and then putting him in the swing.

[yellowheart]

I don't have any good comebacks for you. I didn't understand when people talked about babes not liking strollers until I had child #2. I have one who wanted to be pushed EVERYWHERE until he was 2.5 yrs. The girl....she wants little to nothing to do with a stroller....UNLESS....its the jogging stroller and in that case they both could ride for HOURS.

[Herbwifemama]

Reminds me of going to the aquarium with newly toddler dd. Dh's aunt and uncle wanted to take the stroller, so we did, but then she wasn't at eye level for anything! :doh. I wore her most of the time, but she was in and out of the stroller, and if it hadn't been taken, it wouldn't have been such an issue. I just assumed they have no experience with kids, and were only doing what their kids were doing. It's a weird family situation- dh's aunt has no kids of her own, and her dh's kids are grown with their own kids, so she was dealing with "grandkids", whose parents prolly are really mainstream, and of course, assumed I'd be the same. :no I'm such a boat rocker.

[mokamoto]

You know, I got the comment that my kids wouldn't develop independence if I carried them all the time (or breastfed them too long). Another one was "Isn't she heavy? Do you not have a stroller?" Strollers can be so inconvenient. I just said that the carrier works best for us, thanks. Funny, my kids are the least clingy, most independent of their peers. I am happy with the developmental results of carrying them. :)

She happens to like the stroller sometimes now, but dd climbed out of it screaming the first time she was seated in it, about 1yo, so it promptly went back in the house. I still mostly use the ergo, but in time the stroller has become helpful occassionally. But then, she's still often in my arms with me pushing the stroller with her bag in it! :giggle

[Sundance]

We just got home from my IL's, and found they bought a double stroller for my almost 3 (who hasn't been in a stroller in at least 18 mos), and my 1 year old (who has seriously never been in one)...why do they feel the need to waste their money so.

So, no good comebacks, just commiseration :hug

[Beth1231]

:hug
I would tell them "I waited years for this baby and I want to hold him every moment I can. Babyhood is just a blink and you can never get it back"

[Karen]

Actually, I am assuming you have explained your parenting philosophy to them many times. So they don't want to get it. That being said, I would respond flat out with, "No, I don't want to." No explanation necessary, you have given it before. If they push with why I would say, "Because I don't and I am the mommy." Then I would change the subject. I find that many times people don't want you to understand, they just want you to do what they say so bluntness is called for.

It works for me. I am rarely irritated for very long. :giggle

[cbmk4]

that seems so odd to me--to push the stroller idea. sure, I've used them off/on over the years, but a few trips in a big city or overseas and I realized very quickly how much more convenient carrying my little one was, to say nothing of having her much closer to me in a crowd, etc.

[Prism]

They are probably from the old school, "too much attention will spoil" mentality... or they think that if you use a stroller you can carry thier stuff? Either way I would just ignore them. You know your doing what you think is best. Eventually they will too... hopefully. *hugs*

[tazmom]

I leave the stroller at home and if anyone says anything I :shrug3 and say "I think this is easier and baby likes it more." If pushed I'll say "I'm not a stroller person" and leave it at that.