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Strollers. They're a fantastic invention, aren't they? They allow moms to run errands or go on walks without having to worry about their child wandering off, while giving their arms and back a break at the same time. Genius! However, there's an unwritten set of rules moms and dads ought to follow when they're out wheeling their little ones around. Here, seven stroller habits that give parents a bad name. Please. Don't do this. You're just ruining it for the rest of us.
1. Leaving your stroller open in the middle of a restaurant. Going to a restaurant with a stroller is always a pain in the butt. You have to squeeze the thing through a tiny door; debate whether or not to keep your kid in it or put them in a high chair -- it's incredibly cumbersome. But, for the love of God, don't leave a stroller open in the middle of the restaurant -- especially if your child isn't in it. And if she is, push it up to the table!
2. Parking your stroller in front of the shelves when you're checking out somewhere. You know those little shelves filled with candy and gum that are at every checkout lane in the world? Yeah, so do kids. And if you leave them in their stroller right next to said shelves, they're bound to swipe everything off, leaving a giant mess. Move it up a skosh.
3. Letting your kiddo push the stroller. Full disclosure, I let my 3-year-old daughter push the stroller. Whether it's her "baby's stroller" or the stroller she wanted so desperately to go in only to want to get out of 3 seconds later, I'm cool with her pushing it. But. There's a time and a place. And a crowded store is not the place for a volatile, stroller-wielding toddler headed right for your ankles.
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4. Parking your stroller in front of a bathroom door. Public restrooms typically aren't the most roomy of places, and when you have to bring your kid (who's in a stroller) into one with you, it's never a good scene. That said, other people still need to get in and out of the bathroom while you and your little one are in there. If your kiddo is of standing age, maybe take them out and leave the stroller outside, and if they're not, don't leave the stroller directly in front of the entrance. Would you want to be trapped in a Target restroom?
5. Not folding your stroller up on public transportation. Going on a train or a bus with a kid in a stroller is no picnic. You've got the kid; you've got the stroller; you've got your bag. But still. Fold the stroller up. Way too many people are trying to get in and out to have a big ol' open stroller obstructing the way.
6. Not moving out of the way for anyone. Strollers are big and bulky and not the easiest things to maneuver. However, that said, you're not the only person out and about. Just like how groups of people who take up the entire sidewalk by walking side-by-side are annoying, so are the parents who obliviously push their buggies along, not moving to the side for people who want to pass.
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7. Speeding around like a maniac with your stroller. Some kids, when they get older, like it when you "go really fast" or "tip their strollers back towards you" when you're pushing them along. Believe me, I know. However, this behavior is best left for big open spaces, where no one else is around. Imagine taking somebody out with your stroller? Not only would it be scary, it would be super embarrassing.
8. Insisting on a stroller for a kid who is clearly too big. Clearly there are times when a stroller is necessary for an older child (kids with special needs, for example, or exuberant toddlers who are big for their age), but sometimes parents need to know when to give up and let their kids walk. Your poor kid looks awfully uncomfortable shoved in there!
What's your least favorite stroller habit?
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