“I Don’t Want to Ride in the Stroller” explained in 4 pictures

As usual, we were about to go shopping, and I opened the stroller at the entrance. Then my 2-year-old shook their head from side to side. “No ride. Walk.” Until just a little while ago, they would fall asleep while being rocked in the stroller, but today they seemed to want to go outside in their own shoes.

🤔 Was there a day when your child suddenly disliked the stroller or being carried and said, “I want to walk by myself”?

Once we started walking, my child’s world seemed much busier than I had imagined. They picked up fallen leaves, found pebbles, and peered into a storm drain. A path that would take an adult five minutes was barely moving along today. As I pushed the empty stroller, I muttered in my heart again and again, “Will we make it to the store today?”

When we finally got about halfway there, my child’s feet came to a complete stop. “Carry me.” Even though they had refused the stroller so strongly just a little while ago, now they sat down on the ground and wouldn’t move. An empty stroller, bags, and a child waiting to be carried. It was one of those moments where all I could do was laugh, while also feeling a little at a loss.

🤔 Have you ever felt unsure when your child wavers between “I want to do it myself” and “Actually, I want to be cuddled”?

In the end, they walked a little, were carried a little, and we came home with only the bags riding in the stroller. When we got home, my child started nodding off in the middle of lunch. The small shoes lined up at the entrance looked just a little more dependable than usual. It was hard, but today was the day this child thought, “I want to go on my own feet.” Growth may come much more slowly than a parent’s schedule, and much more suddenly, too.