how odd?or is it?

Non of your business

very strange.

What a little ray of sunshine, you are, mabon1.

And they wonder why kids won’t walk anywhere these days !

I do the school run at least once a week and have to pick up 1 GC at 3:10 then face a ten minute fast walk to collect second GC from a different school at 3:15. The 1st GC, (6.5 years) either 'power walks' or we use a micro-scooter that she scoots or stands on while pulling her along, (she wears a helmet!). 2nd GC, (10 years), waits on the playground with teachers and is invariably picked up around 3:25! Carrying, by myself or my daughter, was never an option and 2nd GC is perfectly happy to wait.
It might be that the two mothers carrying the children have to be at another school at a specific time,, and this is the easiest way for them. It is an unusual occurrence and one i'very never seen before. Equally using a pushchair for older children is not unusual, especially when infant and junior schools are a mile or so apart and you can't drive to collect the second child.

But it’s hugely different to carrying a sleepy 3,4 or 5 year old which isn’t a daily expectation it happens occasionally if the child’s not well or very tired, Putting a 5 year old automatically into a sling after school is ridiculous they will not know what their legs are for and the mother will do untold damage to their backs children are growing obese through not enough exercise and mother are back carrying them What a disservice these mum s are doing
If Jayelles theory is right maybe have the sling in case but much better to scoot or ride a bike which most 5 years olds love doing I d be surprised if they don’t get the mick taken out of them for being a baby The the only thing I can think of to justify it is if they have a disability

DGC's primary school regularly walk their pupils an mile and a half into town when they attend any event there and, of course, the mile and a half back again. DGC took it in their stride (sorry) because their parents are walkers so the distance didn't bother them, but I must admit, I did wonder how some of the children who weren't used to walking managed. I will have to ask DDil.

In these cash strapped times, it is cheaper than a coach and much better for the children's health.

As for the comments about bonding..... if you haven't built a close bond with your child by the time they are five. It is a bit a late to be trying, and anyway, I cannot see how tying your child on your back is going to help. Sitting down with them on your knee and talking to them when you get home will be far more effective.

I wonder who was holding the gun to Mabon1's head, forcing her to read this thread?

You have no idea whether these children have conditions where they get over tired so need additional help.

Why can't they walk!

All this bonding going on in a sling. Why do parents send their "just 4 "year old to school in the first place. Why do they not wait until their next birthday before sending them into the battle of school. A lot more bonding could then be done at home.

grannyactivist I could imagine a child being upset if due to not having to walk any distance normally, not enough care had been taken over the fitting of their shoes

I suppose it leaves the mothers hands free for their phones!

We had a pupil, with no medical conditions, who was taken everywhere in a pushchair until he started school.
The lack of exercise and opportunities to walk, resulted in all sorts of mobility issues when he began school.

stupid idea, bad for the mums back and its not helping the children to build up strength by walking. Just a case of over mothering.

I saw a mother and child this afternoon, the child looked about 4 and had obviously just been picked up from school. Mum and child were walking home along the cycle path (old railway path, no traffic in the area). The child was skipping along happily and mum was wearing an empty baby sling. I wondered why she was wearing a sling, I guess now I know.

My son was taken in a pushchair for most journeys until he went to school and had you asked his teachers they would have said no medical problems too. However, we now know why he found it difficult to walk and was so tired. He had undiagnosed Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. It was why his hand ached when he was writing (just lazy said the teachers), couldn’t read for long (lacks concentration) and always felt sick (just trying to avoid school). To all intents and purposes he looked a normal, healthy child but his diagnosis explained it all. You should not be so judgemental without knowing the full facts.

I don't understand why children of that age can't walk home! Back in the day when my kids were in primary school we always walked.

That's the difference though.
A child who has mobility problems in a pushchair, or wheelchairs, or strapped to its mum in a sling.
Common sense says its ridiculous to carry a school age child.

Aged from 4-7 years I walked to and from my first school with my mother - a good mile away. She, bless her, did it to and from twice a day - certainly didn't do us any harm.

When we lived in Hongkong, it was fairly common to see older children of 3 or 4 still being carried on their mothers’ backs.

I don’t think it’s any more harmful to carry a child on your back than it is to carry a rucksack, in fact it’s probably good for your posture.

What I don’t like to see is very small children being carried on their mothers’ fronts.
That is bad for posture, and the mothers can’t see where they’re putting their feet. One small slip could result in a fall and the baby being crushed.

As a nursery nurse I find this interesting. Some of the mothers comin into preschool room still carry them around n? Have they no legs? We are going backwards x

Wheniwasyourage. I know exactly what you mean about using a pram/buggy to carry the shopping. Having 5 children of my own, and also fostering, then childminding, I was a permanent pram-pusher for many years. When I finally retired from minding, due to my mother being ill, I was absolutely lost without my mobile grocery-carrier.
As for carrying school aged children in a sling - well - the mind boggles, unless the child has some kind of mobility problem. Mine were all good walkers. In fact my oldest son begged to be allowed to take part in a charity walk I was going to do. I arranged for someone to collect him when he grew tired. He actually finished the 10 mile walk, at the age of 6, refusing point-blank to give in.

Like Petunia all my grandchildren have flatly refused to bother with a,pushchair once they could walk . Actually I don't think they bothered with walking, just went straight on to running.

A few of the mothers at my GCs school used buggies for their 5 and 6 year olds for the same reasons that Jayelld mentions, to be able to dash between two schools to pick up older children. But slings??? Not good for Mum's back or the child. If the child has mobility or health problems then surely a large buggy would be better, or a scooter for the child to ride on. Having said that I have often seen visitors in London carrying even older kids in large framed seats on their backs while doing the tourist trails. A very exhausting holiday I should think!