Do modern prams isolate young mums?

moomoomama27

Jagraf wrote: »

You don't need a pram to communicate with your child surely. Sounds like an excuse not to let them toddle.

No of course you don't, it's the face to face communication that's important, which is why studies have proved the benefits of having a pram facing the parent.

It has nothing to do with toddling, infact at the toddling stage more communication often occurs.

The detrimental affect would be if the parents routine behaviour was that of no communication. There are huge benefits to 'pram to e', the change in environment, communication opportunities, perhaps 1:1 time if an only or larger sibling gap.

Jagraf

moomoomama27 wrote: »

No of course you don't, it's the face to face communication that's important, which is why studies have proved the benefits of having a pram facing the parent.

It has nothing to do with toddling, infact at the toddling stage more communication often occurs.

The detrimental affect would be if the parents routine behaviour was that of no communication. There are huge benefits to 'pram to e', the change in environment, communication opportunities, perhaps 1:1 time if an only or larger sibling gap.

I saw benefits with my child facing outwards. All those people talking to my baby! How wonderful!

Anyway, as we all know, its about rounded parenting. It's about the whole picture, not a snapshot of what one might see in the high street.

I always remember parents who 'ensured their children were eating vegetables' by putting them on the plate. They ignored the fact that their child left the veg each time. Nonetheless, to the outside world, they were doing the right thing.

Other parents would let their kids have no veg at meal times, but in their homes they were having carrots, pieces of apple, picking veg from the garden, strawberry picking. These kids were, factually, eating their veg. And their parents were not preoccupied with what ticked a box and looked right to the 'tut tut' onlooker.

It's a shame some people focus on one tiny aspect of what might, or might not, be good for the child, and their development.

Imagine, doing a survey on whether parents wore headphones whilst their children were in prams facing outwards, and not taking anything else into consideration. What a flawed survey that would be!!

Anyway, I'm through all that. The worst thing about having small children is the constant advise from those who know best. That just ties parents up in guilty knots instead of leaving them to do it the way they feel is best, for them.

I was guilty of buying books from know it alls. Wish I hadn't, they know no more than I did, yet I have to admit, there were very business savvy and poached on gullible people.

time2deal

I have a 5 month old now, living in London with a pram so pretty fresh experience. One if the travel system ones. And I live in a flat with stairs. Far from being limiting I find it gives me freedom to get out more knowing the baby is happy and comfortable. I take the bus, the tube, spend time shopping, seeing friends and going to baby classes. My boy naps a bit, watches me making silly face at him and generally we can be out for most of the day perfectly happily. And the storage means I can get a few jobs done too.

When it comes to stairs someone always offers to help with a smile.
We've even been to galleries where he sleeps quietly while I have a look at the collection.

I admit when I'm with friends and there are 6 of us with prams we feel a bit like a flotilla, but we choose those trips with care and will go to the park or call ahead and check if a cafe/restaurant can accept us.

So I'd say its the opposite of isolating! Its given me the confidence to be out and about with a baby, whereas otherwise I be stuck at home.

Spendless

sooty&sweep wrote: »

Hi
I had both.
I'm within walking distance of a decent shopping area so I'd use the pram as the child could travel in comfort & I could transport shopping underneath. Mine could change from a pram into a pushchair as they got older. It was also brilliant as it was parked in my hallway & so I'd put them to sleep there during the day. I liked the fact it gave my child room to sleep rather than strapped into a small pushchair which doesn't give them any room to move around.
I had a stroller pushchair that I used if we were out and about in the car.
Jen

This is exactly what I had and did with my eldest. Unfortunately it broke just as youngest was born and I never liked the replacement we got her to start with. Mine was also designed for you to take up and down stairs, it was a selling point given to me at the shop, not that I ever needed to use it for that reason.

Later we also got a mothercare 3 wheeled pushchair, they were new on the market then and I thought they looked ugly but it was the best for maneuvering and lasted the longest, it outlived the kids going to school.

My sister had twins a year after I had eldest and I thought she was nuts for choosing a pram that couldn't fit through a shop door.