The Bond with my Stroller

I really love my stroller(s).  But I am afraid that the time is coming (or came and went?) for me to begin to wean from using our stroller.  But I break out in a cold sweat thinking about it. My son is 8 years old and my daughter is 4 years old so I think it’s safe to say they really don’t need it.  I don’t use the stroller everywhere we go but it’s a “must” for me at large museums, airports and all travel, malls, places where parking is far away from the destination, walking to and from school, and all amusement parks.  Is it essential for me to have the stroller at all? No. But I really enjoy the flexibility a stroller provides.  

My daughter can walk a pretty far distance now, but I am afraid to test it.  She’s too big for me to carry long distances and I feel bad if my husband has to carry her for a long time.  And...let’s be honest...we have so.much.stuff. I like to be prepared and have everything “on me” so when we go on longer outings I will pack that stroller with drinks, jackets, a change of clothes, snacks, you name it.  My daughter still naps so she will nap in the stroller if we are out for the day. Sometimes it’s just easier to strap my daughter in to the stroller if I am running late (to pick up my son for example) or in a place with a lot of traffic in the parking lot and I don’t want her running around.  But looking around I realize I am one of the few people who still chooses to carry a stroller in the car and push it around places, when I really don’t have to. I think it’s a security blanket. I haven’t been without a stroller in 8 years, since we had my son. And I am not sure what life without the stroller would be like.  It will probably feel like we are light on our feet without having to lug the stroller in the car and push it around everywhere. But maybe I would pack everything in backpacks and it could be annoying to have to wear everything around? It is coming soon enough but for now I am holding on to our last days with the stroller and enjoying the benefits that comes with having it around.  More often than not, I am pushing the stroller around when we are out and my kids are running around freely and I am just pushing around our gear. I get lots of weird looks, but for now I will act oblivious because our stroller days are numbered!