Reply #29: Consult a child care book. This is perfectly normal 3 yr. old behavior.

[pnwmom]

Have you ever taken a dog for a walk? A boy dog who wants to stop and sniff around, mark each tree, etc.? Who gets diverted by every interesting sight, smell, and sound along the way?

Most three year old children view walks as exploration, as messing around, as play -- not as a mode of transportation from point A to point B, as adults do. When you want them to walk like an adult, they'll get frustrated very quickly.

There's probably nothing wrong at all with this child that getting older won't cure. Just feel fortunate that your own child is unusual and you could ditch the stroller when you did. I see plenty of 4 year olds in strollers still, and I know why.

(By the way, my four year olds didn't mind walking, but the boy next door definitely did mind. I think his Mom was probably embarrassed when he went on a "sit down strike" when we walked the two blocks to the park together. Yet he had a great, active time playing in the park and he grew up into a fine athlete in the long run.)