A stroller is an absolute necessity if you tend to walk about a lot with your little one. Still, being a mom with a stroller does not mean you have the right to hog the sidewalk or knock into people at the mall!
Though it may not seem like it, especially if you were made to believe that everyone should be giving way to the lady with the baby, courtesy is necessary to be on the good side of people wherever you may go, with your baby and stroller.
Even when it comes to pushing a stroller, practice makes perfect, as many moms will attest. Along with that, some common knowledge on how to best handle a stroller on the road, sidewalk, grass, marble floor, or whatever terrain your stroller wheels may be over, will be helpful, or you could easily lose control of it. This can be both dangerous to the little one in it and also annoying and offensive to those you may knock into as you struggle to maneuver it along.
Apart from knowing how to have good control over your little one’s stroller, etiquette is also essential for the last thing you want is to give onlookers fodder to frown on you as you go about your day with your little one. Here are some stroller code of ethics to give you an idea of what’s acceptable and what’s not.
Stay on the inner side of the pavement
People instinctively understand parents’ natural tendency to keep their young ones safe on the inner side of the pavement or sidewalk. However, it does not mean that you blindly push your stroller along and expect everyone approaching to give way. For instance, if another parent with a stroller approaches and the pavement gets too narrow, it’s always more polite to make eye contact with the other stroller pusher, give a little smile, and nod for them to go first, instead of pretending not to see them and hope they’ll move out of your way.
Don’t stop abruptly @ sidewalks
Stopping abruptly anywhere where there is a steady flow of traffic, be it on the road or on the pavement, is simply unacceptable. It’s rude and could be dangerous too, for a person walking fast could just bump into you and your stroller. In case of emergencies, try your very best to eye gesture any other pavement user in front or at the back of you, to give them an idea that you’re about to stop. Then, handle your emergency, and be off with the flow as quickly as you can.
Courtesy goes a long way!
Do pay attention and make sure your stroller doesn’t make it impossible for anyone to walk by when you’re out and about. Always be polite to others if you have to ask them to make way for you to pass. If an aisle or sidewalk is too narrow for stroller and a person to pass by each other, remember that you can and should practice some graciousness and gesture for others to pass. In any case, we’re pretty sure you’ll be shown that same courtesy and be given way to pass with your little one.
Heed where you’re going
Just because you’re pushing a stroller, does not mean that everyone around will suddenly be careful and be more wary of how they walk by you. It’s actually up to you to be aware of your surroundings and watch that no one accidentally bumps into your stroller, or worse, fall onto it! So, watch your way, mama!
Stroller rules & regulations — follow them
Some establishments (even certain restaurants, believe it or not!) do not allow strollers parked inside while parents eat or shop. If a shop or eatery doesn’t allow strollers, instead of trying to buck the system and attempting to convince the owners to allow it just this one time, either follow their rules or leave. You do not have to stoop so low as to pick a fight with them. Instead, take your business somewhere else where your bub, your stroller and you are more welcomed!
Stroller have brakes. Use them!
Nothing is more alarming than the sight of a stroller straying away from its owner with bags full of groceries in it, or worse still, with a child in it!
