4.5 year old - walking and running

[MommyTeesa]

Looking for a parent, rather than medical perspective.  Does your 4 year old still want to be carried sometimes?  Ever say they can't walk when they just want you to carry them?  Maybe they are just tired or unsure of their surroundings?  My son could be having pain from medications he is taking and that may be why he sometimes wants to be carried, but we are wondering if it could just be normal behavior. 

Running - he runs with his knees kinda high and out to the side.  Again, is that a possible normal thing or could it be from pain? 

Thanks.

Edited to add: and occasional toe walking ... I remember he did it a bit as a toddler, too.  Didn't walk full-time until he was 17 months old.

Edited by MommyTeesa - 10/25/11 at 11:20am

[pianojazzgirl]

Wanting to be carried is pretty normal at that age.  I get it all the time from my ds, and did from my dd too.  Neither of them had any pain with walking, they would just get tired, be bored of walking (ie. walking from A to B is "boring" though they could run for hours at the park), or would want a snuggle for whatever reason.  My ds will say "I CAN'T WALK!!!!" even though he actually can.

Neither of my two ran in the style you describe, nor did they toe-walk.

I'd say if you are having concerns about your ds you might as well take him to the ped, if only to ease your mind. 

[AllisonR]

My nearly 5 yo still wants to be carried if she can get away with it. She used to say "I can not walk anymore. Not at all." Now, she knows we know better but she will still ask me to carry her anyway. I do, but it is on really rare occasions, as she is getting to big and heavy. But she's soft and warm and cuddly, so I totally get the "wanting" to be held. I think it is psychological and instinctual, and helps with bonding. Or maybe if she just wants a hug but doesn't want to ask for one. Or maybe she is bored of walking.  

No experience with the outward leg walk or the toe-walking. FWIW, DD does have growing pains in her legs on occasion. But it isn't related to when she wants to be carried. 

[Polliwog]

DD will be five in February and has never liked to be carried. However, she still likes me to bring the stroller to the mall sometimes. It doesn't have a tray and she isn't strapped in. Just a chair on wheels for those times when she wants a break.

[MommyTeesa]

Thanks for the replies - we are talking about this with his doctors. :)

[LynnS6]

Our daughter wanted to ride in the stroller long after she was too 'old'. (It was quite a surprise to me since her older brother gave up the stroller at 2 1/2!)

The running sounds a bit odd to me. Ds did toe walk a bit, but he's got some sensory issues and he did it to avoid sensations on his feet.

[LaughingHyena]

I'm not ready to get rid of our pushchair yet and DS is five soon. There are still days when it come out because he's particularly tired or feeling a bit under the weather and we have to go out.

A lot of people I know say they have to  collect their kids form school or wherever in the car because they are too tired to walk home. This way I figure at least DD and I are getting the exercise and DS usually walks part of the way.

[MommyTeesa]

The medications are chemo - he has cancer. So along with possible pain, there is a medical fatigue issue, as he is mildly anemic.

Lynn - we are wondering if the toe walking is due to tingling in his feet - so it would be for the same reason.  One of the chemo can cause peripheral neuropathy.