When DS was itty bitty, I used the sling for most everything, including grocery shopping. Once he was old enough to sit in the cart on his own, I started letting him do that. The sling was great for when he was tiny and slept alot, but now that he was sitting up and looking around and staying awake, I needed to allow him to do that. There were occasions when he didn't want to sit in the cart, but most of the time, he really liked it (and now he still does at almost 2 years old).<br><br>
I haven't used my sling in AGES. There was a time when he started to straighten his body while in the hip carry, and that was dangerous - he could slip out when he did that. So I made a Mei Tai and used that around the house (on my back) when he needed to be carried, but mostly he's been a pretty independent kid, so really didn't need to be carried around the house TOO much by that age. And he was starting to crawl and all that, so he wanted to be on the floor moving around!<br><br>
Now he's walking, so I make him walk if we're going short distances. If it's long enough that I know he'll get too tired, I'll use the stroller.<br><br>
I have two strollers. One is a $40 Safety 1st stroller from Target. It's cheap, but works pretty well. The only real complaint about it is that it doesn't have adjustable handles, and I'm tall (5'9"), so I'm a bit uncomfortable driving this stroller. But hey, it was a gift, so I didn't even pay for it. Can't complain too much, right? I mostly used this stroller for trips to the mall, going to the zoo and other such places, and going to dog obedience class (he'd sit in his stroller and eat Cheerios until sit/down stay time, then he got to roam the floor and be a distraction <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">).<br><br>
The second stroller I have is the Instep 5K Jogger (~$100). I needed this because I live on 10 acres, have no sidewalks, etc. So if I go walking for exercise or if I need to tend to animals without DS getting into things while I'm not looking, I need a stroller that can handle offroad stuff really well. This one does great. I had one problem with the foot plate rubbing on the front wheel, but I contacted the company (they respond about 1 week after you send an e-mail), and they sent me out a new foot plate that doesn't rub. So now I really love the stroller. It wouldn't work well for a young baby, but one that is sitting up well is great. And I figure with baby #2, I'll use the sling until he/she can sit well in the jogger, and then DS will move out of the jogger when baby #2 needs it. By then, DS can just walk and should stay out of TOO much trouble. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> He's actually pretty good now that he is steady on his feet and listens to commands better.