I Threw Away My Stroller

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In our neighborhood heavy trash comes the first week of the month. As my husband and I were taking out the trash and bringing things to the curb for heavy trash pick-up, I saw my stroller sitting in the carport. We haven’t used it in well over a year, the tires are rusty, and the shade had mildew, it was just taking up space. So I picked it up and hauled it to the curb.

In a way, my heart broke a little bit. My son will be three in September, and my days of toting the stroller around for every outing have long gone. But why did it hurt so bad? I know, I know, it’s just a stroller, a possession, a thing. But that thing comes with seven years of memories, through two children.

My mom gifted us with our jogging stroller when my daughter was a few months old. It held up better during walks, and at the dragstrip with my husband. Although it wasn’t a compact model, it took up a lot of space, I never left the house without that stroller in the trunk of my car. When my son came along we tried a double stroller for a while, but my daughter was turning five so we didn’t really need it. Back to the ol’ trusty jogger we went. Our stroller was one of the main staples in our house, right up there with diapers, and bottles. We went on walks, vacations, the zoo, the dragstrip, you name it, we used it for everything. 

Now my littles are growing and having a stroller isn’t a necessity anymore, sure my son will still probably need something to ride in on trips to the zoo and long walks, but the giant jogger has served its purpose. I’m no longer a stroller mom. It’s not just about losing the stroller, it’s a symbol that my kids are growing and we are entering new phases. 

I’m leaving the “baby phase” and now I’m entering the full-blown “kid” phase. I knew this day was coming, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting a little. My days raising babies are coming to an end, and now I’m raising “kids”. That’s great because they are growing and becoming independent little people, it’s so awesome to see.  

Pitching the stroller is just the beginning of entering and exiting phases with my kids, that I’m sure of.  I don’t know what all these new phases will have in store for us, but I’m excited to see where it takes them, and who they become as they grow. One, thing I know for sure is that they will always be my babies.