It’s slow, no question about it! As my son reached 2 years of age, we spent a lot of time roaming around our neighborhood. At most we’d make it about a block and a half but this increased with time. Most people think toddlers walk slow and stop frequently because they are easily distracted. From my observation this isn’t so.
Toddlers can walk just as fast as they have the energy. For them, their energy is harder to come by as it is not stored in huge amounts in a baby’s legs as it is with adults. An average man can walk steadily for hours upon hours. In fact, this is what prehistoric man did to track down prey. It’s called a “persistence hunt.” Most animals have to cool themselves by panting, but man can sweat. We can also carry water with us in containers. This allowed us an edge over animals. We also walk with two legs rather than four which is not as fast as what an animal can do with four legs, but is far more efficient.
Your toddler, on the other hand, has smaller muscles in his legs and so stores less useable energy in them. When your baby seems distracted by what’s going on, he’s really amusing himself as he builds up more energy to move again. If you watch a toddler playing in the house, he seems to have endless energy, but this isn’t so. In fact, toddlers move in relatively short bursts when compared to adults who can withstand a far more diligent pace. In a relative comparison, adults still beat out toddlers on endurance, hands down. A toddler could never work an 8 hour shift on a construction site – he’d need a break every 5 minutes! Watch your toddler, while he moves quickly, he does not move persistently.
Now that you know why toddlers seem so distracted while walking, take the time to let your toddler rest instead of pushing him relentlessly. Your best strategy is to bring a stroller with you and let your toddler walk part of the way. When your toddler stops ask him if he wants back in the stroller. Eventually he’s going to be happy to jump aboard. Other times, plan to carry your toddler back home or make your trips shorter by circular with no particular destination in mind except to get back home before your toddler burns out completely!