Also, getting used to all sorts of weather improves the immune system. By spending too much time indoors we are becoming glasshouse flowers.
Guess it’s a bit hard to combine with a baby <6 months, but eventually they should both fit.
so it’s no problem to even have both of us pick the kids up, walk home to eat lunch, walk kids back to daycare, and go back to work.
I can pick them up any time I want, but after that they have to stay home :P
Under the age of about 1 to 1.5 then you get to call the shots of what happens when. Walk as mu h as you like.
After that age, the kids start to get their own opinions and won't always just do what you want them to do. You may want to go for a long walk, but the kid wants to do something else. They'll spend 95% of the time trying to escape the buggy/stroller or trying to run off or just sit on the floor if they're walking.
At that age we've found that it is best to not have any plans for things you need to do - e.g. don't plan to "walk to the store", because it might take you 25 minutes to go about 200 meters because you need to stop to look at a traffic light or a store front or a car that is red or whatever - i.e. you'll never get to the store without a fight. That said, they usually love the playground though so swings and slides and stuff can replace being a docile lump that you cart around.
What you do is normal at that age. If you walk to store frequently it is normal routine and lead to fights only occasionally. And while kid stops to look at boring things, it is not like they would stop for hours, most of time you nudge them after few seconds and they go.
It is slower then adult speed, but not that impossibly slow.
Every child is unique. Some are more stubborn than others. This is a challenge with any parenting advice because there is so much variance. My experience is my kids do fight or linger every time despite the routine and nudges.
Plus, there are millions of single parents around the world who don't have cars and walk+public transport their kids to daycare daily.
Unfortunately I didn't do nearly as much of this kind of walk with his little brother, because it's not safe if your attention is divided between multiple kids.
https://bancosparenting.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/freedom-wit...
However beyond that IMHO frankly it's critical safety imperative that children do what their parents tell them when it matters. If you're in the street near traffic a child disregarding parental instructions is a life and death issue. There are other safety critical situations too. This is why I feel it's vital that children and parents have a relationship of trust and respect, in both directions, that allows for that. It's not easy, I know.
You need to let kids be kids (while being safe which I obviously agree with)
You can absolutely get a kid excited about a long walk. It sounds like in your case your kid was enjoying it more than you were ;)
Efficiency vs anti-fragility. Pick one, but not both.