How long do toddlers/pre-schoolers stay in buggies for?

[BettyBi0]

DD will be 2 1/4 when DS arrives. I'm hoping to make do with a sling for the baby and our babyzen yoyo for my 2 yr old for the first bit. I'm wondering what to do after the first bit though.

We live in London and bus/tube it most places as I don't drive. DD buggy naps loads now but I'm wondering how long this will go on for. Is it possible to get away without a double buggy?

[purpleme12]

My little girl is 2 1/4 and no way could I get away without a pushchair

[Meht]

Put toddler on a buggy board?

[BettyBi0]

That's the one down side with the Yoyo as you can't really attach a buggy board to it

[Meht]

Are these any good?

[Scoopmuckdizzy]

My 2.3 yo downright refuses to be put in the pram. He's pretty good at walking long distances.

[BikeRunSki]

I guess it depends if dd still naps when DS needs a buggy. My older child did. I have a thrE

[BikeRunSki]

... Three year age gap. I had a second hand double. I only needed it for about 9 months but it was essential for that time.

[Leviticus]

I would love to get rid of our buggy but DS (just 3) would simply lie down on the pavement and we'd never get anywhere.

So, depends on the child. See how your DD is just before the baby arrives maybe?

[NellWilsonsWhiteHair]

I'm like you (London non-driver) and tbh DS was 3 before he was reliably out of the buggy for most trips. Even once he'd stopped napping, he was still sometimes too tired to manage all the way there (wherever) and back on his own legs. Sometimes I totally misjudged it and ended up carrying him substantial distances because he genuinely couldn't walk any more.

Depends how you get on with the little one in a sling, maybe? DS was a buggy refused for the first year of his life (and even after that was 50/50 buggy and sling for a long time). I get that sling + buggy wouldn't be ideal as a permanent solution, but maybe when they're about 3yrs and 9mths, if you had the sling under the buggy you could swap when needed so the 3yo can rest a bit?

[NellWilsonsWhiteHair]

a buggy refuser*

[ThursdayLastWeek]

We still use a buggy for DS aged 2.9. I'm 7mo pregnant and knackered.

We only use it for trips to town really. He could easily walk the distance, but can't be trusted not to destroy shops or get himself run over yet

I'm hoping when his new sibling arrives I'll be able to use the sling for the baby, and keep DS in the pushchair til he's a bit more sensible.

[LBOCS2]

DD is 3.1 and we still haven't completely given up on the buggy - apart from anything else it's good for containment when we're out shopping! I'd use the buggy for the new baby but keep a sling underneath just in case you have to do a shuffle around...

[midnightlurker]

If you slowly increase how far your 2yo can walk and ditch the buggy before the baby arrives, you will be fine. Even if not, I use a sling still for my 14 month old (on my back now) so we can walk the dog in the countryside. Mine are 2 years apart. The older one ditched the buggy at 20 months and a balance bike gave him the endurance to keep up with me for dog walks, bussing everywhere and general life. He ditched that at 3 and walks/runs fine now, for hours!!

[flanjabelle]

It really depends on the child. dd is 2.3 and I barely ever use the buggy anymore. I could get away without it now as long as I didn't want to do any long shopping trips or walks. She would much rather walk than be in the buggy, but it is handy if we are out all day and she could do with a snooze. She's an independent little soul and would rather walk everywhere.

[lovefairylights]

Slightly older sibling here but we are going to go for buggy board and sling in basket if older one really is shattered. Most of the time hopefully buggy board will suffice so shame yours doesn't do that. If you are considering buying a double maybe a single with a good buggy board would be better way to spend the money? Otherwise as your youngest is 2 and still needs something but older one is 4 you'll have to re buy anyway or push the double around...

[RookieMonster]

My youngest started refusing the buggy before she even turned two. When she was 2.1 or so, she screamed and arched her back every time making it impossible to strap her in. I use a toddler leash now, much to my irritation. She won't even ride on my back in the sling. Blah.

[Bringiton2016]

I would recommend getting a second hand tandem. My Phil and Teds was only £40. They take up less room than a double. It's great to know they're both safe and strapped in when you need to get out for a walk. It's really bloody great when they both fall asleep in it at the same time!

[GreenRug]

I'd say on average (for my 3), it was somewhere between 3.5 and 4 before we could have actually thrown the buggy away. There aren't many doubles you'd feel confident taking on a London bus (I've seen some try it and it's always very messy!) but you can get some good really narrow ones these days to allow you to do most other things quite easily. I tried the buggy board on a 2.4 year old, she was too small and didn't like it.

[zoemaguire]

Mine haven't totally given it up until nearly 4. We walk everywhere, and my first two were small for their age and not capable of walking 2 or 3 miles at speed until then. If we lived in the sticks and went by car everywhere, we could have done it by 2.5 or so. But Dd2 at just 2 is an incredible walker and v tall, so expecting that she might manage to give it up by 3.

[PurpleThermalsNowItsWinter]

We started making them walk/scoot/ride bikes after 3yrs and gently discouraged pushchair use. Kept the pushchair until they had just turned 4yrs just in case they were ill and I needed to pop out for groceries or medicine. The last time I used it was 3yr old dd for a broken leg last winter.

[fruitpastille]

I used my double a lot with a similar gap. It was worth it for all the times they napped at the same time! But I didn't have to negotiate buses and tube! I walked a lot so it meant I could load up both kids plus bag/shopping quite easily. My car had a big enough boot too. For a bus I think sling and lightweight buggy is probably the best option. And a backpack for all your stuff. Hard work though.

[IAmAPaleontologist]

I'd do as you have planned and go with buggy and sling. Depending on the sling you buy you could have something that you can chuck the toddler on your back with too so you can vary things deoending on your needs that day.

You might be fine with buggy and sling or you might not but there is no point in spending money on a double pushchair to find you don't need it. The joy of Internet shopping is that if you decide it isn't working and you need a double then you can have on delivered at the click of a button.

Fwiw I tried sling and buggy with my older ones who have a 2 year gap but I had severe pnd and I just couldn't cope with having the baby on me all the time so I did buy a double (I got a Phil and teds). When the third was born I had a larger age gap and just used a sling for the baby all the time. Number 2 still used a buggy age 4 sometimes but that was due to the distance we walked, in a more urban setting she probably wouldn't have used one that long.

[IfItsGoodEnough4ShirleyBassey]

I'm in London with a 2 year age gap and I put off getting a double buggy for a few months. When I finally got one it transformed my life. It gives you so much more freedom to get out and about - when you get where you're going the toddler can get out and walk. I think we ditched it when DD was about 3 but it was worth its weight in gold during that time.

I had a Phil and Teds, which I managed on buses pretty well as long as I avoided rush hour and school routes at home time.

Get a second hand one and you can sell it on again later when you're ready.

[megletthesecond]

Until 4.5yrs in the Phil & teds. But I'm a lp and try not to drive too much so it was easier to let them hop in and out of the buggy and also be able to use It for shopping.

[Thebookswereherfriends]

We didn't buy another one after partner ran it over accidentally when dd was 2 and a bit. I can't physically carry her, so she has learnt to walk fair distances without moaning. To start I limited how far she would have to walk, gradually increasing. We still can't really do things like wander the shops on a Saturday, but I don't mind, it gives me an excuse to have s one time to myself while she does something fun with dad.