Juggling the baby at pick-up time

[CheerfulSoul]

How do people manage to pick up a toddler from nursery when they have a baby in tow?

My toddler is wilful and stroppy at the moment and I often end up having to carry him out of the building. I can't do this if I'm carrying the baby in her sling. At the moment, the weather is too warm to even consider leaving her in the car. It seems ridiculous to get the tandem pushchair out.

How do other people manage?

[CanYouGuessWho]

just carry both of them
its sucks and is hideous in the summer

[VuvuzelaPlenticlew]

I think you just have to start insisting that he walks ... firm grip of the hand/wrist, bribery, etc.

[porcupine11]

i give him stuff to carry, like keys and his bag, make him feel special

or if he's under the weather and needs carrying the lovely staff carry baby out for me in car seat/P&T cocoon

[mrsbabookaloo]

No advice, but am off to do the same thing and face the same prob in about half an hour!

Both of mine are in nursery and picking them both up always invloves some sort of fumbling/juggling/dropping stuff/dealing with shoes and cardis awkwardness.

Dd is just 4, so doesn't have to be carried ffrom the building, but I pick her up first so I can supervise her going to the loo with both my hands free, then pick up dd2 who is nearly 1. I have to put on blue overshoes to go into baby room and it's very hard to take them off when you're carrying the baby on the way out. And then with cardis, letters from the nursery and a couple of pieces of crap artwork, it becomes an impossible muddle and everything has to be dumped on the floor so I can get dd2 into to the pushchair. Plus the nursery is like a sauna so I'm always in a sweaty panic to get out of there!

There. That was no use to anyone, but it was good to moan about one of the most stressful parts of my day. Not to mention the rush to get out of work and get there, and the rush to get them something to eat while dd2 cries when we get in.

In short, cheerfulsoul, I feel your pain!

[sweetkitty]

I have to juggle newborn in car seat, 23mo toddler and a 4 1/2 yo to and from nursery plus from the car to the school yard at hometime (DD1 is only 5 so cannot come to the car by herself).

I get DS out in his car seat first, then DD2 and 3, hold DD3's hand and watch DD2 very carefully, it's a bloody nightmare

[Rosebud05]

I hated this part of the day. My dd was only just 2 when her little brother was born, and I used to move him from the sling to the buggy, wrestle with her a bit, and when she seemed amenable enough, plonk baby on the floor, get her in the buggy then put the baby back in the sling. People around to assist helped alot, but couldn't be guaranteed.
I didn't have a double buggy but if you've got one, I'd definitely consider using it for these occasions.

[Al1son]

I would ask if one of the staff could carry the baby out for you. They could say no if they're worried about ratios etc but some will have the common sense to realise that the ratios are unaffected and that it's in the children's interests that they help you.

[shoshe]

I use reins, I often, as a CM, have varying age group children to pick up, usually have one in buggy, one on reins, two holding pushchair,

Ages, 12m, 2y, 4y, and 5

[DastardlyandSmugly]

I've found that, because they are often tired and hungry at that time they can be really stroppy. I take a snack along and give it them as soon as we're about to leave - banana, raisins, sometimes chocolate. It just seems to defuse that moment.