Pushchair for technically incompetent grandma with bad back

[mrsgordonfreeman]

Hello, I have a moderate pram habit: I have a Stokke Xplory which I love, a P&T back carrier, have just sold my old M&P Pulse, a BOB Ironman jogging stroller and have just bought a M&P Luna Mix.

The problem is grandma. She drops dd off at nursery twice a week and needs to be able to fold, unfold, strap dd in, undo her, fold and put it in the pushchair shed.

The Xplory is easy to get dd in and out of, but I don't want to leave that in the shed, plus DG can't fold it, even if I demonstrated it to her a million times.

The Pulse was OK but rickety and dd never seemed comfortable in it: she always looked hunched up, plus DG has to bend over to recline it, and it didn't look like it would withstand heavy weather.

The BOB is easy to fold but DG cannot work out how the raincover works despite my showing her a million times, she is terrified of suffocating dd if she gets it wrong. Plus the wheel keeps coming off because DGrandad keeps fiddling with the quick release.

The Lunamix I bought because I thought it would be easier, but apparently DG can't fold it without hurting her back and she cannot work out how to adjust the straps. I do like it otherwise and DG likes that it's a 3 wheeler and easy to manoeuvre around Marks and Spencer.

In this world, is there a pram that DG could get her head around and fold without twanging her back?

[MmeLindt]

My mum loved my Graco. Easy to push and one hand folding system.

[onadietcokebreak]

Baby jogger city mini. Can't get an easier fold that that!

[mrsgordonfreeman]

Really? DH and I nearly broke a Baby Jogger trying to fold the thing in John Lewis.

We're talking about someone really, really incompetent with anything mechanical here.

Which model of Graco was it?

[thisisyesterday]

you just pull the strap that says "pull to fold" on the baby jogger and that's it.

i was going to suggest it too

to be quite honest I don't think i would buy a new pushchair just for this. keep showing her, she'll get it eventually.

am intrigued about the BOB raincover tho... is it very complex???

[MmeLindt]

It was a while ago, but I have seen similar ones recently. Like this Quattro.

My Mum is technically challenged and managed to fold it. I had one of those foldover raincovers (like a big umbrella).

[CountessVonKnackerstein]

Ask nursery staff to fold it.

[mrsgordonfreeman]

We pulled it and pulled it: turned out it was in the wrong direction and we hadn't unlocked it or something.

The BOB raincover is fairly complex, to be fair and the directions come with scary warnings in GIANT CAPITAL LETTERS about suffocation. That said, it's an excellent running pram, DH takes dd out in it regularly.

I've been showing her for a year now, she can't even fathom how to fit the car seat, I have to do it for her every time.

[Liz79]

baby jogger city mini

[CarGirl]

BOB is lush I had a Bob & Bobbie at one point in time.

Can she not handle a basic maclaren?

Oh Jane raincovers fit BOB and are clear rather than bright yellow

What did she use for her little ones - something like a maclaren superdreamer???


I will keep thinking.......

[mrsgordonfreeman]

The ideal thing would be a giant button on the handle that said "PRESS TO FOLD", she could press it and it would collapse before her eyes. The folding seems easy once you have the knack, on all prams, but acquiring any knack has so far evaded her.

The Maclaren clone I had (the Pulse) was quite rickety and maybe a bit heavy to lug around. Maybe I will have a look on Ebay...

That's handy to know about Jane: the cover I have is the only one they do but doesn't really fit the Ironman properly as it has a mudguard. It is grey, mind you.

Any thoughts on the fiddly straps? I think she finds them even more trying than the folding.

[mrsgordonfreeman]

She probably used some weird South African contraption, this was 30+ years ago of course.

[MmeLindt]

As far as I remember, the Graco has a button that you press and twist the handle.

[onadietcokebreak]

With the baby jogger they probably had the grey safety loops in place which in reality you don't need.

With these not in place it really is a one pull jobby.

eBay has some cheap ones at mo.

[mrsgordonfreeman]

The Luna needs a twist and she says the twisting hurts her arthritic wrists.

I will have a look at some baby joggers, will check them out at John Lewis first..

[thisisyesterday]

i had an idea about this while i was in Homebase this morning.
I presume the pushchair has to be left there because a different person collects DD yes?

so... who normally collects her?

would it work if Grandma dropped her off, then went home with the buggy (thus no folding/unfolding to do)
and whoever picked her up brought a different buggy to take her home in? or took her home in the car? or however it works

basically what i am asking is, does the buggy HAVE to stay there all day thus necessitating the folding

[mrsgordonfreeman]

Unfortunately it usually does, as I collect her on my way home from the train station (on foot).

If only she were still wee enough to fit in a sling...

Anyway, you've all been helpful, hopefully she will be walking soon enough to make this a non-problem.

[CarGirl]

What she needs is ones of the original non folding pushchairs

[weddingseason]

Micralite fairly simple and urban detour is also just a twist of the handle then pings back up by itself. Was also going to recommend BJCM though.

[maxybrown]

baby jogger - just don;t have the littl safety straps atttached - completely uneccesary! It does say pull to fold, you can't really get any simpler than that!! you only had trouble in JL because of the safety straps but I have never ever used mine

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

At least she can push them okay! :o

My technically incompetent mother with a bad back can't push ANYTHING with swivel wheels on it because it 'does what it wants'.

She says 'You paid all this money for this stupid pushchair and it doesn't even go in a straight line!'

Yeah, okay Mum.

[maxybrown]

oh so familiar

[CarGirl]

Actually the graco mirage is suprisingly okay to push and to fold it there are 2 little loops that you pull back on the handle side and then it folds in half - very light too.....

See I've been thinking about this all week!

[AppleAndBlackberry]

Would not recommend a Maclaren for someone older because although it's simple to fold it's quite difficult to undo the strap if you have slightly arthritic hands. My Mum gets on well with the cheapest Argos pushchair for DD which is £15 I think, though doesn't come with a raincover.

[SickOnMyShoulder]

[onadietcokebreak]

Sickonshoulder- LOL -I do love the envious looks I get when I fold mine!