Baby Jogger City Mini with bassinet with buggy board?

[misshoohaa]

DC2 due in a few weeks, and I still haven't come to the best conclusion on how to cope with DS1 who will be nearly 3, and a newborn. We do lots of village walking to buy groceries etc so I'm not keen on the sling and buggy combo as bending down with the sling to fix shoes, pick up things DS1 has dropped, take DS to the toilet, load up shopping. The sling and buggy combo sounds a pain in the back - literally.

I have a BJCM with a hard carry cot so was hoping to use a buggy board, but have read nothing good about the glider board on the city mini. Has anyone tried the BJCM with a carrycot (normal seat cover removed) and a buggy board? Does it work, will DS be able to poke his head through the handlebars?

Half of me is thinking of just getting a BJ city select as DS1 although technically old enough to walk, loves his buggy and I'm all for the easy option, getting half a mile into the village walk and him stropping because he can't sit in the buggy seems pretty harsh, and I am hoping to go for 3 DC's so maybe I'll get the use if we have a third!

[misshoohaa]

Bump

[Artandco]

Personally I would just get eldest to walk. 1/2 mile is a 10 min walk at toddler speed. My almost 3 year old would go mad if I tried to put him in a pram now.

Also the more excercise means more chance eldest will nap when you have baby

[Ihateparties]

Ah, it's can be a different kettle of fish dealing with a child that would rather ride than walk than it is dealing with one who would go mad if you offered him a pushchair. I've had a pushchair refuser, an enthusiast and one who is essentially flexible, I have been the same (increasingly tired) parent the whole time. Its not a level playing field imo, what one child will do willingly another might require months years to come around to.


Assuming you're talking about the near future, not trying to predict how your elder child will be in 4 months time say, then a buggyboard option sounds pretty good to me from what you have written. Have you seen the sit down ones like the easy x rider?? I can't find a pic but i suspect with the fabrics off the city mini the buggyboard could be positioned so the child is under the handle. I had a b agile set up like that for dc2 and 3 a couple of years ago so I'm guessing the city mini would be broadly similar given the general similarities? On a personal level I can't comfortably push an empty select, pushing one with a 3 year old in would give me nightmares :-) If you really feel a double would be needed its worth thinking about how easy it is to push both with children in and half empty whilst attending to your elder child, in whatever way he happens to need. I'm totally scarred by 3 kids in 4 years the eldest of which, to this day, has zero traffic sense and a lifelong resistance to any kind of hand holding not instigated by him.

Basically fwiw I'm with you either way, walking, buggyboard or double, whatever works for all of you in the most mutually beneficial way possible

[Tiggywunkle]

Its near impossible to walk with a buggyboard on with the City Mini handle with a carrycot or reclined seat. Id the Easy X Rider fits, it would be better. With a nearly 3 year old, I think I would get a Mini Micro Scooter and a scooter tug if you dont trust him. Someone I know attaches an extending dog lead to their child!
The City Select I suspect will be incredibly heavy with an older child in. I would look at probably the Oyster Max with a view that he should be walking within 6 months. Keep the boxes and sell it on for an Oyster 2 at the end :)

[misshoohaa]

thanks Tiggy and parties, I'll have a look at the Oyster. It's never straight forward, the walk to the village is about 1.5 miles return so I need someway to transport him, love not having to get in the car and enjoy the stroll so will keep looking till I find a good solution!

[Ihateparties]

Actually though, the oyster 2 is fab with the board, maybe go for that one from the start...

[EntWife]

I had a select and loved it. have only just sold it due to boot space issues (7 seater, all seats in use. 40 cm boot space). I bought it when dd2 was born and dd2 was just 2.

It was great and I always found it a dream to push. There are a few drawbacks though. If your pavements are a bit uneven you will need to put your oldest at the back of the buggy, closest to you and the newborn at the front. As my dd1 got older she found this frustrating as I felt it was best to set it up as parent facing to save the baby getting any accidental kicks from the toddler. This restricted her view and annoyed her but we coped. It took me a while to get over having the baby at the front but it really did work best that way.

She outgrew it completely by 2.5 and we used a buggy board for big trips otherwise she walked. when dd2 was 7 months I discovered I was pregnant with ds1. It really came into it own when ds1 was born. dd2 was only 15 months and the select was a dream.

I actually has a little cry when it went to its new home the other day. I have replaced it with a bjcm double as it fits in the car and it is very nice but I do miss my select.

[EntWife]

Sorry meant to add that using a buggy board with the select was easier I think than with a lot of other pushchairs though they are all a pita.
There are two seat attachment points on the select frame. If you put the seat on the lower one and have it parent facing and extend the buggy handle to max you can put the buggy board on and the child can fit in under the handle. makes it slightly less awkward and the baby can be reclined without restricting the buggy board space.

[misshoohaa]

Super thanks for the feedback, I like the idea of the select for the baby and a glider board. Such a shame the city mini seems so incompatible with buggy boards. I guess the beauty of if being so simple and light comes with its downside when you want it to be all singing all dancing!

Ill have a look at the oysters as well.