Can I use a buggy board with a 17 month old?

[Whoneedsleep]

Just that really!
Due DC3 in March. DC2 will be 17 months old. I have older DC to drive to school for 8:30am so would need to take both babies in the car plus primary school child.

Dc2 has just started walking but is unreliable and won’t follow direction. Has anyone got away with a buggy board at this age? Would DC2 be likely to stay on it long enough to get newborn in and out of the car and to school?

Other option is a travel system/double pram but I’m short of money so can’t afford a proper travel system (even second hand I can’t see any for much less than £400) and I’m dreading the thought of getting a newborn in and out of the car plus a toddler and very daydreamy reception child as well. I’ve considered the out n about double but again this involves getting newborn out of car seat!

Please can someone point me in the right direction before I make expensive mistakes?!

I HATED the buggy board. You can't stride properly without stepping on it. I'd choose one of the other suggested alternatives!

@Whoneedsleep it was fine going up and down. We had a fairly big car so could easily Chuck in the boot and it fits through standard doors so I could get it in the house before having to collapse it.

I used it from about 8 weeks, to be honest not parent facing wasnt ideal but it was just one of those compromises. It laid nice and flat which was good and there is a viewing window in the hood.

When I had two those ages I had a double buggy which was brilliant. We got so much use out of it. We got it secondhand and passed it on for free so might be worth keeping an eye out. We had a city jogger which has lots of different possible seat arrangements but you would need to make sure it’s suitable for newborns. We used it until the older one was nearly 4 each time (i also have 3 dc) and I really miss it! Also had a lot of space for luggage and shopping!

We got the silver cross double for £200 on fb marketplace. As you’ve got time it’s worth looking for second hand ones if you want one

Babies don’t have to face parents. It’s just a preference for many. But double prams don’t always have the option.

With the out and about nipper btw they also do a car seat adapter and carrycot option as extra. So if you can get pram secondhand you can also look at those secondhand or new as extra option. Then you could use car seat on pram the first few months at drop off if easier for you

Same with many other Sid why side doubles like baby jogger. Find pram second hand. Then look for the car seat adapter for one side

Mine have a bigger gap (2yrs 6m) and I did the buggy/sling combo (didn't drive) but I didn't have a reception age child as well. My childminder who had 3 under 3 used something like this.

Mountain buggy duet is the dream pram (I had 8 prams it was far the best) 4 under 4 yrs. Plus a weeks shopping and 63cm wide smallest side to side That pram is the king of kings - solid but can push with one hand whilst holding a toddlers hand.

Nipper - too plastic and wobbly ..... if you are carrying a heavy load.....

City mini are smaller than mountain buggy and fold easier too ..... if you have a small car.

Maclarens rubbish - need 2 hands on both pram handles and brakes don't work buts it's a quick pop up pram ..... wide and small wheels

I had a 20 month gap between a singleton then twins. I had a triple buggy at first as I walked a lot and couldn't have my toddler walking while wrangling a double with the babies in. Later I LOVED my Phil & Teds for the twins - can't remember the exact model now, but it was so much easier than the side by side. They come up regularly second hand and you'll probably be able to sell it on without much loss.

I had a 26 month gap between my first and second baby and a 23 month gap between second a third. I definitely needed a double buggy. My oldest has a hip issue and wasn't walking until 18 months and would tire easily so needed the pushchair whilst my middle child was walking at 10 months there is no way I would feel confident with him on a buggy board. I started using a buggy board for him at about 2.5 years when I would look after my nephew and that was the earliest I would really trust him on it.

I have a Phil and teds dot and cannot recommend it enough as a double pushchair. It is brilliant. I got mine as a professionally refurbished model off eBay for about £200. Prior to that I bought a second hand Phil and teds sport off Facebook marketplace for £30 and it was great.

@Mol1628 I had the same problem with the sling single combo. I tried with dc4 and 5 but found it impossible to get the flailing toddler into the buggy with the baby strapped to me.

The baby jogger I had in 2011 was pretty new to UK so all the adapters/bassinet weren't easily available but with 4 and 5 I had the bassinet for baby, plus car seat adapter.

DS1 was 27m when DS2 was born. I had quite a solid Silver Cross so put a seat on top of the carry cot. I also used to carry one/ use the buggy a lot- either child!

I didn't get on with buggy boards. Ds1 didn't like standing still on them (fewer seat type ones then), they make the pram drag, and you either have to walk like you've lost a horse around the bloody things or teeter with squillions of tiny ballet dancer steps so you don't whack your feet on them. Really they're a short term measure for 2-3yos as they're fairly confident and just need intermittent breaks.

For that kind of age gap, and monitoring another young child, I'd be going for a double buggy. Plus a carrier to use when a single is more practical.

Thanks all of you!!

Been searching marketplace for a second hand double. It would have to be easy to fold up and down and fit through normal doorways so will look at the suggestions!

Sadly my single pram is also broken (wheels wont turn 🙄) but there’s always that option if I can get it fixed as that’s a full travel system!

www.gumtree.com/p/prams-strollers/phil-teds-dot/1448172704

This looks to be free to a good home