AIBU to ask - how do you lug stuff about after DC have outgrown a buggy?

[AndAnotherUsername]

Younger DC has just outgrown the buggy and we are struggling to come to terms with the practicalities of lugging stuff around!

Can no longer easily go to the shop after kids’ pickups, as then would have to carry heavy shopping as well as nursery bag+school bag+lunch bag and hold kids‘ hands.

It’s a pain to carry the football with us so they can no longer have a quick kickabout through park on way home.

No longer take them out with scooters as no longer have the buggy to plop them on top of once abandoned.

If going out and it’s warm but it’s going to rain later, do you carry 4 coats with you in a massive bag?

Bottle of water, spare clothes in case of accidents, pottete, football boots if going to football class, snacks, picnic blanket if going for walk at the weekend, allergy meds... all these add up in weight to carry.

I miss the buggy so much! I loved being able to bring everything we might need comfortably, and go out walking locally for a few hours incorporating multiple locations and activities.

Did you find your lifestyle changed a lot post-buggy? Am I missing any obvious solutions?

YABU - This is a non-issue
YANBU - I feel your pain

Surely if you are carrying potette around they haven’t outgrown the buggy and are not at school yet?
But yes to them carrying their own and an efficient rucksack once they do.

He is 3.5, he was a bit late potty training and sometimes has accidents, and it is also a toilet seat adapter.

He is not quite too old for a stroller, but our stroller is a nightmare to push anyway and the basket is a tiny feeble net.

The buggy I’m talking about is our Uppababy Vista, which is so easy to push around with one hand, even if loaded with scooters and bags and unnecessary crap, and over rough grass/gravel etc. Sob.

Get the kids to carry their own stuff. I had to when I was a child. They’ll never learn to help out and be part of a family if they don’t all muck in

Large rucksack with side pockets for water bottles. Multiple pockets.

Each child has their own mini rucksack with their snacks, toys etc.

For autumn get coats that compress into zip lock bags. Do the same with spare clothes, saves so much space!

Ooooo I love our Vista. In desperate attempt to find something equally as roomy we tested several strollers but found none that measure up. Babyjogger City Mini is easy to handle one handed but basket is tiny. I feel your pain :(

Every child carries their own stuff in a backpack. The amount of kids who had their school bags/coats etc to their mums. You're a person not a pack mule.

Re youngest, if they have outgrown buggy there are a slow couple of years until they get better at walking/scooting. But even a young child can manage small backpack with their drink, sandwich etc. Teach them now.

I got a good backpack when our buggy retired (I remember the wtf do I do now moment you are having). Kanken Maxi. I could get everything I needed in there for a day out, including a picnic. And it frees hands up for when you have child in one hand and abandoned scooter in the other.

I feel your pain I miss the buggy. Maybe get a life like doll to go in the buggy and continue using it! . You may get some looks but it would be worth it to always have what's needed on hand. As we know it is always mum's job to have packed and be carrying everything for any eventuality.

Was never an issue for me to be honest. I only have one child though so not loads to carry. He takes his backpack to keep his coat in if he gets too warm.

I never took a potty out anywhere. Never really used one at home either, I got DS on the toilet straight away and we just used to go to places where there were public toilets near.

Saying that, I did use a buggy until DS started school at 4, because we don't have a car and it was quite a long walk from nursery!

I agree with training them to carry their own stuff. Mine are school age and still try to dump stuff on me, so I stand still, threaten to drop it, walk on and not replace it. They claim it back.

We toilet trained by going straight to the toilet so that wasn't an issue by the time we gave up the buggy.

I tend to have bags loaded for different purposes/ activities so they are easy to grab and go.

What do you actually need, and what is at the spurious end of just-in-case and çan be ditched?

Rucksac for me.
Kids carry their own stuff. If they want the scooters, they are responsible for it. I DO NOT schlep scooters/school bags/footballs round the place.
If its 12C, and DS2 is refusing a jumper, it is tied round his waist.

I never used a pushchair. Baby in sling, bag on back and I didn't drive. The children carried their own stuff. Want to take a football out? Carry it yourself. I'm a person, not mobile Buckaroo. I had a shopping trolley too and a wicker basket on wheels with a long handle. Used that for shopping and occasionally (under the weather youngest child but too big to carry for example), I took my fold up festival trolley on the school run.

But mostly, the children grew up carrying their own stuff. We like hiking and they've always happily done their share. They have a share to do on days out and whilst shopping too. It is not up to one person.

We have a pull along wagon for days out, otherwise I use a big rucksack. The kids have their rucksacks for their stuff.
We never took out a potty, just a special cup for the kids to pee in and then pour it down a drain on in a bush if there were no toilets about.
Maybe get the scooters that fold up small or just don't take them if you don't want to carry them when the kids have got bored after 3 minutes or tell them they only come out if they're responsible for them.
It's only when you ditch the buggy that you realise how much stuff you carted around wasn't necessary.

Travel light. How much of that stuff is completely necessary? Make them carry their own stuff if they want it. Shopping trolley if shopping.

You get them to carry their own stuff.

@Caspianberg I know you meant to put the word "in" but I laughed when you said this " and just put baby and my stuff in rucksack. So much better hands free" ( am NOT picturing baby holding football in rucksack - no not me!)

That bike does look amazing @Guineapigbridge

It does, but at £4-5k, it kinda should be!

A good rucksack and only take stuff that you really need with you. Get the kids to carry footballs, water bottles etc in their own rucksack. If they want to take a scooter and don't want to ride it they can wheel it.

Depends where we go. Picnic and out all day with coats, jumpers, drinks etc wagon. Walk in the woodsDCs carry their own backpack.

You need to take less shite lol. I bet you'll soon find you need less when you have to carry it lol

School aged children carry their own stuff. I didn't carry about bottles of water . I kept the buggy going for quite a while or would take a back carrier to leave hands free. I have a car so once the DC were older would do big shopping in the car. I kept a box on the boot for many years with pacamacs, spare joggers and towels for falling in puddle scenarios so I understand where you are coming from.

The kids carry their own stuff. Mine always did. If they didn’t want to carry it, it didn’t come out with us.

Kids carry their own stuff. If they want to being their scooters, football, whatever, they are responsible for it until they get home. Kids are perfectly capable, it's only in the west that we baby them to such a ridiculous degree.

They carry their own stuff coats, water bottles, bags etc