When do you stop needing to bring buggy / stroller ?

[cucurucu]

My girl will be 2 and a half in July.. I have a newborn too.

Anyway I've been trying to work out how to take them both out together. It's tricky.

She's still at the stage where she'll just drop to her knees and lie on the floor if you're not walking where she wants to go... she does it a lot / runs off. We've not had that much practice at these things. Due to being pregnant etc I didn't take her out that much for a while, as I simply wasn't strong enough to wrestle with her.

Can someone explain 1. How do you deal with them in public when they throw themselves on the floor ?

1. How long can you take the buggy with you to restrain them etc ?

I am considering taking a trip abroad alone with both.. not sure how I'll wing it at the airport. I last took her abroad at 18 months and she nearly killed me and herself on an escalator..

Basically, how do I get her to behave better when we are out and about ?

Basically, how do I get her to behave better when we are out and about ?

Apologies for people who think it sounds too much like training puppies but here's what worked for me...

Starting Rules (as explained to kiddie ) are...

1. you stop if I say stop
2. you stay close enough that you can see and hear me (if you notice you can't see me stop and stand still, call my name, don't panic, keep looking.)
3. you come back if I say come back.

Any breech of these rules results in immediate loss of walking privileges and they go back into buggy. (So best to do it whilst they're still pretty small and you don't mind having the buggy).

A little later when you can rely on them following rule 1 you can let them loose on the pavements of quiet back streets with the following additional rules, which involve you teaching them about kerbs.

1. stay on the pavement
2. stop at kerbs

As they get to be reliable on backstreets you can escalate to letting them walk along busier main roads, if you need some additional control "hold the buggy" is a great one as you've still got your hands free to push the buggy . I fixed little handles to the buggy like a short dog lead to make it easier to hold on to. Like this www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B071246T82?tag=track-ect-uk-937400-21&linkCode=osi&th=1&ascsubtag=ecSEP21cye2wl41806wv

For the walk to school we turned it into a game where I told them the end point of the race e.g. "to the next lamppost - go!" and they would run there and wait for me to catch up. But having kids of different ages makes training little ones easier as they learn to follow the rules from their older siblings.

Dont go on a holiday by yourself if your toddler is beyond control.
2.5 should be a good age to ditch the pram though..

When mine were that age I used our little buggy mostly for the baby, but always had a sling so I could sling bub and pop toddler in the buggy as needed. We did have a big double but it was a massive thing and not great for London.

Youngest now 3 and I haven't used the buggy in several weeks. Fairly sure I'm going to sell it.

@cucurucu RE controlling your toddler out and about, we played ENDLESS games of stop/go at home, and I mean literally hours a day, running up and down the house/garden shouting stop and go so that she learnt to follow those commands on instinct. Now when out and about she always stops if told to.

I assumed initially from the title that you meant for getting tired, which would depend on lots of things but around 3yo as long as she has a scooter. I feel really confused by your actual post. We never used the pushchair as a physical restraint, and I don't understand the purpose of that. What do you expect her to learn from being trapped screaming in a chair and how? How does she respond when you talk to her about her behaviour, is she able to understand words?

It would be better to just take on the effort now of teaching her about the need to listen and stay with you, and to consider why she is running away to try to resolve issues. Is she taken out to exercise and to activities enough, or is she seeing this as her only entertainment? Does she know where she's going and have a treat such as playground trip if she behaves on the walk? Does she do it when you are taking her somewhere fun or just when she's bored? Does she act up mostly when she's over-tired or hungry? Does she understand road danger, and can you teach her boundaries for where she can run versus listen to you telling her to stop? Have you tried having her on scooter (you can pull on a tag) and baby in the sling, so that she has a bit more fun?

I have a buggy board I can put on 5mo's pram for my near 3yo when he gets bored

@cucurucu no way I'd get a double at your stage. I'd get a sling & reins. Proper harness reins ( not the wrist ones). She's only 2.5 thinking you can trust them to do as they're told us foolhardy for a good long time yet. Baby & DD Can switch & swap in the buggy. DD can keep her reins on at all times & stay safe.

plenty if use if it all before you attempt to go on holiday!

Reins. If mine sat down and refused to walk I just used to sit down next to her and get my book out, she was usually begging to start walking again within a couple of minutes and that stage only lasted a few weeks.

Second hand mountain buggy. It lies flat. My oldest is 3 and I had to restrain him in it yesterday. Although this is rare. Not sure how you're meant to man handle a toddler with a newborn strapped to your chest. My oldest is a strong walker but I definitely need the back up of a buggy. Also for long days out if he still wants to have nap. I really wouldn't have been without the double and everyone I know with two had a double. I actually don't know anyone who tried it with a single and a sling.

Either sling and one buggy or double buggy. She will use it for another year yet

you could consider a sling, put little one in the sling and give the big one a turn in the buggy when the occasion calls for it.

No need to waste money on a double pushchair - a child that age is capable of walking. Im amazed you can get her in a pushchair. We got rid at just turned 2 as dd would not humour staying in it

On your daughter's behaviour. She sounds very normal. You just need more practice. I was bed bound or useless during my pregnancies so after my second was born, we weren't used to being out and about really. Get a decent double and start building up more practice and confidence slowly. Tell her what's expected of her and make sure there's consequences to behavior good or bad.

I remember these days well! I didn’t drive when I had the first 2, I do remember trying to get to places in a hurry and chucking the older one on my shoulders and pushing the baby in the buggy 😂
But I still never considered getting a double buggy, it didn’t seem necessary for us.
no wonder I was so slim back then, no car and 2 small ones!

My DD is 2.5 but we ditched the buggy by 2.
my
DH had a backpack carry thing so she would
go in that if tired. Then child reins. Now she is generally well behaved but can still runoff when excited and hates holding my hand. So I don’t go too far alone with her. We are on holiday and didn’t take a stroller. Both me and DH wat h her while we walk (we don’t go to far from hotel) and DH puts her on shoulders If tired. I have carried her also.

couldn’t do it with a newborn but we aren’t planning another. Could you put baby in sling/carrier and her in child reigns?

Sounds like we have a very similar age gap (2 and half years-ish) but we're about six months further ahead. We didn't bother with a double buggy. Instead we got a buggy with an integral buggy board (we got a second hand iCandy Lime). Newborn goes in the buggy and toddler rides on the buggy board. It works really well. Your toddler is right in front of you so can't run off. The toddler also likes being close to the baby and interacting with them. Now the newborn is closer to six months, the toddler mainly travels by scooter or on a bike while I push the baby in the buggy, but will often hop on the buggy board when tired (the scooter then folds up and goes in the carrier thing at the bottom). I do a lot of solo parenting while my husband works and this is how we managed.

Newborn in a sling and buggy for the toddler worked best for us

Had a new born and a 1.5yr old. Didn’t want a double buggy (too big, pain on narrow pavements, limited use) so went with combination of buggy + board, buggy + sling and finally buggy + toddler back pack. Depending on given adventure, distance, weather and number of adults.

buggy ditched once youngest was about 2.5yrs.

I wouldn’t get the babyzen connector thing, that looks a nightmare.

Get babyzen buggy board if you already have the pram. As a convenient stand on option.

get a secondhand side by side double. Use for 6-12 months whilst she’s not great at going in a straight line and your busy with newborn. Sell on when not needed. Large wheels easier with heavier toddler in

I had your gap and had something like this from the first time round. Once dd could hold her head up (3 monthish) I used to pop them in side by side. It was winter and they'd often cuddle up and goes to sleep together- happy memories. Before that I did buggy/sling combo. By the following summer DS was happy on a bike or scooter.

I used a buggy till they turned 3 but i have a 4 year age gap . If i had a gap like yours i'd get a double.

I had the buggy hanging around in the boot of the car until mine were about 3.5.

I didn't ditch the push chair altogether until my DC were about four. At the stage you're OP I would put the newborn in a sling or some kind of baby carrier (Ergo was my favourite, but that was a while ago now), and use the push chair for the toddler.