AIBU to think a 2.5 year old doesn't need a pram?

[Sissynova]

Will have two months less than a 2.5 year age gap, nursery is a mile walk 5 days a week and we do all the usual days out on the weekend.
Would you just use the pram for the baby when you didn't want to carry them all day?
Is 2.5 too young to sit properly on a buggy board or walk 2 miles a day??Would a 2.5 year old need a pram to nap if you are out of the house all day?

I definitely wouldn't want to walk miles a day with a yo-yo with a buggy board. I'd say you need a more suitable pram double or otherwise.

Depends on the child. Physically possible for them to walk or scoot yes, but for me it would have been an utterly miserable experience. We were either dashing to nursery before 8 or picking up at 6, 90% of the time my toddler was tired and would have required endless cajoling to walk or scoot the journey (over a mile up a hill on the way back). We got a good second hand double pram (one on top of the other, think it was an oyster) which was a godsend. They sat happily and we chatted about the surroundings. We used it until he was at least 3.5 maybe 4, second child 2.5. We also did plenty of walking and scooting other times. So I think it all depends how difficult you want to make life for yourself TBH.

Oh and yes- the double pram was much more comfy for me to push than the single with a buggy board- my arms would have needed to be about 20cm longer to comfortably reach around the toddler to push the pram.

Yeah I hate the buggy board - I have an Uppababy Vista so the exact opposite end of the scale to the Yoyo but I would have thought a smaller buggy made it even harder to push.

Oh, and when DC2 was born it took DC1 a while to get to grips with the buggy board - she kept stepping off while we were moving, including one memorable time while we were crossing the road.

I would absolutely pick up a second hand double - Mountain Buggy duet would be my personal recommendation, but there are lots of fans of the out n about or Babyjogger too. Then sell it on in 6-12 months when you don’t need it anymore for likely the same as you bought it for! There is no way we could have done without a double for at least the first 6 months, and that was with a bigger age gap.

My sister had two year gap and was so relieved she had a double. Toddler still got very tired and needed naps and after a long day you don't want to spend 40 mins walking home and they keep wanting to be carried.

I had the same age gap and a double was definitely not worth the cost, and was hardly used. Combination of buggy suitable for newborn or big toddler, comfortable carrier, reins and buggy board should cover all possibilities!

DS1 was 2.9 when DS2 came along (but a late walker so in stamina probably more like the average 2.5 yo.) We used the Lascal universal buggy board and it was great as long as you didn't have to turn sharply.

People often suggest slings. I tried them but found them really impractical in the way they limit your movement when bending/picking up toddler and the fact that there's nowhere to put them down when you're out and about.

NB when I say reins, don't jump on me! Eldest had a little life dinosaur backpack which he loved and had his special toy and a snack in - and a handle in case you need to grab them quickly one handed in crowds!

Plan for the longer term not the recovery from the section. My DD used the wrap type carrier. I'm only 5'2" and it suited me better because the baby sits higher. Walking in bad weather with a toddler is miserable, during toilet training it can be a nightmare. 6-12 months it's better that the baby is in a sling and toddler hopping in and out of the pram. Or swapping between. I managed that in my 50's. I do childcare.

I couldn't walk with a buggyboard, I am short and my pram had a non adjustable handle and the board filled all the space where I needed to step. Literally couldn't make it round the corner without pushing whilst bent over, it was ridiculous and even worse when a toddler is filling all that space too. They seemed so good in theory and probably are for taller parents or adjustable handled pushchairs but so impractical if you are short and have short arms.

I got one of those stacked double pushchairs where the baby faces you and you can remove the closer lower toddler seat when its not needed and that was great. I have sat the toddler in a flat baby bassinet type pram seat and that was fine- as long as they are not going to try and climb out, mine fit until they were about 3.5 for emergency tiredness as it was much easier to carry the baby.

We have an out n about double and used a Phil and Teds cocoon as a newborn insert, really easy to swap between newborn/older child as it just lifts out. It’s so light and easy to fold too compared to most double travel systems. I got it cheap second hand and could sell it 10 times over once it’s done with. It’s handy to know toddler is safely strapped in while I deal with the baby, she would be off in a shot without!

Depends on the needs of child and parent. I’m disabled and certainly couldn’t be carrying a toddler anywhere, so no judgement from me on what another parent needs to do to get by. I also can’t stagger along at the halting pace of a toddler so until they are big enough to be safe & reasonable walking next to me I’d be keeping them contained 🤷🏻‍♀️

Same gap here. No double. Used a sling for baby and a stroller for toddler or buggy board and pram

Haven't read all the replies so this might have been mentioned already.

Have you considered a Joovy Caboose?

It has a built in board that a toddler can sit / stand on, with a strap to keep them safe. Pretty high weight limit. The buggy bit has an attachment that allows travel system car seats to go in when the baby is too small to sit up in the buggy.

It's a bit bare bones other features wise and won't hold up going cross country but it's pretty good for the niche. I picked mine up secondhand on FB market place for £70 with baby attachment and raincover.

Our twins are 1 and another who is 2 they all stopped pram using a fair while ago but then they love walking

I had a 4 year age gap and STILL sometimes wanted a double buggy, frankly. Worth their weight in gold if you can get them both to sleep in it at the same time. I would cost how much you would pay for the chance to have them both asleep at the same time and not on you and then I would buy a Phil n Ted double or similar from fb. You can get kids in them, you can get your messages in the bottom, and you can hang a bike / scooter on the handle to give flexibility. Very hard to carry a toddler, push a pram, and carry the bike they claimed they would definitely ride the whole way home.

I think you need a suitable pram. The people who don't have a pushchair for a 2.5 year old are those who drive everywhere rather than walking.

I'd try and get a second hand one, I think loads of people don't use them for that long for exactly the reason you are outlining.

My daughter never used the pram from 2 onwards. There's is 3 years between mine and it never crossed my mind to bet a double or a buggy board.

NB when I say reins, don't jump on me! Eldest had a little life dinosaur backpack which he loved and had his special toy and a snack in - and a handle in case you need to grab them quickly one handed in crowds!

No jumping from here, the main issue with reins is they only stop the child going in directions you don't want. They don't make them walk in the direction you do want them to.

I couldn't walk with a buggyboard, I am short and my pram had a non adjustable handle and the board filled all the space where I needed to step. Literally couldn't make it round the corner without pushing whilst bent over, it was ridiculous and even worse when a toddler is filling all that space too. They seemed so good in theory and probably are for taller parents or adjustable handled pushchairs but so impractical if you are short and have short arms.

I think you'd need to be average height with short legs and very long arms😂

I am tall with long legs and have long stride length I had to do some kind of weird shuffle.

My oldest was 2y 2m when dd2 was born. I got a double. I was on my own a lot. I hate using slings and don’t get how people can manage to do so much with a baby in them. (To me it feels like having a huge pregnant belly but worse because baby is less protected. I also found them way to heavy and I’d get a sore back)
We also had lots of long days out we then just sold it when we were finished with it. I don’t buy everything for the future I buy for my needs right now.
It was so handy to have both strapped into the buggy when going through the checkout etc we probably used it for about year.

I think this is the key thing actually - as I said upthread, I'll have two with the same age gap in December, and although I'm still thinking 'wait and see', that's because I do nursery drop-offs and pick-ups in the car. If it was walking distance, I'd probably have ordered the double buggy already. If I only wanted one buggy for everything, I'd probably go for the Phil & Ted Sport, because you can add the extra seat but you don't have to, so when toddler outgrows it you can turn it back into a single.

We have the same age gap and had the same doubts while I was pregnant with baby. We ended up getting a double, in some of them you can add a bassinet in one of the seats for the newborn stage if you prefer.

We have the Out and about nipper double and it has been amazing. We still use it now that baby is over 1 and walking, and eldest over 3. He mostly walks but sometimes he's tired, wants a snack on a walk, or we're somewhere busy and it's easy to have them both safely strapped in the pram. It's also good for naps if needed on days out, our eldest still naps in the afternoon. Got ours second hand off eBay and it's brilliant. It is bulky when folded but definitely worth it for us.