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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to spend a small fortune on a new buggy

70 replies

Wispabarsareback · 27/11/2008 14:49

Apologies for the dullness of the topic, but I'm having a genuine dilemma. I don't usually get drawn in by stories in the media about all the things we may be doing wrong as parents - but the recent one about forward-facing buggies has thrown me into a bit of a spin. I've always been keen on good old Maclaren buggies, for all the obvious reasons, but even before this research was reported in the media, I'd begun to fret a bit about DD2. She's 15 months old but very tiny for her age and developmentally delayed, so she's not speaking yet and isn't very responsive. She likes being out in her buggy, but I'd begun to feel all wrong about her being 'out front'. (With DD1 it was never an issue, as she would turn round from an early age to have conversations as we went along - but DD2 doesn't do that.)

So I thought I'd have a little look at various options for parent-facing buggies - had always thought this kind were too big and bulky to be useful to me. And I came across the Bugaboo Bee, which is very appealing (I've always been quite snotty about Bugaboos, on grounds of cost and general ponciness - but I hadn't seen the Bee before).

On impulse, I ordered it - but I'm now slightly reeling at how much it costs. We can afford it I suppose, but it's a huge amount of money that could be spent elsewhere. I could still cancel the order, or return it when it comes.

AIBU to buy a new buggy when the old one still works perfectly well, simply so DD can face me instead of the outside world? I admit that I've been suckered by the design of this particular model, which I really like, but I'm also very anxious about DD2, who has SN, and I want to do anything I can to help her - the point is there doesn't seem to be much we can really do, so buying a new buggy might be a bit of displacement activity.

What shall I do - go ahead and buy the thing, or cancel the order??

OP posts:
mm22bys · 29/11/2008 00:37

(sorry about the link, don't know what happened there...)

mm22bys · 29/11/2008 00:43

Oops, see it's too late, you've already bought it, and it seems to be working out well.

Good for you!

(I think it's so sad that so many more parents are going feel "blame" for their DC's problems! DC's have been in forward facing prams for years, and most have been fine! "Problems" are not caused by not facing mummy and daddy while in pushchair (how much are you out and about on a daily basis anyway???)

Reallytired · 29/11/2008 12:32

I think its a mistake to take one person's opinon too seriously.

My son had very delayed speech and I think if I had watch that programme when my son was a toddler I would have plunged even further into depression.

In lots of cases children having delayed speech is nothing to do with the parents and spending lots of money on a fancy pram is not going to make a difference.

My son needed hearing aids and grommets to inorder to learn how to speak and no poncy pram would change that. I suspect that there were just as many speech and language problems in the past, but fewer children were refered.

A lot of that programme was just conjecture like suggesting that having both parents working caused speech problems. I suspect that plenty of children of SAHMs have speech problems as well. Prehaps that biggest problem is the sheer amount of children's TV nowadays.

Wispabarsareback · 29/11/2008 22:03

Just to clarify that it's not the Bugaboo brand itself I was set on (know what you mean about the status symbol aspect) - but I'd had trouble finding a parent-facing buggy that wasn't overly bulky with enormous wheels (not really manageable in my small flat and on London buses).

And it didn't cost anything like £800, I'm happy to say!

The other thing that's good about it is that my little DD seems to fit into it so much better - she was a bit swamped by the Maclaren, and often ended up slumped to one side or the other.

OP posts:
carrielou2007 · 29/11/2008 22:30

Go to Boots or Mothercare and buy a set of two pram clips (Boots I think are about a pound for the two) to put on the handlebar. You can hang your handbag/extra shopping bags on them. Or bagabottle make bags to hang from handlebar to fit raincover, purse, tissues, phone, nappies, wipes, drink, snacks etc.

Poshbugs will make any sort of hood/seat liner/footmuff/bag you ask her for I am sure she will have even been asked for Bob the builder!

I lusted after one for ages as so happy with my bug cam but I did not like mine and though dd was only 18 months when I got it she is very tall and her head was almost touching the hood.

Regardless of the brand you have bought, if you are happy with it then you have made a great choice (dd at 23 months I still like her facing me even though everyone else thinks she must be about about 3!!)

VaginaMonologues · 30/11/2008 15:31

Sparkly, do you really have the new, updated Bee? I thought it wasn't out yet?

misdee · 30/11/2008 15:52

sparkly has the bee with the narrower side wings. i have the older one which has more padded side wings.

tatt · 30/11/2008 16:07

quite concerned that you feel there is nothing you can do to help your child. I'm sure there is and that you are doing a lot of it already. Mothers instinctively do things like talking to babies, holding your hand against their feet and later bouncing them in your arms so they "feel their feet", playing them nursery rhymes.

We had a buggy that could be removed from its base so it could face you or look away from you . Don't think its made now.

mollykitten · 08/04/2009 17:37

Sorry 2 hijack thread but has anybody else fallen in love with the new Silver Cross Halo pushchair?????? OMG!!! Must.Stop.Looking!!!!

ChippingIn · 08/04/2009 17:55

Molly - LOL - had to go and have a look... nope, not for me, couldn't live without a big 'basket' underneath, that bungy strap thingy just wouldn't do .

Bee's not for me either...

Feeling quite glad that I still love the Phil & Ted as I wouldn't want to be tempted into another one

ChippingIn · 08/04/2009 17:56

Oh and did you realise this thread was OLD

ChippingIn · 08/04/2009 17:56

Oh and did you realise this thread was OLD

ickletickle · 08/04/2009 18:06

no. i spend a bloody fortune on my xplory and i love love love it. and its my money. lots of my nct friends took the piss... but quite frankly, having seen the size of their tellies... i dont think they were in a position to take the piss..

Sorrento · 08/04/2009 18:10

It's not the pram that causes speech delays it's people not talking to their kids, have you watched people in cafe's, on buses etc nobody talks to the babies any more, it's really quite strange.

mollykitten · 08/04/2009 19:12

lol... chippingin!! Im new 2 this an did not realise how old this thread was!! Ive been put off by shopping basket 2, but its nice 2 look......ha ha

Phoenix4725 · 09/04/2009 09:15

sorrento

hmm not talking to your kids causes speech delays , bit of wide phase

so I be talking about the wrong things to my ds whos 3.9 and does not talk ,maybe I should try talking more current affairs to him, sorry son no more talking about cars trains ,animals

Sorrento · 09/04/2009 11:20

That wasn't what i said at all, if you talk to your son about whatever then it doesn't apply to you does it so take your right back at ya

Phoenix4725 · 09/04/2009 21:43

It's not the pram that causes speech delays it's people not talking to their kids, have you watched people in cafe's, on buses etc nobody talks to the babies any more,

Sorrento · 09/04/2009 23:24

And .... {hmm] therefore if you are not one of those people that do not talk to your child then it's not applicable to you

ChippingIn · 10/04/2009 00:58

mollykitten - don't worry about it though, they don't need much encouragement around here to talk about buggies

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