Double buggy? 2yr 10m age gap

[hawaiibaby]

Howdy.

All being well, new baby will be here when DS is 2yr 10m. I was thinking we'd manage without a double, by using a buggy board, but am now wondering if we will need one actually, as I don't want to feel tied to the car. I like doing a lot of walking, and if new baby is anything like DS, will probably need to walk it to sleep a fair bit which might be tricky with a tired, slow toddler? What have others done - I guess especially those who don't drive nearly everywhere.

I suppose I'm thinking if we weren't having another, I would still be using the pram for longer walks / big shopping trips when DS was 3 wouldn't I? Also, though I know he will change, ATM when he's out of the pram he wants to be carried whereas I guess some 2-y-o's are happy to walk for longer.

I would buy second hand and nothing fancy so I'm not too concerned about the money side of it, even if we aren't using it for more than 6 months.

TIA

We had 2 yr 8 months and we managed with a single and buggy board. Ds was a good walker but did still like to be carried. He also got a balance bike when he was 3, so if we were just going on a 'walk' he would go on bike, if we were walking for a purpose, shops, playgroup etc, he would walk there and buggy board back. The buggy board was invaluable just for really busy places and city centres.

Sometimes I would put the baby in sling and the bigger one in the buggy.

I think though you know your lifestyle - we took a bet that he would get better at walking based on what he was already capable of and we were right, he was ready, but if you think a double would make your life easier then try it, you can always sell on.

I only have 15 months between mine so I did eventually use a double buggy but I only got it once DD2 was 4 months old as before that I used to carry DD2 in a sling and push DD1 in the pushchair. If we were out in a cafe etc and I wanted to put DD2 down I just put her in the pushchair as DD2 would be in a highchair. A sling/single pushchair combo might work for you for a few months until you're more confident of DC1 being able to walk everywhere?

Totally depends on the lifestyle and the personality of child. I had a 20m gap and just used a buggy board. Ds1 was a very placid toddler and happy to just stand on it. But I know some toddlers who'd just run off.

Thanks everyone. Hadn't thought of the sling and I don't know why as DS was quite a sling baby!

That might work well combined with a buggy board for when I want the baby in the pram (hands-free naps if baby complies!)

ATM DS is pretty placid - that's a good point - he's getting livelier now but I'm still confident he can be trusted not to run off... I will monitor that before deciding!

The only people I know who managed with a buggy board were those who didn't walk a lot, really. Ime a buggy board is fine for a pootle around town or a stroll to preschool 10 mins away. We walked everywhere when the DC were little, including 30 mins each way to preschool 3 days a week, plus general walking to town etc, and I think that's a long time to get a toddler to walk or stand. Plus sometimes I just needed to strap them.both down and run walk at my own pace!

I had a Phil and Teds, it was perfect for us. Plus, once DD started walking more the underneath bit was handy shopping storage

I'm having exactly the same quandary myself OP. DS will be nearly three when next one arrives. I really love the Icandy and can't decide which one would suit us best.
I'm not sure I'd trust him in a buggy board, he's quite clumsy and unfocused.
On the other hand, the buggy would only really get used for trips to town I think - we live rurally so have to drive. DS currently v good at dog walking.

Hmm, it's tricky isnt it?

Walked a lot. Same age gap. Buggy + sling + buggy board. Swapped kids in and out of buggy as required. No problem.

ThursdayLast It is tricky! I don't want to waste, but do worry if I don't get one I'll end up driving everywhere (appreciate you don't really have much choice with that one! I've heard mixed things about the buggy boards, especially in town for going up and down kirbs. I am sure we will still get a BB, but not sure it will be enough for us.

cuckoo - thanks - this is the thing, I wondered if those who managed without one were mainly in their car. I could be, but don't really want to be, but not even sure DS would do a walk to the park without pram (10/15 minutes away) especially with all the running around he does there, and I hadn't even thought about keeping them both strapped in - that is swinging it for me from a stress and speed POV!

ludovica that's a good point, I don't really want to be stuck once baby's here and then having to search for a stroller. Yes I'm imagining poor DS getting knackered because I'm expecting too much of him, whereas if there was no baby, he'd still be in a pram then!

So the P&T mentioned here, is the one where the baby is at the back near the floor? Is it silly to worry they can't see anything? It is silly isn't it? They can't anyway really can they! I guess the only side by side that would be compact enough to not be cumbersome is the mini city double but that seems costly even second hand. Is it only the iCandy with the removable second seat? Our current pram is Maxi Cosi and doesn't convert which is a shame as if we'd known, the iCandy might have been worth the money, but not now!

Definitely depends if you drive a lot. I have a 3.5y age gap but DD1 is very lazy. We managed with a buggy board because we mainly drive somewhere and walk a bit. It's really really hard to push a buggy board with a 4yo on it.

Oh and not a chance going up or down hill or a kerb. I asked DD1 to get off the board for hills or kerbs. Or even to turn 360 in a supermarket. Or down a gravel path. She's ok with it.

My children have a 22 month age gap and buggy/sling/buggy board combo has worked really well for us, I don't drive and we go out lots, I imagine I walk about 4 miles a day on average. My toddler is fairly wild but he's never tried to escape for the buggy board, we have a parent facing buggy and the baby and toddler chat and laugh at each other, it's lovely!

I'm really glad that we did it this way, my toddler is now 2.5 and he's capable of walking quite far, we use the buggy board when we need to get somewhere in a hurry or if he's tired. I considered buying a double but I thought it might tempt me to keep my toddler in the buggy for longer than he really needed it as we'd get into the routine of using a double buggy.

I quite often find myself pushing the buggy with ds1 on the buggy board and the baby in the sling

Similar gap and I didn't get a double. Also don't have a car Sling and single with buggy board has been fine. You do need a means of restraining and carrying both children though for occasions where buggy board wouldn't be safe or older one too naughty tired

Non-driver and heavy walker, borrowed buggy board was fine with mine (2 year 3 month gap), baby Bjorn for baby initially then used back carrier for her when too heavy but older brother still needed nap. Use buses loads so could not see how I could have coped with a double.

Check out the bugaboo donkey

We did get a double, but not until my younger one was about four months old. I wish I'd had it from the start. Baby needed nice walks to sleep and toddler was NOT cooperative. I bought a double secondhand from gumtree (mountain buggy) and sold it a year later for the same price. For £75 it saved my sanity over and over!

I had a 2.10 age gap too

I have a 2yr 6mth gap and a Buggy board and slung and buggy were fine for us. We also don't tend to drive much either, walking into them, going gif long walks in the park. As we have a bugaboo cam for the first 5 months it was in carrycot mode do DD couldn't go in it. Now it's in pushchair mode she occasionally uses it whilst DS is in the sling.

We have exactly the same gap and used a buggy board. Double buggies are just too huge to be practical for my life! Plus it encouraged my oldest to walk more with the back-up of the board. He stopped using it at about 3 and a half, so we'd only have needed a double for a few months anyway. Now I use a sling for DC2 and DC1 walks, easiest thing ever ;)

2.4 year gap here. Until DS2 was born DS1 regularly still used the buggy, especially when I was heavily pregnant and couldn't carry him. We bought a bloody expensive Oyster Max which I was convinced would be the best thing ever. After DS2 was born DS1 sat in it all of twice, both times had to be wrestled into it and then screamed the entire time. It was then used with both seats on as a threat for awhile...'Get up off the floor right now or I will put.you.in.the.buggy' hissed through gritted teeth. We bought a buggy board and never looked back. The oyster max is fab in theory, if you want a double with a few positioning options, but check first with any buggy to make sure your toddler doesn't hate it!

This is interesting, we'll have the same age gap and I am hoping to make do with the buggy board / sling combo. We walk a lot and dd is a good walker but has a tendency to either dawdle or run off (I'll also use reins!). She still naps so will need to be in the buggy for them, unless she drops her nap before the baby is born.

littlebearpad I have a bugaboo chameleon and DD1 uses a buggy board with the carrycot. She still uses it when the seat in lie flat mode. She's really lazy though. Still won't walk at nearly 4.5yo. She's on buggy board all the time.

I have 2yr gap and just got a 2nd hand mountain buggy duet (small is 4 months). sling has been fine up to now but now she's getting heavier, eldest is not getting any less lazy and I'm fed up on the arguments.