DH and I disagree on needing a double buggy

[MsFrog]

Our DS1 will be 2yrs 8mths when DS2 is born. We've got a pram with a buggy board. I'm going to give a sling a go as well, when the baby is small. But I really think we need a double buggy. I can't imagine how I would manage out the house with two of them by myself. I don't think DS1 will be old enough to go any length of time out without a pram without getting tiree, and also I think will just run off and it'll be a nightmare. DH thinks it's a lot of money to spend on something we'll barely use, and we should just 'cope' for a few months and DS1 will be old enough to walk everywhere by then...

Anyone got any experience and input on how they coped with a similar age gap? Is a single pram feasible? Any recommendations for a good double buggy?

There is 2 years between my two kids. We bought a double buggy. What an absolute waste of money that was. I found them cumbersome and heavy to push with 2 kids in them. I never took them on my own to places where they would have had to walk an awful lot as DH was mostly with me on these longer walks. On shopping trips on my own it was more hassle navigating the double buggy than just getting older DD to walk. If she got tired, we rested or I distracted her. But then again I’m not one to give in to kids who play up.

I have 2.5 year age gap and got a double buggy mainly because DC2 was born at the start of winter and I thought it would be easier moving around in those early months in the cold. It was really useful for the first five months or so. We bought a second hand Phil and Ted's, gave it a really good clean up and sold it for more than we bought it for!

22 month age gap here, I bought a cheap Maclaren double buggy.

I think it depends how much you are generally out and about on your own with both children and what distances you are likely to cover

I had a 2y 3m gap between mine and managed perfectly well without one. I didn’t have a buggy board either I just put the baby in a sling for the first few months if the toddler refused to walk and wanted to go in the buggy. By the time the baby was too heavy for the sling, the toddler was usually happy to walk but most places I went without DH were within a mile of home so not a complete disaster if the toddler had a meltdown. If you are likely to be covering lots of miles then a double buggy would give you more flexibility I guess.

Double buggies are bulky and cumbersome though and often annoying for other people!

It’s also a useful way of containing ds when you are waiting at appointments, in line at the shops etc.

And a safety issue if he is a runner. Chasing a 2 year old with a buggy is not easy.

I’d get a second hand one too

Depends on your lifestyle. If you drive to nursery/baby groups/visit indoor places at weekends then fair enough. Perhaps this is the lifestyle DH thinks you have? Also remember if he's there then there's 2 of you...

If you walk to any of the above places / to the park / spend days out at farms etc then a buggy would be very useful. If you have them on your own a lot then it's essential.

Grab a bargain second hand one then sell on

I have the same age gap between my two and didn't get a double. Another friend has kids the same ages as mine and did get one. Whatever works for you. Of you're going to be doing the majority of the childcare then you're the one who should decide.

I had a 2 year age gap, walked a lot, and the buggy board plus pram/pushchair was fine.

Doubles are lifesavers when the weather is grim, one or both children are whinging and tired, you are whinging and tired , you don't have much time, you have lots to carry, you fancy a longer walk than your dc's can manage or you want them sitting in one place while you go to an appointment.

I used our double until mine were 4.6yrs and 2yrs. Got rid of it the spring before my eldest started school.

2 yrs 4 mths between mine. I didn't have one.

We just didn't do much walking for a few months in the early days.

We did walk as a family but we didn't do long walks with buggy because we live rurally. If we went for a walk as a family we'd be off-road so baby in sling, toddler walking or in back carrier with DH. Or baby in buggy and toddler in back carrier/walking.

I didn't have a buggy board but Dd used to stand on the cross axel under the handle! Probably not strictly allowed but worked fine.

Look for a 2nd hand one, I sold my Nipper 360 in perfect condition for £30.

I had a 16-month age gap with my first two. Bought a second-hand Phil & Teds and sold it for almost the same price 1.5 years later.
I love slings and mainly used those for my first and third (much larger age gap). It could work really well with the second most of the time, but a baby in a sling isn't great when the pre-schooler is tired/non-compliant/needs rescuing from a climbing frame!

I think it greatly depends on the eldest child - how old, keen on walking? Likelihood of running off ?

And where you live. In a city where I guess you go out walking every day with buggy and in buses well yes, think a double would be good.

The gap between my two is 2yr 6 mo and I got a double on eBay for times when there was a lot of walking. I wouldn't recommend that type (McClaren) as the weight difference between a big tall toddler and small baby made the steering awful. If I'd bought something like a Nipper or City which have better steering it would have been better.

I'd get one. 22 month gap between mine and I got a single pram when the baby was around 8 months and DD was around 2.6 years old.

I might aswell have kept the double as DD was still on the back of the pram when she was 3.6!! They get tired really easily when their small. My youngest is 4 in November and still gets tired from long walks.... and we still dont drive.

I'd definitely get a double, if the eldest wants to walk then they can but if they need a rest or you need a break from keeping an eye on them in the shops ect then it really comes in handy!

I still feel guilty remembering poor DD clearly tired from a very long walk and then having to just stand on a bar instead of a comfy seat. If I had shopping in the basket and on the handles then she had to walk as there wasnt room. I'd get one just incase the eldest needs the break, it's awful walking with them whilst their complaining or crying and you cant do anything about it and your hot and sweaty from pushing the shopping and baby too

19 month age gap here. I didn't want a double. Bought sling & buggy board.

Sling - Never felt comfortable with them. Tried 3. Not for me. Also, my toddler runs around & is very fast. Not a cat in hells chance of playing with him never mind catching him with a baby in a sling.

Buggy Board - Excited at first but then he just jumped off mid ride. Struggled to get him back on it easily.

The double was a lifesaver & still is. I know they are both safe & secure. They sleep well in it for out & about naps. Good to have that option if toddler is tired. For example, we had him on reins yesterday & he had to be carried all the way back to car due to tiredness & we only had single buggy with us. DH was knackered

I got a Double City Mini Jogger. I bought it second hand & it came with carry cot for baby which I loved. It's gonna last another year at least before selling it on (they seem to hold value).

We had a similar age gap and used a sling and buggy board. When the baby was tiny I'd use the sling and the toddler would use the buggy if tired and going long distances. She was pretty docile though and didn't run off.

Maybe depends on how often & how far you'll be taking the two together?

Mine are 21months apart & I didn't have a double buggy.

Park/supermarket/Drs were a short walk away.

Oldest went to a playgroup for a couple of hrs a couple of mornings when 2 so could go further afield then.

Had an separate buggy for when we were all out together.

Parents visited for the day once a week.

We got a second hand Phil and Ted which worked well as we converted it to a single with buggy board. We walked a lot so used it loads. My second didn't like the sling and tbh walks with both in the buggy were the most peaceful time of day when they were little!

I wouldn't make any decisions, or even put any thought in to it, in advance. Who knows? Just buy one if you need one, when you need one.
Pros - possibly save £x
Cons - nothing.

FWIW I ended up with a sling and a single buggy. (2 year gap). Then a buggy board when dd2 was 1 year or so.

There are 3 years between mine. I bought a 2nd hand tandem buggy and it was great. I walked a lot and while we were just under a mile from the town it was an uphill walk for the way back. The buggy board was (for me) much harder to push/get up curbs than the double pushchair.

I had a two year age gap, and I think I only used my double a handful of times. But I agree that if you're doing the majority of the childcare then you get to make the decision. Buy secondhand, too.

I had a 23 month old and a new born, we got a second hand double Maclaren and I hated it.
I got rid and did a mix between a sling and buggy board, It was much easier.
I had dc3 21 months later and had the baby in a sling, the eldest on a board and the middle one in the pram.

We had 2y7m between our eldest 2 and didn't get double buggy. But at the time we didn't walk hugely long distances. On longer walks ds would go in the buggy and baby in the sling- which lived under the buggy in the shopping tray. DS1 was at nursery 4 days a week while I was on mat leave which influenced our decision. If I had been a sahm lugging both of them everywhere all the time we would maybe have bought a double.

My younger ones have 3y between. Never considered a double buggy for them. Mine were always 95 percent walking by age 3.