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Original poster

Too old for a double buggy, too little to walk?

49 replies

Mybobowler · 07/09/2021 15:21

Boring post alert!

Baby #2 due end of the year. First child will be turning three.

I know a lot can change in a few months but we are nowhere near ready to ditch the buggy - she walks very slowly, constantly stopping to look at things/have a tantrum. If we go out without the pram, she always ends up being carried.

Don't want to buy a double buggy, so should I:

A) get a buggy board (and WHY are they so expensive? I've got a second hand uppababy cruz and the boards are over a hundred quid?! Second hand they're still £50+)

B) ditch the bassinet and buy an infant insert for the seat of the pram. When eldest child refuses to walk, baby goes in the sling and eldest goes in the pram

Do I have any other options? What has worked for others with a similar age gap?

Toddler is like an oppositional teenager so whichever option we choose, she will invariably hate it.

OP posts:

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SanBrig · 07/09/2021 18:03

Maybe buy a tricycle for an older one? Three years old is an amazing age to teach a baby to ride by themselves. I have a tricycle from Kinderkraft called Spinstep and my daughter is thrilled every time we go outside, because she can ride by herself, but when she is tired it can also lay innit and it can be a simple stroller. And it's also easy to ride a normal stroller and a tricycle, because mostly the little one is pedaling.

ItsReallyOnlyMe · 07/09/2021 18:06

I had a similar age gap and the buggy board worked very well for us.

DD called it her Scoot Board.

nancybotwinbloom · 07/09/2021 18:06

You can get a little stand to go on the back of buggies apologies I don't know what they are called

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Justbetweenus · 07/09/2021 18:14

How about a scooter (the ones with two wheels at the front). DD can keep up with you walking, with baby in the buggy. That, or as PPs have suggested, bite the bullet and get a buggy board - you can sell it on when you don’t need it any more.

Knitwit101 · 07/09/2021 18:16

If every trip ends in the pushchair why not see if you can pick up a second hand double just to see you through the winter? I used one for way too long because I couldn't face the messing about at the end of every park trip in the cold and rain.

PepsiHoover · 07/09/2021 18:17

Work on getting your youngest walking better.

How much will you need to go out without a pram in the winter?

ForkedIt · 07/09/2021 18:20

I’m about to have a 2yr2m gap, but toddler is a ‘good Walker’ and we don’t tend to walk anywhere for utility reasons, such as nursery or the shop so slow walking isn’t too much of an issue.
Anyway, I’ve picked up a buggy board in aldi recently for £25; it’s a lascal one which seems like a popular / well known brand. I’m also not intending to use the bassinet this time round (number 1 hated it anyway!) and let them swap between the seat / buggy board / sling. Just need to work out what height to put the straps on the seat so that they can easily swap…

LakeShoreD · 07/09/2021 18:23

Similar age gap here, DD was in the buggy literally until the day before DS arrived and for us the buggy board is invaluable. DD loves it too. I really couldn’t be without it. Snug seat insert plus sling - don’t do it. Great idea in theory but in reality will mean standing on a busy street struggling with stroppy tired 3YO, faffing to get sling on, wake up baby who has probably fallen asleep in the pram, they start crying, get them into sling. Then have to remove snug seat and wrestle toddler into pram with baby strapped to you. It’s truly the stuff of nightmares.

OverByYer · 07/09/2021 18:24

I had 2 yrs 8 months between mine. Bought a second hand double buggy for long walks.
Mainly used pushchair and buggy board

aaahshoot · 07/09/2021 18:27

You can get buggy boards with a seat on. It was called a kid-sit I think..

Kanaloa · 07/09/2021 18:29

I’d go for one of the buggy boards with the seat. Scooters/bikes didn’t tend to work for me because if they end up throwing a wobbly/tired you’re stuck with the toddler, the bike and the pram.

Kanaloa · 07/09/2021 18:31

And it’s easy to say the older child needs to walk better etc but I didn’t have a car at this time - we would be walking miles and miles, often 30k steps every day and I couldn’t wander along to the speed of a two year old as we needed to get to preschool/get home quickly.

NiceGerbil · 07/09/2021 18:32

Buggy board/ scooter.

clary · 07/09/2021 18:33

We had a two year age gap and used sling and pushchair and buggy board - so if I got tired using the sling, the buggy board was an answer.

I actually have two two-year gaps and recall knew memorable walk with ds2 in the sling, dd in the buggy and ds1 (almost 4) on the board - what must I have looked like as I toiled up the hill. I told ds1 he was walking after that

Ime a 3yo can walk; it will take longer but that's OK, you just need to allow for that. Start the habit now.

CandyFIosss · 07/09/2021 18:34

My 3 year old was out the pram as soon as my youngest was born as I didn’t want a double but looking back I should have got one (I don’t think 3 is too old!) or a buggy board at least as I don’t drive and we do a lot of walking

Himawarigirl · 07/09/2021 18:36

For the first 4 months or so the baby went in a carrier. So if your baby isn’t due until the end of the year and you are ok with using a carrier then that gets you to April-ish. So we did carrier and eldest in buggy for a bit and then buggy/buggyboard. But I also had a double buggy I got cheap second hand for bigger day trips and things I knew my toddler wouldn’t have the stamina for. But yours will be a bit older than mine was and will probably be fine with a buggy board.

HumunaHey · 07/09/2021 18:38

You can get plenty of second hand buggy boards that are well under £50. I got the lascal mini for £20 and that's compatible with most buggies.

Ldnmum7 · 07/09/2021 18:38

We got a double buggy (mountain duet) 2nd hand. I'd say first 3-4months I used sling and single pram for my ds who is 2.5yrs. Now I put them both in double to walk anywhere - only thing is it is huge & takes up loads of boot space so I can't really take is weekends away etc. I've just bought a cheap umbrella pram for when we go away and they both need a pram. Feels excessive to have 3 but covers all eventualities

HungryHippo11 · 07/09/2021 18:39

Exactly the same age gap. We did baby carrier for the baby and toddler in the pushchair if needed. It hasn't been needed many times.

Buggy boards are expensive and impractical. They get in the way when in use or not, make it hard to fold the pushchair down and have such tiny wheels that they're really impractical on anything other than a perfectly smooth tarmac. Also difficult going up and down kerbs.

TornadoTrinity · 07/09/2021 18:41

Another vote for the buggy board. We had the same age gap and used the buggy board for ages. After dc2 was born.

GlumyGloomer · 07/09/2021 18:42

3 year gap here, buggy board worked perfectly. We got the mini one, dd 1 loved it straight away. She still wants to ride on it 2 years later, when dd2 is refusing to sit in the actual buggy 😅

confuseddotcom1234 · 07/09/2021 18:43

I had a 2 and a half year age has and debated forever about what to do on the end got an out abs about double abs honestly love it more than my single oldest now tends to sit on the front and I put stuff in the other side mostly but love the convenience of having it and is actually smaller in the car (with the wheels off which is so easy). They are often sold second hand so might be worth a look as being out with a baby and an older one not wanting to walk is hard work.

yourestandingonmyneck · 07/09/2021 18:44

Second hand double buggy. One of best things I bought. We did a lot of long walks and it was great for older one to just jump in when she was tired. Great for getting them both to nap at same time as well.

Also good for commuting. Sometimes I have time to let her dawdle, sometimes I don't. When we needed to dash for the train in the mornings I would put her in.

Also good for walks / nursery runs in the winter as can put rain cover over them and they're both warm and dry.

MunsteadWood · 07/09/2021 18:52

We had a 2.4 year gap and borrowed a buggy board from a friend when DD was born but DS was too little for it and kept jumping off etc so it went away for 6 months and I just kept him in pushchair and baby in sling. But by the time he was about 3 through the buggy board was a total lifesaver, and we still use it almost daily now he's nearly 4 (and DD 18 months). The one we have has a little seat which is nice for longer walks. Perhaps you could try a second hand one, and sell on when done?

thelegohooverer · 07/09/2021 18:53

I know you said you don’t want a double buggy but I wouldn’t have been without mine. I had an inline one so they weren’t interfering with each other, and it wasn’t too wide for doorways.

If you buy second hand you can expect to sell it on later and recoup a decent % of your spend.

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