Can you fit a buggy board/pod on a wheelchair?

[RachelTulips]

Hi, I have recently taken over the care of my wheelchair bound mother as my father is in hospital long term, and I have a DD(2) who is uber mobile and curious (like most 2yo's I guess!)

I find getting the 2 of them anywhere incredibly hard work (I have MS too) and so far I have been managing with DD on the "rucksack with reins" but she can be a bit of a liability on those if not watched constantly so ideally I?d like her strapped in!

She won't walk next to us holding mum's hand or sit on her lap. She either wants to be carried(!) or me to hold her hand. Very sweet, but utterly impractical when trying to push adult in wheelchair with one hand up and down long (steep!) ramps from the car park with 180 degree bends in like a mountain road! Wrenched my shoulder quite badly last week when trying to hold her hand and turn the corner.

The other thing DD quite likes to do is push my mum's chair (which means I am then leaning over the top of her and trying to push/steer without squashing tiny hands - and then my back suffers in a big way)

I thought about a buggy board but can't afford to buy one and tinker with it unless I can guarantee results (as then obviously I won't be able to return it if it doesn't work) Buggy pod I think won't fit due to big wheels on wheelchair (but looks wonderful assuming it's not too wide - the hospital lift doors don't seem very wide)

Exhausted and looking for solutions from you lovely brainy MNs!

here you can download the buggy board instruction which might give you a better idea as to weather it will fit or not. I have arthritis so found pushing a pushchair got harder so I got my daughter a balance bike and used a little life rucksack with the lead until she could be trusted to stop when I said. She is now 4 walks further than most children of her age and can ride a bike after two trips to the park with daddy. I think what you are doing is great but you need to look after your health.

Another thought you could get some stickers and give her a sticker on her t-shirt every time she stays close ( when you massed 2 lamp posts) lots of stickers lots of praise. Mine liked having the car keys in their rucksack this meant I could find the easily but also gave her some responsibility (she couldn't lose them as she never took backpack off.

hope this helps

You have been thrown unexpectedly into this new situation without the chance to plan. But now you have had a chance to work out what does and doesn't work you need to have a sit down and think through what you can handle and what you can't. While you are uncertain about what you will and will not expect your DD is going to be confused also, and will be able to manipulate the rules to her own preferences. If you cannot carry her you need to say no from the off, but make sure you spend other snuggly time with her. Explain it clearly, but without undue emphasis on your mum in case she resents the way your mum has come in and changed things for her.

Once you have decided how you want to do things you can make it nice and clear. I have to tell my daughter no she cannot sit on mummy's wheelchair any more because she is too big (together we are over the weight limit, it's technically a paediatric chair due to my size). She can come up and have cuddles on my knee, but she must get back down when we move. At first she wanted constant cuddles but once she realised we didn't get anywhere she started to walk more. If she behaves well then I let her walk by herself, but start running off in shops and stuff then she gets one warning and she goes onto a wrist rein for about 10 minutes then I give her another chance to walk nicely. When we are outside by the road, car parks, etc. I just tell her clearly before we leave that she is going on the reins because we are outdoors, and I expect her to walk nicely with me.

To make things easier for you, I wonder if you have heard of ReMap? It is an organisation staffed by mostly retired engineers who take up the challenge of designing or modifying equipment for disabled people if there is no off-the-shelf solution. www.remap.org.uk/ This is just the sort of thing they would do, they can design a custom clasp for the likes of a buggypod or board. Decide if the pod or the board provides you with a better long-term solution, and remember to look after your back. If your mum's wheelchair is an NHS chair you could try asking if there is a different set of handles you can have for it so they are higher or longer, to give more space for the buggyboard to fit without you pushing in a stoop.

Good luck.

Forgot to say ReMap is a charity, they will do the modifications free of charge, though it will help them out if you can purchase the Buggyboard itself.

yes you can fit a buggy board to a wheelchair - we did this DH has MS and when DS1 was 2 he would ride the buggy board

could you get one off ebay?

good luck