Three kids under 4 – will I need a double pushchair?

[tostaky]

I think the answer might be yes? but I don?t really want to?
DS1 will be 3.6 and DS2 2.1 when DC3 arrives
I used to have a P&T but DS2 hated it and I didn?t like it either (too heavy, too big, the kid in toddler seat cant see anything, kept puncturing)
So I gave my p&t away and I am very very happy with my buggy board.
As DS1 is a November baby, he wont go to school until DC3 is 1.5
However im planning to have DS1 is nursery Mon-wed and DS2 in nursery wed-fri, so really the tricky bit would be the nursery runs (but with DC3 in sling it should be ok?) and the week-ends (but then DP would be here)

So what do you think? do I need a double pushchair or not (I love my maclaren techno xt too much)

I suppose it's feasible with a sling as long as you have no back problems or a C-Section. I had both and still can't do a Moby wrap easily 13 months on. But even so, if one of them has a strop or falls over or you just need to get something in/out of the basket, it could be really difficult with a baby attached to you. I'd look at buying a second hand double and selling it as soon as the middle child is capable of standing on the buggy board sensibly.

Its your choice but personally I know in your shoes it would just make life loads easier. You can always try the sling / pushing route and see how you get on, but like aswellasyou says, I found it hard to lean over / reach the handles to push a pushchair with a baby slung on my front. Also trying to support a newborn babies head whilst you bend down to pick things up etc is hard. I tried for all of about ten minutes before admitting it was much easier to simply put the baby in the pushchair and go! Even today trying to get out of the house was hard going, but each child got put in their pushchair seat as soon as they were ready to go, leaving me free to run around and get everything else ready. But each of us is different.

Sling/pushchair is ok for 2 but if you have a 3rd child to keep an eye on/hold hands with I don't think it's so feasible as it is just so much to keep an eye on. I have a Maclaren XT and can't steer it one handed very well while holding DS's hand - a single-handled pushchair makes this much easier - with a baby strapped to my front as well I think it would just be exhausting and sometimes stressful (e.g. crossing roads).

If I do the maths right it sounds like DC3 is due in May time? You would then have the summer to get DS2 walking. However, come winter he'll only be 2.6ish? You may find you want to get somewhere quickly in the cold/wet and it can be a lot easier shoving an ill or tantrumming 2.6yo into a buggy than dealing with trying to get them to walk or stand on buggy board (this was the main reason I bought a double for my two and it was so worth it on those occasions!)

I don't know but you may need Valium!

yes - out n about nipper very good, I used to put dd2 and ds in seats and let dd1 hop on foot board if tired. Much lighter t push than a P+T's.

I would say you do need one. I would also recommend the instep nipper.
My sister had 3 under 4y and tried single buggy with board and sling, but found it was too difficult pushing buggy with buggyboard with a baby strapped to her front. She was fit and healthy, no back probs or c section either.
The nipper was so useful and made life much easier. As the children grew the second seat could be used part time if necessary and she could put shopping or picnics there. It was invaluable having the double if a child was poorly or v tired.

My problem is we live in upstairs flat so I would need to leave the double pushchair downstairs, the single pushchair + DS1 pedal bike and DS2 balance bike in the boot of the car?.
I do not want to sell my maclaren to make space because it is the best pushchair ever imo
But yes, as you said, if DS2 gets tired or has a tantrum, it would be so much easier to strap him in the pushchair?

Just had a look at the out n about nipper, it looks ok. Is it better than the double mac laren?
Can I attach my lascal buggy board to the nipper or the dbl maclaren? (in case DS1 is tired/it rains)?

And? with a double pushchair I could do some shopping which might be difficult with a single/buggy board/sling combo?

If space is at a premium then you do need to consider how large the pushchair is folded. The smallest doubles folded tend to be the umbrella folds especially the Combi We2. However with an already over two year old I wouldn't advise them as unless your DS2 is small for his age, it won't be long before he can reach the floor.
The Baby Jogger City Select and City Mini probably have the most compact folds, but again I would worry about how long you would get use of of the City Select for with having an already two year old. The Nipper whilst light isn't particularly small folded and is wide - it fits in my boot by millimetres. The Twinner Twist Duo has a neat Trifold. You could consider something like a Valco or basically a single with toddler seat on the front or top. The Valco in particular has a very neat fold. Or the Uppababy Vista with Rumble seat depending on your DS current weight.
You could consider something like a Buggypod or Strollirider or a sit down buggy board like a Kidsit?
Can you not store the Maclaren upstairs for later rather than sell it?

Tiggy - thansk, i was just looking at the baby jogger city and i really like the look of it, obviously i need to try them as well.
I dont want a buggypod or something like that, because in case there is a tantrum or he wants to sleep it is going to be useless...

No storage upstairs at all.

that is why i am considering the mac laren twin because my techno folds great and i assume the double wouldnt take so much space either?

Also, (i am a bad mum) i dont want to buy a carrycot, so i would need a puschair that lays flat. DS2 was born beginning of appril and i didnt use the P&T cocoon, i made him comfy with cosytoe and a few blankets. I am planning the same for this end of may baby.

Obviously a trip to Mothercare with DS1 and DS2 as guinea pigs is needed....

Not too keen on uppababy vista as same problem with P&T, DS2 will not see anything + he will be going backward

I will have to look at the vista though! Only thing the twinner and the valco look a bit "cheap"... im going for practicality, not looks but i need something robust!

Thank you for all this you are very resourceful!

You would need a carrycot for the City Select. DO try it out if you are interested. It was fantastic for us for the first ten months after which it became too heavy to use. I have a 21 month age gap.
I would also try the twin maclaren out as well because a friend has just got one and despite having two very close together, she only a few weeks in finds it too heavy. Plus I do find older children do try to 'paddle' across the floor once their feet can touch.
I think the new Buggypods have a recline on.
The Valco and Twinner Twist are both very sturdy pushchairs. I have had an 11 year old in the Twinner Twist (for fun) and have heard stories of adults racing in TFK products. They are very well built. There's also the Easywalker and Baby Jogger Elite. These two are about as strong as they come!

I don't particularly like the eldest facing the back of the Vista, but after three months (you would need to use a car seat until then) you can have the children facing each other which is lovely.

I had a Maclaren Twin Traveller which cemented my hate for all things Maclaren. It was fine at first with not much weight in it. I had my daughter and niece in it, who were both 7 months when we sold it. It had alredy started to feel heavy, the basket were rubbish and hard to access, the recline was difficult, sometimes impossible, it was really long folded and it had started to bend in the middle from being pressed down into the boot (not with any real force).
All of the suggestions are worth a look but I would avoid the City SElect personally.

I had a maclaren twin techno, imo the cheaper mac twins don't come close, that I used on and off as the car buggy, main was a icandy pear, until they were 28mnths and 12mnths, personally I liked it, folded its not much wider than a single one, well not double the size of a single techno xt, nice long seats, decent baskets, easy to use, bit tricky in narrow ilsed shops but honestly I'd recomend it, however if you go ahead swap baby/toddler each ride or the wheels wear unevenly and one arm gets extra muscly :)