Two year age gap - buggy dilemma

[naturelover]

I'd appreciate any tips/suggestions from those of you with a two-year age gap or thereabouts.

I have a heavy 3 month old baby and a heavy two year old.

Currently I have the two following set-ups:

• Mothercare Twin Vesta (well, previous model) on loan from a friend

• Maclaren + sling for baby

Neither set-up is ideal. The twin buggy is too wide for lots of doorways, including my front door, so I end up storing it in the garage as it's a pain to fold and carry indoors with errant toddler and crying baby, in the rain, you get the picture....

The Maclaren is getting creaky (1.5 years heavy use) and I think toddler is actually too heavy for it now anyway (16kg). Baby doesn't seem to like being carried for long periods in the sling, plus to be honest although it's great having my hands free, I find it hard to push buggy, carry shopping, bend down to put on toddler's shoes etc etc with a huge baby on my chest.

Secretly I long for a P&T as I think it must be great to fit through doorways while both children are strapped in and secure (esp as toddler still naps every day). Toddler is a liability near main roads so I get nervous of her walking alongside me in busy areas.

I haven't tried a buggy board yet but I'm considering this option - as long as the Maclaren can support the weight of two.

BUT I'm not keen on the P&T set-up where one child can't see much. I'd prefer a side-by-side.

Money's tight but we could probably stretch to a second-hand buggy of some description. What would you suggest?

Thanks!

Double nipper. Get on ebay and sell again in a years time. Fabby pushchair.

Second vote for a double nipper - we got a second hand one and only needed it for about 9 months but it was brilliant.

double nipper too. its a trade off tho as you will struggle around shops more. Whereas the p&t for shopping is fabby. your older one will go in the back and hop in/out as you need and you can have littly in front as they get older and can sit up more. i bought my p&t when my boys were 2yr 8m and 13m was fab for two 'toddlers'

I had a 2.3 age gap and used a buggy board which worked great, although not for really long distances. When dd1 was older we got her a balance bike and she whizzed around happily on that.

I have the same age gap and have a P&T, good for shopping on busy days, days out, doctors surgeries and toddler groups, and I also have an urban detour double (mothercare version of the nipperthis is the current version), which I use for walks in the park and going to town when it's not too busy. Personally I prefer the urban detour as it's easier to push and I can charge along at top speed, but it's so wide its not much fun trying to negotiate busy shopping aisles. The P&T isn't so easy to push, but makes up for it as I can get in and out of buildings easily.

I bought the P&T new and the urban detour on e-bay (£90). Looking back I wish I'd saved my money and bought the P&T second hand too.

oh, and I have to fold and open the urban detour in my front garden as it doesn't fit through the door. Whereas I do like the fact I can load up the p&t with the dc's while we're inside and off we go!

I would add that the UD double and the nipper are very different. Firstly width the UD is much wider and secondly weight the nipper is super light!

Thanks everyone. I think it's the Urban Detour that I have (too lazy to double check in the garage). I see the Nipper gets most people's vote. I measured my front door and it's only 72cm wide so I still wouldn't be able to get the Nipper through the door unfolded.

Anyway, thanks - it's food for thought.

Does anyone else find their babies don't like slings, or am I doing something wrong?

I have a phil and teds and really like being able to get through doors. Also, I drop my toddler off at preschool so sometimes only have one in the front and it's nice to have a pushchair that feels like a single rather than a half empty double.

Neither of mine like the back seat that much though (because of teh view, not the size)but have been used to it for a long time now. I'm not sure how they'd react if they went to it after being in a side by side.

My baby doesn't like a sling the same times that she wouldn't like a pushchair i.e. she wants to get down and crawl on the floor instead.

Another vote for P&T. We have 2.2 age gap. The front/back position has never been an issue. In fact, I think they would fight side-by-side. It's still in use everyday even 16 months on. Kids chop and change who goes in front.