Second Child - Double Strollers, Kiddy Board, Other necessities??

[tinyfeet]

Hi, DD will be 21 months when DD2 will be born. I generally have everything I believe I'll need since I have most things for DD1, but there are a couple of things I am wondering about. If anyone can provide any advice on the following, I would really appreciate it.

Is the 'kiddy board' a good thing? How useful is it? It's the thing that attaches to the back of a pushchair for a toddler to stand on. If not, and I go with a double stroller, what is the most important consideration for a double stroller? How important is a double stroller? DD1 is at just 19 months sometimes doesn't like sitting in the stroller, and I'm wondering when will she entirely outgrow the stroller anyway?

Finally, what are the most important things to have for a second child - when both children are under 2 years apart? No need to include the obvious things (highchair, car seats, cribs, clothes, etc.).

Thanks!

What about keeping DD1 in the stroller for as long as she wants and popping DD2 in a front pack or sling. Once DD2 is starting to get a bit heavy (I'm still okay with 18lb in a sling) DD1 will probably have outgrown the stroller. A double stroller would be pretty expensive and big to store etc. A sling could also be used around the house so you can do stuff with DD1 whilst staying close to DD2.

i'll second the sling idea. my dd1 was 2.5 when dd2 was born. i had a double buggy, but i only used it for 6months. i often popped dd2 into the sling and walked with dd1 to the shops anyway, or put dd1 in the buggy. it was lovely have dd2 so close to me. unfortunatly she got big quickly and stopped using the sling at 4months (its a 3 way one, but couldnt cope with her weight by then).
if u do get a double buggy then think about how wide it is (double 3 wheelers are great to push but can rarely go thro single doors, if u go for a walk from home it involves setting it up upside, very annoying), how easy it will be to steer with 2 children in it, (tip, take your dd1 with u and sit her in the buggy, 'borrow' another child if u can to get an idea of weight and manoverabilty).

if u go out with your partner a lot, it may be worth investing in another stroller and a buggy board. that way if dd1 wants a buggy to sit in there is one available, if she doesnt then she can just use the buggy board.
i have two buggies, a 3 wheeler and a citisport. if i go out with ex and we're gonna be out a long time we take both buggies. if not we take the 3 wheeler and dd1 sits on the front of the buggy if she gets tired. (it has a huge ledge on it, i always think it'd be great to design a seat onto that bit with reigns attached).

hth

We had similar dilema but got over it by buying a different type of kiddy board that had a seat and a step so that dd could sit or stand. Many a rushed lunch on the way to nursery was consumed on that step. Dd even worked out a way to nap sitting on it without falling off.

Am wondering about this myself. The sling idea is appealing BUT I meant to put dd in a sling for as long as poss when she was born, and then had a caesarian and it was hard enough taking her out in the pram, let alone a sling. So if you decide to put DD2 in a sling and DD1 in the stroller - have a backup plan! (Secondhand double buggies are cheap and plentiful).

The name of the step is seat 2 go and it cost exactly the same as a buggy board

Thank you all for your advice. I do have a Baby Bjorn sling which I used for DD1. I found it to be hot though since DD was born in the spring and I was using it mostly in the summer. I'll try it again for DD2 and maybe it will be more comfortable in the winter.
As for the double buggy, my friend will sell me her double buggy, so I may just get it as a back up. I am thinking that the buggy board or Seat2go will be more useful and less hassle.

Anything else that anyone can think of? Anything you would call the holy grail product for the second child?

Thanks again. I feel better prepared after reading your responses.

Holy grail product would have to be Cbeebies - to park number one in front of while you deal with number 2...

Jenie, I just found the Seat2Go on-line. It's brilliant! How old is your DD who uses it? No complaints with it?

Dd is 4 now and so too big for it but we used it until 6 months ago, have a horrible feeling that it's still in the loft ...... (mental note to self to start dispossing of old baby stuff and not just putting it out of sight).

But it did break a couple of times, nothing that serious as they sent me replacement parts very quickly and they were easy to put on, so easy that I did it without the aid of screwdrivers!

You have to make sure that the buggy you intend to attach it to is suitable, they should have a phone number for you to check it all out on.

I loved it because of the dual use of sitting or standing or sitting with a blanket on cold days.

Thanks, again Jenie. Sorry, my question really was intended to find out when your DD was old enough to use it. My DD1 will be 21 months when the baby is born. I probably won't use it initially, but am hoping to use it at least when DD1 turns 2. The website doesn't say from what age it is appropriate. Do you know if it will attach to the Maclaren Techno?

I think the double buggy/kiddy board debate kind of revolves around how much you walk with your kids. My two are 22 months apart and I have a rather large collection of buggies (mostly given to me by friends.) There's a double jogging buggy, two single jogging buggies and a Maclaren Volo buggy (and luckily I have a large store room to keep them in.)
They all have different uses:
My double jogging buggy is brilliant for the park as I walk there with both of them, let them play/run about in the park and then put them both back in the buggy to walk home. The walk is too tiring for DS2 to manage in its entirety and as it involves walking alongside a busy road, I'm glad I can strap both boys in. (Main problem with a kiddy board is that your kiddy can get off when he/she wants.)
As for the two single jogging buggies, we use them for long walks with DH (or other willing adult.)
Of course the biggest problem with jogging buggies is that they are big and bulky, and quite annoying to take in and out of the car. So I use the Maclaren Volo (single) for shopping trips, and as a place for DS2 to sleep in if we're out when he needs a nap. The Volo tends to stay folded up in the car. When shopping with the two of them (not an activity I would recommend under most circumstances....) Ds2 goes in the buggy and DS1 walks. If DS1 gets tired I put him in the buggy and carry DS2. But that solution doesn't work until your number two is old enough to sit up happily (closer to 6 months for my DS2) and carrying DS2 for long stretches isn't fun either.
So, as you can see, I haven't found an ideal solution yet. (even with my 4 buggies...)

Thanks, Lorien. Very helpful - it seems as though you have an ideal selection of buggies, in a way. The one time it seems you could use the kiddy board is for shopping trips with both (unlike a busy street, as you mentioned), no? I have the Maclaren Techno and nothing more now. I will likely receive my friend's second-hand double Maclaren, which is apparently really heavy, but sturdy for those trips you mention for your double jogging buggy. I think I would like to get the kiddy board, which is relatively cheap, but does seem useful. It just seems that the kiddy board plus buggy cannot replace the double buggy, since there are definitely times when you need the double buggy.

I find the playpen invaluable with my two because the little one can go in it while the big one plays with his train set, or other type of toy that the little one would destroy if she tried to get involved. Sometimes the big one wants to go in it to get away from the little one. Also very useful for those times you just have to give all your attention to the big one while the iron is on and garden door open and...etc! You would probably need to get the baby used to the playpen by putting her in it regularly before she is mobile.

Thanks tinyfeet! Must say I've never really considered a kiddy board, mainly because I would want to put it on the Maclaren foldable buggy and I don't think it would be able to fold with the kiddy board on. I may be wrong on this, though.

As for other things that are useful with two under two, I bought the following toys:
1: One of those "baby" dolls (try somewhere like ToysRUs) and a toy buggy (thats another one to add to my buggy list...). The baby doll came in some pretty ickky clothes, so I took them off and put it in the smallest babygro I had. Anyway DS1 was chuffed with "his" baby when he got it a year ago and still pushes it around in the buggy.
2: Another toy that went down a treat and keeps DS1 occupied is one of those "Little Tikes" cars that kids can sit in and "drive" about. Of course now DS1 and DS2 fight over it ferociously but we had about 8 months of calm playing out of it
3: IKEA have these play tents that look like castles. DS1 used to love having his "own" space. Of course DS2 (now 13 months) is demanding to play in it too now. But you can't please all of the people all of the time....

Thanks boyandgirl, everyone I've spoken with agrees that the playpen may be the holy grail product when you have a second child. Luckily, I have one and don't have to worry about getting one. They do take a lot of space though. Lorian, I've also already got a baby doll and toy buggy for DD1, which she really enjoys pushing all over the house. Do you keep your Little Tikes car in the house or outside? Have you ever thought about getting 2 of the Little Tikes cars?

My ds was 23 months when ds2 was born and we have found the urban detour double pushchair fantatstic - very light and easy to push and ds1 likes to ride alongside his brother. Buggy boards are not really ideal for my live wire as he would have run off at that stage - may be better as he gets older but to be honest we are so attached to the double now I cant see us changing.

Others things are to be very relaxed about tv watching for your first child as it will be a god send while you sort out number 2. Bathing together is lovely and we found that ds1 was really interested after the first few weeks in what his new brother was doing. At first he just ignored him really. Best of pals now though - 7 months in.

Good uck - it seems insane at first but after the first 3/4 months when sleep improves it all falls into place and they look so sweet side by side in the pram.

Thanks, Hughsie. Nice your 2 get along. Hoping the same with mine.

tinyfeet - dd was just under 3 when we started to use our seat to go. She never offered to get off as she could see much better from standing on it and she didn't get trodden on whilst up there.

I will have a look in the loft (climbing apperatus and helmet on) and see if I can find it, we kept all the instructions so we should have a number for you to call with regards it fitting.

You do have to take it off prior to folding the buggy, but it takes literally 10 seconds

Many thanks, Jenie.

I have 25 months between my two and have coped just using the buggyboard and Maclaren - ds1 hasn't been in a buggy since 23 months, but is very road-aware. I do have the problem that he does like jumping on and off the board a bit, but he knows to warn me before he tries to jump and knows he has to hold my hand when by the road (the beauty of the Techno is that it is light and easily moved with just one hand). However we don't go on particularly long walks - eg we travel to shopping centre by car and then get out buggy etc. My MIL did give me the money for a double buggy, and I thought about buying one, but there's probably been only 2 occasions when I might have used it (assuming ds1 would have been willing to go in it!).

Agree with Enid - I was so relieved that ds1 finally got into CBeebies when ds2 was born.

Thanks- Miriamw, did you feel comfortable using the buggy board from 25 months? Could it have been used earlier with your DS1? Do you find it easy to take the buggy board off to fold up the Techno and put it on when you need it? Did you look into the Seat2go that Jenie recommends? Sorry so many questions. Thanks again.

Tinyfeet, there's also 25mths between my 2 dds and we've managed fine with just the buggyboard and single pushchair.

Re. using the buggyboard earlier than 25months, I suppose it depends on how much walking dd1 does, and how "good" a walker she is at the moment. From about 20 months, dd1 wanted to walk everywhere anyway, although I always took the pushchair with me. If I needed to get somewhere quickly after dd2 was born and didn't have the car, I would put dd2 into sling and (bribe ) dd1 into pushchair.

I second the playden as the "holy grail" - it's saved dd2 from being squashed on several occasions!!

tinyfeet, I have 2 years exactly between my DDs. This is what we did:

• pram for DD2 and stroller for DD1 if I had my mum or DH in tow
• bought a cheap double buggy, on offer in Kiddicare, for when I was out on my own with them. Must admit, I didn't attempt this much at first! At least they could both sleep in it, although it didn't really go flat enough for a newborn.
• sling for newborn and stroller for DD1 if going to shops where double buggy didn't fit.
• now have pram as pushchair and DD1 goes on the buggyboard. She was only sensible enough not to jump off it from about 2 and a half. She is a good walker, but the buggyboard has been a godsend at times!

We bought a new pram for DD2 and someone on Mumsnet posted that if you by a stroller, it's hard, if not impossible, to push it and hold a toddler's hand. Best piece of advice ever! We bought a fold flat pram with a single handle and it's much easier to manage.

I had 2 in cloth nappies for 11 months, so had an enormous rucksack for them, plus spare clothes, wipes etc! It was a relief really when DD1 potty trained.

As someone said, the first few months seem hectic, then it gets easier and easier (and you gain in confidence and relax more too!) My 2 are really good friends now and play together, which frees me up a bit.

good luck!

Thanks, Cerys and Katmam. Good advice here. As you can probably tell, I'm panicking about going out of the house with my 2 DDs by myself, although I realize that I will need to for my sanity. Just trying to prepare as best I can.