Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Flip

Original poster

major buggy or similar? Opinions and experiences please!

14 replies

geekgrrl · 10/05/2006 21:49

I've asked for a referral for dd2 to the appliances clinic with the view to getting a Major buggy.
She's outgrown the Pliko now at age 5 and I just can't take her on our lovely Sat morning shopping trips on foot - she's an extremely slow walker, trips up lots and is a total liability in shops when let loose (tries to 'help' by getting everything in sight off the shelves, that kind of thing).
I guess the Major is going to be our only option on the NHS? I was wondering whether there are other SN buggies I should consider (don't really want to pay anything extra though - the Mountain buggy is out). Any opinions?

OP posts:

2shoes · 10/05/2006 21:58

i found the major really good. It is light to push and doesn't "stand" out to much. I would recommend it. now they have changed the design they do look better. but if you are not sure ask at the appointment. there are other buggies/pushchairs but they can be very heavy.
Have you considered a small trendy wheelchair. we have one and it is brill.

Original poster

geekgrrl · 10/05/2006 22:04

I was wondering about a wheelchair (obviously a bit of a mental hurdle to overcome there though!) - I suppose they would be a lot more comfortable than a major? Not sure whether they'd offer us one as dd can walk - like a 2 year old. And her behaviour matches that.

OP posts:

Original poster

geekgrrl · 11/05/2006 09:30

bumpety-bump - anyone else? :)

OP posts:

ntt · 11/05/2006 23:04

I think I'd go for a wheelchair and make it look as cool as possible. It's a very personal opinion, and I'm sure loads of people would disagree with me but I just don't like to see older kids in a pushchair. However, when/if the time comes, I might change my mind.

There's an sn Mountain Buggy on Ebay at the moment btw for £250.

SparklyGothKat · 11/05/2006 23:14

My Ds had a Major from 3-6 years, he got a wheelchair after that as he 'felt like a baby' in the buggy. He loves his wheelchair. He can walk too, but needs a wheelchair for distances.

Dingle · 11/05/2006 23:18

Hi geekgrrl. We have had a major for about a year now. I was really struggling before this as Amelia is just so tall and she just wasn't happy in your average buggy and I desperately needed something bigger.

I saw the disability team and was all prepared for a fight (our physio was rather negative about it-in fact see was rather abrupt and rude!!) but the man we saw was lovely and we had a brand new major delivered in a few weeks. Amelia was wearing AFOs at the time so I suppose that helped.

We have found it great, might not be the most luxurious of buggies but she tend to only be in it for fairly short periods at a time. I don't have to use it every day now the better weather is here but on trips out, it's a life saver.

anniebear · 12/05/2006 21:32

We have a Major Buggy for Ellie (5 in Aug)

I didn't want a wheel chair and she doesn't need one...

But if we did want one we wouldn't have been given one as Ellie can walk

I would have thought wheel chairs would be given out to children who can't walk or are very very limited with their walking

I don't think we would have had a choice so Ellie has to have a 'pushchair'

But then again..what do I know?!!!

anniebear · 12/05/2006 21:33

Just read SparklyGothKat's post.....as I said "what do I know"!!!!!!

Dingle · 13/05/2006 00:41

LOL Anniebear!!! It might also vary from area to area...everything else does!! Says she stillnot getting nappies!!!!

Last year when we got our major, I was concerned that it would fit in my car. Huby drives the "family car" to work and I only have a small runaround. It was mentioned that a wheelchair may have been more suitable for that purpose and would have been on offer if I had wanted.

I chose the major as opposed to a wheelchair..well she was only 3 at the time too.

Original poster

geekgrrl · 13/05/2006 06:48

Thanks for the replies - I've heard that the Major can't have a buggy board attached to it so might go for the vouchers and pay extra to get a Mountain buggy instead...
I can't wait for it now. :) I've been a martyr to the cause of getting dd to walk 'age-appropriately' (e.g. to school and back which is quite far and along a main road which she ran out into once - right in front of a car which had thankfully seen her erratic running about and slowed right down in anticipation). Might as well give that up for another couple of years and make life a bit easier, particularly whilst ds is still small (he's 2) and also a complete nightmare when it comes to walking.
It take me 35 minutes to walk back from school with the children (and yes I am the woman looking extremely stressed whilst trying to herd small children) - on my own it's just over 5. Time to throw in the towel?!

OP posts:

Dingle · 13/05/2006 07:37

Oh geekgrrl. I do so know where you are at.

Although Amelia's walking has come on in leaps and bounds-this time last year she was wearing AFOs-I just have another set of issues to contend with.

She just wants to walk along independently, like her brother and like most of the other kiddies her age. They all come out of nursery and go running on ahead, some stand at their mum's cars and wait patiently- she wants to join in ...BUT I just can't let her do that.

I have been trying really hard recently to get her to respond to "stop". Everytime we approach a road etc, but it just doesn't seem to work.

I would love to pick your brains at some time geekgrrl. I still don't really have anyone in our group with a child that much older than Amelia- but lots of little ones! How is school going, what sort of additional help has your DD got? Sorry, I have hijacked your thread!

Please-If you wouldn't mind, perhaps at some stage you could email me.
dinglescards at yahoo.co.uk

Thank you, hope the buggy hunting goes well!

julie25 · 13/05/2006 14:10

hi i have a old wheelchair i use dor ds very old tho does any 1 know can u get a parasol or sun shades for wheelchairs thanks

Original poster

geekgrrl · 18/05/2006 09:15

Well, after all this have been told we'll have to wait 4 months for a wheelchair assessment, and apparently they will not take behavioural issues into consideration.
We should be ok on the mobility issues alone, but I feel for the parents of little ones with autism for instance.

Dingle, I'll email you. :)

OP posts:

Cappucino · 18/05/2006 09:31

sorry had to join in - dd has a wheelchair at 5 and she also likes it because it's 'grown up'; she sees wheelchairs being used by adults all the time

I once read the wheelchair athlete Tanni Grey Thompson saying that if her daughter was disabled, she'd get her a funky wheelchair rather than having her in a sad plaid buggy

people do tend to peer at big kids in a buggy; I have a double major for when I need to take both dds out and people are always looking at me, obviously wondering why I've got my 5-year-old in a buggy

wheelchair is much better imo for older child, people definitely know how to respond to her as a grown up girl in a wheelchair

Flip