That's it - I quit! - I am incapable of picking a double stroller! I never thought that such a seemingly simple task would take up so much time and energy.
Perhaps it would help if I even knew what I wanted. I think I want a side by side - easy to push - easy to fold - light weight - sturdy and small enough to fit in the back of the car- and in my house!
So far I have not been able to find anything that fits that description - or when I think I am getting close, I do an online review and discover that 3 people bought the stroller and 1 loved it and the other 2 returned it after the wheels fell off during the first week of use.
Or the reviewers claim it is the best double stroller they have ever bought - of course they only have one kid so far - the baby isn't born yet - and they haven't tried it out side of the house yet..
ARGHHH. I am so lost and confused - and even more annoyed that something so gashmiyosdik and seemingly unimportant is taking up so much of my time and energy!!!
I even had 3 other posts to write but I have been spending all of my energy on double stroller research. ( and the rest of life..)
So for those of you who have read this far I will reward you with a quick ref to the posts that didn't happen:
1 - Be the babysitter - recently when I have had enough of the kinder for the day I make myself pretend to be the babysitter - that requires being pleasant and keeping them entertained.
2 - Am I raising a house of thieves? - we seem to be missing money and my kids seem to have spending money with no source of income -hmmm.. maybe we should implement an allowance.
3 - Early nesting - ( I still may post this) -I have in the past week - washed the walls in the front hall and kitchen, paired 237 pairs of single socks, and reorganized my boy's clothes by size....Can I blame anything else?
...and baby lox makes six. The very hectic and eventful life of a tired mommy.
About Me
- Happy Mom of 6
- email me at happy.mom.of.6 at gmail dot com
12 comments:
I'm sorry it's so hard for you to pick a good stroller. If it is any consolation, I did a lot of research and found that I didn't want a side by side one bc I didn't want to get stuck in doorways and didn't want a long choo choo train either. So I bought the Phil and Ted's Most Excellent Buggy. Not to confuse you more, but it combines the lightweight side by side effect with a "one on top of the other" kind of effect :)
Email me at cluborganized AT yahoo.com if you want more specifics
I am sure your husband appreciated your early nesting...
and about the stroller, just pick one. It does not make that much of a difference. They are probably all more or less the same. Don't make it into an issue that consumes you...
I agree with sbw, but will add my 2 cents:
Another idea is to attach a seat to a regular stroller. My friend still uses it for her 3yo and 1yo. Then, when the 3yo cooperates and walks, she doesn't have the inconvenience of the double. I think double strollers are best for twins. Maybe it's the same idea as Rivka's.
Another option is to buy a used one--then if it doesn't work out you haven't invested so much.
What did your kids say when you asked them where they got the money to buy things?
I love the babysitting idea. Maybe your older kids can play too.
I totally hear you about the stroller angst. I got both a handed-down front-back and a handed-down side-by-side and since they were both 5+ years old, I was mostly relieved that I didn't have to choose one from what's available nowadays.
Now that the side-by-side is totally kaput and beyond help, I'm planning to stick to the other one, but contemplating what I would look for in a side-by-side (that I'd have to shlep up a coupl of flights of stairs with the little ones all climbing up too). None of the stroller options seem great for various reasons - price, weight, structure, capacity, etc.
Nesting is just where I'm holding - but I do have to temper the urge to take it on with my bedrest. Once I hit 36 weeks, i"yh, those cabinets, closets, and drawers had better look out!
I vote for the used stroller option too. Not sure where you are, but craigslist and ebay are good sources for used items at reasonable prices. Thrift shops sometimes have great bargains. Also, I just heard about this thing called freecycle - where people give things away they can't use anymore and are often in good shape. Here are two links to find a group near you:
http://freecycle.org/display.php?region=All%20Other%20Countries
http://www.freecyclefinder.org/finder
On the new stroller front - I recently bought a single jogging stroller for a trip to Israel with a front swivel wheel and it's awesome!!! The big wheels go over any terrain and the front wheel can swivel or be locked making it easy to maneuver. They make double stroller versions. I don't have a newborn, so I wasn't as concerned about how far down the seat lies back or how cushiony they are. Mine was only about $99 new. I saw similar doubles on Amazon for about $150 new.
We looked at the Combi double and the (cheaper of the two) MacLaren on Sunday. Help! I don't think I want either of these!
The MacLaren wheels are tiny and according to the salesperson, it is more of an 'indoor' than an 'outdoor' stroller(!!) so that's good for, say, the never times I go to a mall or the like, but not what we usually do which is go outside, go to a park, walk to preschool, etc.
I think people I know who've had the Combi (folds up and then seats fold to face each other) have always been unhappy with it for some reason.
The Aria apparently is not meant for siblings with a significant weight disparity, but rather, for twins.
They're also all sooo expensive!
Speaking of expensive, those double joggers look amazing. But we live in a second-floor apartment which is up a narrow set of stairs. It seems like if I could somehow buy that one, I'd need to keep it in the car and just shlep it up for Shabbos.
HELP!
I'm a little late but I've been using a Phil and Ted's e3 for 3 years and counting and it's really been the best stroller ever. I've used it as a single, double for infant and toddler and now for my toddler/ 4 year old.
The price is pretty standard for a double but you get so much more.
Just a tip- easy to push usually means a bit heavier. Super lightweight strollers are notoriously harder to push.
Abbi, are you talking about a side-by-side double or the one where the second child looks like they're sitting underneath the other child? With a newborn and a toddler, which kid goes in which spot?
Nu?
Another Jew dead!
http://hamercaz.com/hamercaz/site/news_item.php?id=668
Why do these stories keep getting swept under the rug? The frum community has a substance abuse problem. Wake up and address it!
Or is everyone waiting until it happens to MY child?
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