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Drop off pick up scenario
Do you think this is doable on foot?
Pick up/drop off which includes 2.5 year old, 2 x 3 year olds and 1 schoolie?
Would put 2.5 year old in double buggy with the not so better walker.
Schoolie can walk no problem but that leaves me with a 3 year old who may to decide to not walk and want carrying?!
Anyone had/have this scenario...any tips/advice?
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Also this makes for quite a tight fit in my car (not even sure it can be done), would you always do this on foot - ten mins (my adult speed!) each way!
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Have you got a buggy board? Tired 3 year old might be happy to jump on that?
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What are the 3 year olds like for walking now? I know some would easily and happily manage a 10 minute each way walk to school and back, but I also know others who are reluctant to walk further than the garden gate. I'd do a practice walk to school over the summer to see how it goes. You might find both 3 year olds walk with no problem so you don't even need the double pushchair. Or you might find you'd manage with a double pushchair, one in on the way there and the other in on the way back.
Unless there is a reason why they can't do it I'd certainly be encouraging both 3 year olds to walk. If that's not going to be possible though, I'd go with Flora's idea of a buggy board on the double pushchair.
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Definitely invest in a buggy board if you are thinking of staying in this career. You may also have to do as Mouse says and tell them that one can ride in the pushchair on the way there and one on the way back. I did that a couple of times and I was remembering one such time a couple of nights ago actually. I had popped to the chemist to get a prescription as a one off, for DD. It had been snowing so I didn't feel like fighting with the double buggy and so I took two little toddlers and the single pushchair. On the way back, my DD was in the pushchair and I was holding the other toddlers hand. A random man stopped and looked at us and said with an incredulous look on his face, "Surely that one's older than the other one?!" DD was just two months older than the other toddler but obviously slightly taller. I immediately felt paranoid that people would think I was favouring my own child (he didn't know which child, if any, was mine). I went into a full explanation of how I normally take the double buggy and how DD wasn't 100% on that day, turn taking etc. He said "Oh, ok, I understand now" and walked off satisfied! I was totally paranoid after that though. On reflection, there could have been any number of reasons why the taller child was riding in a buggy, and as long as no one looked unhappy it was none of his business! Sorry to digress!
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Originally Posted by
mumofone
Do you think this is doable on foot?
Pick up/drop off which includes 2.5 year old, 2 x 3 year olds and 1 schoolie?
Would put 2.5 year old in double buggy with the not so better walker.
Schoolie can walk no problem but that leaves me with a 3 year old who may to decide to not walk and want carrying?!
Anyone had/have this scenario...any tips/advice?
I did have a buggy board on my double buggy for a while when I had this but I had a hill to walk up and it was heavy. I have a nipper out n about 360 so when i stopped using the buggy board my own 3 yo discovered he could sit on the front of the buggy on the foot plate. Because it was my own child I didn't mind that it wasn't that secure. When he turned 4 I told him he had to walk as he was too heavy for the buggy. We had a tough couple of months but generally it was ok. We survived 2 school runs and preschool runs a day for 6 months!
As others say it depends on the child. If you do lots of walking over the summer they should build up stamina.
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Originally Posted by
Ellisha
I did have a buggy board on my double buggy for a while when I had this but I had a hill to walk up and it was heavy. I have a nipper out n about 360 so when i stopped using the buggy board my own 3 yo discovered he could sit on the front of the buggy on the foot plate. Because it was my own child I didn't mind that it wasn't that secure. When he turned 4 I told him he had to walk as he was too heavy for the buggy. We had a tough couple of months but generally it was ok. We survived 2 school runs and preschool runs a day for 6 months!
As others say it depends on the child. If you do lots of walking over the summer they should build up stamina.
I regularly put a third child (on one occasion a third and fourth) on front of my double Out & About. Child on front doesn't fit under the rain cover on wet days but generally would be wearing an all in one puddle suit and old enough to hold an umbrella.
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you put kids on the front of the out and about?? Im confused! How does that work, ive googled images of them and cant see where or how they would sit?
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Thanks everyone, yes ive thought about buggy boards...are they really difficult to use though, i mean do they make it difficult to push the buggy?
Like i say i dont need to go far so i guess if they have the option of walking or buggy board ive covered all bases?
What a good universal buggy board?
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just looking at a lascal one...theres a mini and a maxi one -hmmm which would i need?!
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Originally Posted by
hectors house
I regularly put a third child (on one occasion a third and fourth) on front of my double Out & About. Child on front doesn't fit under the rain cover on wet days but generally would be wearing an all in one puddle suit and old enough to hold an umbrella.
I'm intrigued about fitting a 3rd child on front of out and about. Mine is a side by side and although 3rd child is a tiny little 2yr old ... smaller than the almost 1 and just 1 yr old ( ! ) I can't see how she would stay put!
I have an easy X rider that clips on the back like a buggy board but with a seat that you can clip children into. I then use a poncho to keep them dry in the rain.
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Finding this very interesting, as soon as mine are able to walk they do. It's a bit like puppy training starting in the park, stop/start game, holding hands/buggy, listening to instructions and I try not to use restraints but depend on children. I would expect 3 years olds to walk a school run. I give parents hints and tips on building up child's stamina and ability to walk.
Yes it takes me ages to get about but it's my job and I allow plenty of time.
I would be concerned about balancing children on buggies as if an accident did happen this may invalidate your insurance? And even though the child balancing may be your own doesn't seem a good way to advertise your service when out and about?
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I have had similar experience to WW. My nearly two year old walked 3.2 miles around our RSPB centre ( Ihadn't realised how far the route was DH checks all walking distances now with his technology. ) no issues, we stopped and played, picnicked, sat and watched so it didn't feel very long.
If children regularly walk then they soon build up their stamina and leg muscles, mine used to walk twice as far as me as they ran in the field and then came back, raced away and back in fun games.
There was a debate about this at a meeting I went too once. Some people felt that if the LO's were walking to and fro school that was enough walking for the day. But if you are on busy roads and having to hold on to push chairs it's no fun really, despite all the endless chitter chatter and observing we do to make it interesting, so good fun exercise is also needed to build up a love of outdoors and fun. This is when you can 'train' them to walk safely etc too.
I had a LO who's grandparents told me that they were amazed how far we walked as she always wanted picking up on their days of care. It's all about expectation too.
I find we are in a unique situation and something I always promoted over nurseries, we have time. It doesn't matter how long it takes for us to get from a to b ...we can add exciting little activities in to make it more interesting...the journey is as much fun as the getting there. This is one of the reasons that I was careful not to take on odd hours children - all day was my system, then I never had to get back for anything. I also soon found out that outdoor activities were a lot more fun than attending groups for me and the children...to give the LO's some other children's company I met up with others outdoors.
The buggy board is ideal though for the odd tired legs, mine was strapped up and only used when I felt really necessary, so not a 'given' form of transportation. The bigger the better if it fits on your push chair I would say ...as long as you still can walk comfortably with it , the children feel safer on a larger platform.
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Originally Posted by
FloraDora
I have had similar experience to WW. My nearly two year old walked 3.2 miles around our RSPB centre ( Ihadn't realised how far the route was DH checks all walking distances now with his technology. ) no issues, we stopped and played, picnicked, sat and watched so it didn't feel very long.
If children regularly walk then they soon build up their stamina and leg muscles, mine used to walk twice as far as me as they ran in the field and then came back, raced away and back in fun games.
There was a debate about this at a meeting I went too once. Some people felt that if the LO's were walking to and fro school that was enough walking for the day. But if you are on busy roads and having to hold on to push chairs it's no fun really, despite all the endless chitter chatter and observing we do to make it interesting, so good fun exercise is also needed to build up a love of outdoors and fun. This is when you can 'train' them to walk safely etc too.
I had a LO who's grandparents told me that they were amazed how far we walked as she always wanted picking up on their days of care. It's all about expectation too.
I find we are in a unique situation and something I always promoted over nurseries, we have time. It doesn't matter how long it takes for us to get from a to b ...we can add exciting little activities in to make it more interesting...the journey is as much fun as the getting there. This is one of the reasons that I was careful not to take on odd hours children - all day was my system, then I never had to get back for anything. I also soon found out that outdoor activities were a lot more fun than attending groups for me and the children...to give the LO's some other children's company I met up with others outdoors.
The buggy board is ideal though for the odd tired legs, mine was strapped up and only used when I felt really necessary, so not a 'given' form of transportation. The bigger the better if it fits on your push chair I would say ...as long as you still can walk comfortably with it , the children feel safer on a larger platform.
I agree... I start 'training' mine to walk as soon as they start walking. I have a 16mth old who happily walks a 2 mile track.
By the time they are 2 1/2 I don't use a buggy or buggy board at all and our school run is a mile each way... even with LOs walking, it usually takes no more than 15 mins. (In fact my slowest walkers are schoolies who are usually ferried everywhere by car!)
The expectation some children have of being carried is hard work! I have an almost 3yr old who finally walks with me without lying on ground and screaming every 2 mins! Mum says she doesn't carry him ... every time I see them she is carrying him!
I was just intrigued as to how you would balance a child on the front of the 360! My friend had a seat thing that clipped on the front but never looked safe.
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Originally Posted by
mumofone
just looking at a lascal one...theres a mini and a maxi one -hmmm which would i need?!
I have a Lascal Mini. It's useful, but does make pushing tricky. This may be because I'm taller than the average buggy-pusher, so my stride is quite long. It's supposed to be easier if you can adjust the buggy handles to make them longer.
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Originally Posted by
loocyloo
I'm intrigued about fitting a 3rd child on front of out and about. Mine is a side by side and although 3rd child is a tiny little 2yr old ... smaller than the almost 1 and just 1 yr old ( ! ) I can't see how she would stay put!
I have an easy X rider that clips on the back like a buggy board but with a seat that you can clip children into. I then use a poncho to keep them dry in the rain.
Yes mine is side by side, third child sits on the triangle part at the front (probably where older children would put feet, it has 2 big indents) all my children are 2 years old (wouldn't do it with younger children) and the 2 sitting in actual seats just move their legs to the side, so the third child can sit on the front - you just have to be careful if you have a front wheel that swivels (mine has lost the locking nut) otherwise you can catch child on front's leg in the wheel - they soon learn! Everyone in our childminding network who has a double Out & About now does this, I got the idea from my daughter's sister in law - she had a 2 year old son when she then had twins. One childminder does have a set of reins on the child in front and holds onto them - I have considered asking my husband to put a seat strap round but haven't lost anyone off the front yet.
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Originally Posted by
mumofone
you put kids on the front of the out and about?? Im confused! How does that work, ive googled images of them and cant see where or how they would sit?
On the foot rest, there are 2 big indents, just right for little bottoms. Maybe the newer ones are different but mine is a V1 model that I bought second hand, all the other childminders in our network have copied me and bought old ones and sit little ones on front.
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http://www.kiddicare.com/blog/wp-con...Hollybobbs.jpg
photo of a single Out & About Nipper with a toddler sat on the front, so you can do exactly this with the double and one day on a walk with a thunderstorm looming behind us, I put 2 toddlers on the front and ran back to the car!
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Thanks everyone, i think the building up stamina idea is a good one, i will work on that first then fall back on the buggy board idea if needed.
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I'd worry about putting extra weight on the front wheel .And after paying over £300 pound for the pushchair it's a no, no. Plus falling off would bother me big time. Having said that I know people do it with no problems.And it's up to them what they do not me so doesn't worry me.
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