baby bunching Q/A: bad weather errands

This question came to us from Baby Buncher Julie.  

Q: I'm new to Baby Bunching. We have a 19 month old and a 3 week old. Today I had to get out in the cold with both babies to take the oldest to the doctor. Then I had to take them both to the pharmacy. Trying to get them in and out in the cold was a challenge to say the least. Any helpful hints on maneuvering two in and out of cars in bad weather and in places that don't have big shopping carts (like Walgreens)?

A: The never ending challenges of early Baby Bunching. This is one of our least favorite. The quick trip errand to pick up one thing in the rain sucks. Linda says she found this very frustrating in the beginning since she was living in Sweden during this stage and it was cold and snowing for the first 8 months of her youngest's life. Obviously bad weather is unavoidable, but there are ways to get around this.

Our first suggestion is to get your kids used to wearing their coats in the car. Start making them adjust now so you don't have to mess with it later. Turn off the heat, and just keep them in their coats. It will save you a step and your sanity if you don't have to keep bundling kids up or stripping them down in the car. Fleeces/light jackets and fleece buntings are great for most days because they are light in the car, but can keep kids warm from car to store. We don't buy the larger bulkier coats for this reason. It's just easier for the car--and safer. (The trick is layers.) They will fuss at first, but believe us it will be worth it to just have everyone comply.

Second, consolidate your trips. The game should how not to load kids into the car more than a few times a day. Drive a little farther away to go to the drive-through drug store or hit the grocery store with the pharmacy so you can pick up milk, diapers and bread, too. This is key and may be hard to get used to. The less times you have to go through the car loading and unloading process the happier you'll be. Call husband and have him pick up things for quick trips or find establishments that have everything. Buying dish soap at Walgreens might be more expensive, but that $1 may actually be worth the ease of just getting it right there. We know one mom who needed milk so bad and couldn't deal with her melting down kids that she drove through Wendy's and ordered 10 milks to hold her over until the next day. We love resourcefulness!

Third, make sure you have all the equipment you need. Your car should always have a stroller and, with an infant, some kind of carrier (Ergo, Sling, Baby Bjorn, etc.) For quick trips in and out, a single stroller and Baby in carrier will be helpful. (Always load Toddler in stroller first.) Baby strapped to you is helpful because if there are no carts, you only have one kid to manage and it's a lot easier to have one if the other one is safely next to you. The carrier is also nice because Baby will stay warm and dry. Many strollers have rain shields or extra large canopies and these may help as well in keeping your Bunch dry. As for you, get a coat that doesn't require an umbrella. Nothing is more annoying than trying to manage everyone and then needing to bring out the umbrella for you. If you don't have a rain coat with a giant hood, we recommend you find one.

Remember that the cold or bad weather probably bothers you more than it does them. But good gear (for everyone), a good strategy for hitting your errands (or not), and a deep breath and a smile will help you make it through.  Bad weather doesn't last forever and neither does this stage. Hang in there.

(Car rain boots are from www.polarnopyretusa.com)

Comments

[kelly]

I second Drive-thrus! I transferred any and all prescriptions to a new pharmacy b/c they had a drive through. LOVE the drive-thru... every store should have that option!

the car seat nazi's are not going to like that big coat suggestion, but i've done that before as well. :)

[Kelsey]

Funny, the other day I was just thinking about going through the mcdonalds drive thru just for milk. Also I think I should open a drive thru grocery store, it would make millions from bunchers.

[Brenda]

a different option from a car-seat nazi - ;-) Don't worry I'm not offended by the title. Put - heavy weight blankets in your car- dress your kids in layers- tshirt- sweatshirt/sweater - light weight jacket - then once they are buckled in - throw the blanket over the top of them. It works great - and my oldest like to pretend it's her cocoon. It's a perfect solution -and yea you'll get looks from people of why the heck doesn't she have her kid in a COAT - (which you doo) but they aren't going to freeze running into the store.

[Susan]

I'd never even considered taking my kids coats off in the car! That would make my life miserable!
Most drive through pharmacies will also let you request a few other things if you really need them. When you drop off the prescription, just mention that you also would like a box of kleenex, a gallon of milk, etc, and they will most likely be able to get those things together for you when you pick up your prescription.
There is a drive through beverage store near us that is a lifesaver in a pinch. They have milk and bread along with the other essentials like wine and beer.

[Amanda]

I don't know what I would do without my neighborhood Safeway..there is a bank, pharmacy, and post office inside (and Starbucks too). They even take your groceries to your car and load them for you.

It's about the only place I go anymore.....(letting out a big sigh).

[Baby Bunching]

As for the car seat Nazis.....I will say it is the Swedes that are super anal about the car seats and when we lived there, with their kids rear facing until age 3, ALL their kids were in outerwear. They have this kind of overall shell that they put on or an overall fleece, but every kid is in their coats. You can tighten the straps around the coats. We have the winter carseat strap length and the summer car seat strap length. :-)

 

[Rachel O.]

Props to the mom who ordered ten milks from Wendy's!!!

[Molly]

I agree that drive-thrus are ideal and more places should have them.. :D When I'm out with both girls I always wear at least one of them. I have a Suse's Kindercoat that I can wear over baby in the carrier (or over both of them if I wear them both but I don't do that too often anymore since they're getting a bit big to wear both.) It's great, keeps us snuggly warm and dry and there are hoods and openings all over so baby can be in the front, back or on my hip. Older dd wears her rainboots and coat when it's wet. It's easier with a mini-van now to get everyone in/out but I managed for a year in OR rain with a sedan. I agree with the carseat-Nazi. Tightening carseat straps around coats isn't the same as there's no way to know how the fabric of the coats (especially the puffy kind) will compress under the extreme force of an accident! Kids should only wear outerwear that fits under the straps as they'd be adjusted in normal clothes. Fleece jackets are great. Ponchos that don't interfere with the harness and warm blankets in the car are good too. I'd rather have to hassle with winter clothes on and off than have a kid ejected from their seat in an accident because the coat compressed and allowed them to slip out!