Mom Blog and Baby Blog | Baby Bunching

stroller traffic's double stroller showdown

Apologies for the lack of posts lately, the month of May is kicking our butts! And we are not exaggerating. Every morning I look at my calendar praying for June to arrive just for things to slow a bit. To offset our crazies, we thought we'd point you to the latest and greatest double stroller showdown from Stroller Traffic. OK, we admit the side-by-side comparison looks a bit familar but we love the gals over at Stroller Traffic so we're totally endorsing it. Plus, this one has lots of the new strollers that we haven't included yet.

Q/A: baby gear essentials: avoiding big gear in a small house

Today's Q/A comes from Beth on our Facebook page.

Q:  My husband and I are adopting three boys, a 3-year old and two 18-month old twins.  We are currently childless so this is a HUGE new adventure for us.  Any suggestions on what you've done that works well?  I would also appreciate knowing what doesn't work.  I would also be interested in knowing what type of baby gear works best in a small house with lots of kids.

A:  First of all, WOW and congrats!  Nothing we can tell you is going to prepare you for how much your world will be rocked - and how much you will absolutely love it!  The blog and the Facebook pages are chock-full of do's and don'ts from seasoned Bunchers, so it's worth taking the time to scroll back through the years and load up on information.

To skip ahead to part 3 of your question, you're actually in luck.  Seven years and multiple children into parenting in *very* small houses (Cara holds the record currently, with three children and 1,400 square feet), we can both say that we know quite a bit about parenting in limited space.  The good news is that with your youngest boys being 18-months old, you can bypass some of the stuff we are tempted to get with newborns and infants (swings, Jumperoos, high chairs, etc.).  

In lieu of highchairs, get booster seats strapped onto regular old dining room chairs.  There are any number of hard plastic boosters with trays and straps that are portable and travel to restaurants, Grandma's, etc. easily (your wee ones are probably old enough to even do away with the the tray and pull right up to the table).  For bigger kids, we love soft boosters.   This will allow your oldest to climb up and down independently without you having to strap in/out while your hands are full with the little ones.  

For a bunch of kids this size, a "nice to have" if you have a little corner is a children's table and chairs - both for eating as well as for arts and crafts.  My all-time FAVORITE is Ikea's Mammut line.  Hideously colorful? Yes.  But oh, so convenient.  Lightweight and easy to move/pack/store away when grown ups come for dinner.  Waterproof so you can hose it down in the backyard.  Compact so you can throw it in the back of your van and take it to a friend's house when extra seating for children is needed.   These must be the reasons that everyone we know has this set.

As a fellow mom of all boys, I can tell you that our train table gets major mileage.  But for other families it might be a workbench or a play kitchen.  Depending on your space/configuration, consider limiting them to one "big" toy (or if they MUST have several, buy them secondhand so you don't care if they get weatherized and toss them in the backyard so the kids can play there).

The most important piece of big equipment you need, HANDS DOWN, is a stroller.  With this many small boys running in different directions, you need a way to keep them tethered down on occasion, for their own safety.  We're thinking your best bet is the Joovy Big Caboose (a Sit-and-Stand with double seats and a standing board).  We *think* that this may be superior to the Double Graco Sit-N-Stand, which we're not sure can accommodate two kids sitting AND one standing.  Readers, please chime in if you know.  Biggest cons to these strollers are they're bulky (need a good-sized trunk) and can be heavy/unwieldy at times, but it is SO WORTH IT to know that you can have everyone strapped down at once, should the occasion/need arise.  

And, of course, the cribs.  You are right on the borderline of being able to bypass cribs if you don't have them already.  A fully baby-proofed room with regular beds and a gate across the door that keeps them from wandering the house could possibly do the trick.  However, if they are used to sleeping in cribs, you may want to keep them in cribs since they are already making a big transition to a new home - I would feel that out with the current caregiver.  Skip the changing table altogether (18 months is right around the age where you have to start wrestling them to the ground to change diapers, anyway).

What have we missed, readers?  

just the right jogging stroller a must for baby bunchers on the run

In seven years of parenting, I am loathe to admit that although I've used the heck out of my assorted jogging strollers, I've only actually used them to jog once or twice.  This is due to a host of excuses reasons (I'm tall so the stroller interferes with my stride, I cheaped out and went with BabyTrend joggers which are great for walking but not so great for running, the stroller always veers slightly to the left  - probably because I cheaped out, and most importantly - I could barely ever propel my running self forward more less two additional smaller selves).  

Having hit my "life" stride in recent months, I've also gotten back into my workout groove and have a nice running routine in place.  Not coincidentally, the biggest two of my Bunch are onto scooter phase (less babies=more personal time, are you serious - who knew?!?!).  Now that I'm downsized back into the single jogger AND in better shape, I decided to strap the Caboose into the jogger this morning and venture out to my favorite running spot. He proceeded to cling to the sides of the stroller in fear howling, "It's rolling too fast!  It's rolling too fast!"  It was amateur hour on the running trail this morning, let me tell you.

This morning's exercise left me wondering - if I'd known then what I know now when I bought my very first BabyTrend jogger (because it was the most affordable one available), would I have invested a little more in a higher quality stroller to assist with ease of workouts?  I see lots and lots of moms on the trail with double joggers (mostly of the BOB variety, although I know Linda adored her Mountain Buggy), so I know that there are some of you out there that can both stick to a workout routine with two babies AND integrate them into said routine.  My hat is off to you in a MAJOR way.  

Y'all know one of our favorite topics here at Baby Bunching is strollers, so do tell - what's your favorite jogging/workout stroller and why?  And is it worth the splurge to get a stroller that works WITH you instead of against you in your workout?

baby bunching Q/A: going out with three under 2 1/2

We found this question buried in our archives. Our apologies for it taking this long to surface, but this always seems to be a popular question.

Q: I need ideas on going out with my boys, I have 4 kids but 3 are bunched--ages 4, 3 and 1. I had an umbrella stroller double, but it is to hard to maneuver and I still have a child that may or may not cooperate. Any ideas from you or your readers would be greatly appreciated.

A: Getting out is always going to be a challenge and will always take some planning and strategy. Always! You're at the point where purchasing another double stroller is probably moot since your 4-year old isn't riding much and your 3-year old probably won't be for too much longer. Where you go will probably also determine what you need when you're out and about. With this configuration, places with carts may be the easiest, but it often depends on your kids and their ability to stay with you or sit down in the cart.

There are a few possibilities you could explore, but it might mean getting a few accessories.

1) Find a used Sit n' Stand and give this try. You might be able to even get your two Bigs to sit on the seat together now and then.  This stroller will probably still only last you another year, but it does give you some good options to keep everyone together.

2) Ditch the double and revert back to your previous single. (We're just assuming you have one of these.) and use a product like a tag*a*long.These after market accessories can be added to strollers or even carts. Yes, you could make your own with a rope or something similar, but it wouldn't look this cute. Keep these on hand and use with your single or double stroller.

3) Buggy Board. Note: these are not for little kids! You probably couldn't attach this to your current double umbrella if it's already too hard to push with two kids, but this on the back of your single might be a nice option for either your 4 or 3-year old to jump on and off while you're out and about.

You mentioned an older sibling who isn't Bunched. You might enlist him/her to be on sibling duty with one of the older two of the Bunch. Perhaps he/she takes the 4-year old's hand and you have the 3 year old ride on the Buggy Board. Whatever you decide to do, will depend a lot on your kids' personalities and stroller temperament. When my son turned 3, he was completely done with the stroller. But I know kids who are nearing 5 who are still up for a ride.

All in all, it's a lesson for every child in learning to stay with you. When they are 2-3 this is a bit harder to teach since they tend to roam, but by age 4 this is something worth investing some time in teaching, especially since you have younger kids you will have to continue to rein in for some time.

We'd love to hear some suggestions from our readers.

britax says 'b-ready for your bunch'

Cara and I both covet strollers. We know there are those out there happy with their easily collapsible umbrella strollers or the Graco travel systems, but we have this strange fascination with strollers even now that our kids are almost out of them completely.

Last year, we highlighted some new strollers for 2010. But since then a new one has come on the market from Britax. This one is ever so delish and could be our favorite yet. The Britax B-Ready (c'mon don't you just love that name?) has 14 different configurations for it's babe and buddy set up. It is an in-line stroller, well, actually it's sold as a single and you add the buddy seat or as we like to say the Bunching seat. So it falls into the Phil & Ted, UppaBaby, iCandy category.

Britax designed this stroller to try and solve all the problems of its predecessors. They are boasting:

• A large basket with easy access from all four sides
• Compatible an infant car seat
• Smaller, more maneuverable frame than a true tandem or even the City Select
• Second seat that reclines flat and offers sun protection, appropriate for newborn to 35 pounds
• Versatile configurations include two car seats, a car seat and a second seat, a bassinet, and options to face the parent or the world
• Easy to fold and folds with the second seat attached. (Yay!)
• Comes with cup holder, rain cover and Chaperone car seat adapter
• Nice suspension system in both the main seat and the second seat
• Larger and taller seat with lots of head room for, well, taller toddlers

 So now the two final questions we always like to answer are weight and price. It's 28 pounds with one seat on and after you add the second seat it's 36 pounds. It's more than a Bob Revolution and the Phil & Ted, but less than a Graco Quattro or Kolcraft Contour. You can compare that to other doubles out there with our Double Stroller Guide.

And the price tag is about $400 (from Amazon) for the stroller plus $136 for the buddy Bunching seat. Do we think it's worth it? Keep in mind everyone has different stroller needs so answer our 12 questions and consider a few things to determine if this stroller is worth taking for a test drive. (We love test driving strollers! Be sure to bring along some rowdy kids to test 'em out!)  

From BabyGizmo.com.

(We were not paid for this review or even asked to do it. We only review things on this site that we think are valuable for our readers. But if we're super lucky, perhaps Britax will send us a stroller as a thank you.)  

thou shalt not covet

By Rachel Ostlie

Sixteen months. Barely a blink of an eye for an adult. Far too short, in most people's minds, to be a reasonable gap between two children. But it's incredible how much the baby gear world changes in that tiny time frame.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I did my research. A lot of research. I read all the parenting magazines, trolled through the baby websites. I asked advice from my mother and mother-in-law. I made a questionnaire and sent it out to all my mommy friends, asking them their opinion on cloth vs. disposable, infant carrier vs. baby wearing, umbrella stroller vs. pimped-out buggy.

Then came the second pregnancy, with further research. Another car seat. A double stroller. More diapers. I chose what I was certain were the best options, then scoured ebay and Craigslist to find the best deals.

Somehow, through all that, I became a guru to some. The person to go to when you want to know what detergent to use with cloth diapers, or what double stroller to buy, or the merit of various baby wearing options. Not wanting to rely on past research, I continued to research, read blogs, and keep up with the new options. And sixteen months after the birth of Little Baby, I found myself with a dilemma... EVERYTHING WAS BETTER. The world of baby gear had moved on without me, and I had been left in the dust. Though I once loved my Beco Butterfly baby carrier, and would crow its advantages to anyone who would listen, I now had a huge crush on the Beco Gemini (ergonomic, with outward and inward facing options for the baby. And a hip hold, along with the front and back standard options). And where I once drooled over my Phil & Ted's Sport, and could not imagine a more perfect stroller for my bunch, I now coveted the Baby Jogger City Select (with it's sleek lines and seemingly endless configurations).

Almost makes you want to have another baby, just so you can have an excuse to buy the newer, nicer things.

Thankfully, I'll be moving out of the country in the next eight months, and finances are tight, so all these new things I am coveting over aren't really an option. Though, I must admit... I still bid ridiculously low on ebay, in the vague hope that I might still get my latest baby gear crush.

Anybody else in the same boat? What is your baby gear crush? A $500 baby bag/purse? An amazing double stroller? Luxury baby bedding? A silver teething ring? If we can't give in, at least we can commiserate...

Rachel is a baby-bunching mom of a 3-year-old daughter and a 19-month-old son. She lives in the Chicago area, and would gladly appreciate a donation toward her dream Baby Jogger City Select.

baby bunching Q/A: best stroller option for the airport

If you are one of the lucky Bunchers who will be traveling by air this holiday season, which begins next week by the way, you may be struggling with what kind of stroller to bring. We have received multiple versions of this question in the last week.

Q: I need some advice for traveling with my Bunch. We are heading cross country in a month and are staying for 2 weeks. My boys will be 1 year old, and just over 2. We are flying from VA and connect in Chicago. My double is a Baby Jogger Classic, and it's just way to huge and heavy to fly with. The last time we did this we brought the single Zooper and I wore the little one, but that was when he was 4 months old, he's to heavy for all day baby wearing now. I'm considering getting another travel stroller before we leave. Any suggestions? Should I get another double, or maybe just an umbrella single, since I'll be traveling with my husband?

A: Most importantly, you need some way to secure and transport all member of your Bunch. In these days of tight luggage restrictions, you may be tempted to forgo a stroller if your kids are big enough to walk.  Do not delude yourself into thinking that your two year old, who behaves like an angel at the mall, is going to happily hold your hand and walk through five airport terminals to get to the gate.  Even the most well-behaved toddler will either bolt or refuse to walk in this situation.  Your mode of transportation will depend on the ages of your kids.  When the baby was very tiny, we found it most convenient to throw him in a Baby Bjorn and put the big baby in the stroller.  When they got a little older, the double stroller became handy.  

However, a double stroller is not necessary, and may not even be preferrable for airport travel. If your youngest is younger than 1, you might try some kind of backpacky like thing (a Kelty or even the Ergo). But we support two umbrella strollers if in doubt. Why? They are cheap, light and can pass through most doorways and into bathroom stalls without too much issue.  

So yes, our recommendation on this one is to take your single and get another single umbrella or just suck it up and get two umbrellas to save yourself the headache of ruining your current single. With more and more people gate checking last minute large bags, the baggage guys probably have less patience for any precious strollers that come their way. They will be flung on like the rest of the luggage. Since you're staying for 2 weeks you will probably need a way to transport babes once you're there so if someone else will be with you at all times, go for the two singles. If not, you may need to reconsider a double on the other end.

However, if you're looking for an "excuse" for a new stroller (like we need one of those) this new one from Maxi Cosi might be a fun option and one that you can use after the airport nonsense. Or if you are insisting on a double, a Sit n' Stand might provide you with some options along the way. Linda personally bought a double Jeep twin lightweight stroller for an international trip five years ago. The thing was light and easy to collapse, but the first trip across the Atlantic resulted in a casualty that meant the thing never folded right again. 

seeing double with bugaboo

Yes, the news is true. Bugaboo just announced its plans to a sell a double stroller beginning next year. The Porshe of the stroller industry has apparently realized it's missing a huge market out there. But for Baby Bunchers it may be the realization that Baby Bunching is not only très chic, but here to stay.

As many of you commented on our Facebook page, the price tag (not yet released) may require you to sell one of your children thereby not needing the stroller at all. Strangely the stroller looks a lot like others recently out on the market. Or perhaps they are copying the Bugaboo. Is it worth the extra money for the original?

We know stroller knowledge is important to our readers as the double stroller is your main mode of transporting your Bunch. Our Baby Bunching Double Stroller Guide is a bit outdated. And in the past year, new strollers from Peg Perego, UppaBaby, iCandy, Baby Jogger and Britax have all come out with similar looking Bugaboo and Phil & Ted like strollers. Many convert from a single to a double and include a million other configurations.

We know you all rely on us to provide you with the latest and greatest, but we need your help on this. Post here or send us an email at [email protected] or post to our Facebook page what you love/hate about your current stroller or the ones you have used in the past. We will compile it all for you with a newly updated Double Stroller Guide and a few of our favorite picks.

baby bunching Q/A: out and about with your super-sized bunch

A great question from reader Deanna:

Q: I need ideas on going out with my boys, I have 4 kids but 3 are bunched--ages 4, 3 and 1. I had an umbrella stroller double, but it is to hard to maneuver and I still have a child that may or may not cooperate. Any ideas from you or your readers would be greatly appreciated.

A: Cara here - I'll take a stab at this one, since I had a similar situation, although my boys were 1, 4 and 5 and as we all know in the world of Baby Bunching, every year (and month!) makes a HUGE difference.  My two oldest boys were darters, so they had to be restrained when we were out and about far beyond the age of when I have seen other kids walking calmly by mom's side, so I know a little bit about maximizing stroller options with multiple kids.  I really think your best bet here is a Sit n' Stand.  No, they're not cheap, but you can often pick one up second-hand at a consignment sale or on Craig's List and they're worth the money.  I had the Baby Trend SitNStand LX, which offers not just a "standing board" for the older child, but an actual jump seat with a strap.  By the time my kids were 5, I found they had outgrown darting into harm's way, but I certainly used it to strap down many a 4 year-old.  The LX's even more deluxe cousin, the SitNStand Plus Double stroller offers two full double seats (and also allows more flexibility in accommodating infant seat configurations for younger babies), which would be great for moms with 3 or more kids even closer in age than your youngest two.  I've included the Amazon review link to this product, which is super helpful because several reviewers compare/contrast it to the uber-popular, comparable (but more expensive) Phil and Ted's and Joovy Caboose strollers.  

I realize that this solution has 2 kids pinned down, but still leaves a roaming 4-year old.  It SHOULD help, because at least with two safely strapped in, you can focus on keeping the oldest near you (although, honestly, it is really hard to steer these bad boys with one hand and leave a hand free to hold a kid). We reviewed another product called tag*a*long a while back and something like this might help.

Alternatively, depending how big your kids are, you could maybe squish the two oldest on the standing board/jump seat together when you are in an absolute pinch.  It's not ideal (and the extra weight will give you a workout when you push), but we have done this on rare occasions when I just needed everyone close to me and contained.  A third option is to go for the mother of all SitNStands, the Joovy Big Caboose.  This isn't ideal for your situation because you will have to invest a lot in it and you will likely "age out" in a few weeks (recommended 40 lb weight limit for seats).  But it's an option.

I'll admit that now that I've got two walkers and am down to one baby, I've gone back to my super sleek single (which feels positively sportyafter years of doubles and SitNStands) so I may not be fully up to speed on all the options available.  Dear readers, help a girl out if I've missed something!

fun new 2010 double strollers

We just ran our massive double stroller series a few weeks ago. This is a short post about a few new models on the market for 2010. Seen them? Tried them? Loved them? Hated them? Let us know what you think. (And if you're from the company, we're happy to do a giveaway here.)

Peg Perego GT3 for Two. Now several of our readers have asked us this new stroller. We have not seen this one yet, but it's an interesting option. The price tag is at about $650. That's $200 more than the Phil and Ted. This new stroller offers some intriguing options: easy fold, large storage space (so they say), car seat adapter and the boot is included. The width is comparable to the other in-line strollers at 24 inches. You're looking at a heavier stroller nearing 36-38 pounds.

UppaBaby Vista with Rumble Seat. I spotted this one at a localstore and had to give it a try. It has the Bugaboo look to it so if you're looking for a swankier "buggy y" this is it. UppaBaby has come up with a solution to the strollers flipping when toddler gets in and out. They have designed the Rumble seat to keep from flipping the stroller over. Another bonus is the amount of storage space. I was surprised how much you could throw into the stroller. There are several configurations to the stroller so it gives mom, baby and toddler a chance to rearrange if needed. Beware as the Rumble seat only fits kids up to 35 pounds. But in our experience by that time, kids don't want to be in the stroller very much anyway.  

Baby Jogger City Select. This stroller was recently added to our Double Stroller Guide, but first caught sight of it over at Stroller Traffic. I love the idea that it has 16 different configurations, which includes carrycot and car seats. The stroller with both seats on is 36 pounds, but the flexibility, depending on your situation, may be worth it. The price tag is $500, but to be able to mix and match so many ways...single to double and then back to single is not a bad price to pay. Bonus is the nice storage space underneath.

iCandy Pear. First spotted on Cool Mom Picks, this is the luxury double stroller model that just arrived in the U.S. from Britain. Again, it has multiple configurations that allow you to customize for your needs. Are you noticing a trend here? We Baby Bunchers need options! The biggest complaint by most moms seems to be the seat/canopy height. The stroller is a bit on the heavy side, nearly 40 pounds, and the price tag is hefty: $900. It looks like a fun stroller to drive.

For more of our double stroller favs, check out the Double Stroller Guide.