For experienced moms of 2 or more....do you think I need a double stroller?

[ACsMom]

I'm getting ready to give birth to #2 any second, and my older girl will be 4 soon. A friend has offered me her double stroller - should I take it? Or will it just crowd up my already packed garage? The only thing I can think I might use it for is walking around the neighborhood - I like to get a good walk in, and can only do that if my 4 y/o is riding in something (usually her wagon, but tiny baby can't ride in that). I don't know how she'd feel about riding in a stroller - it's been a long time!

I don't know...what do you guys think?

[MaerynPearl]

I had a double stroller after my second, but my first was 2. This time it will be a single one (unless its twins!) because my second is 4 1/2 and does not ride in a stroller anymore no matter where we go.

It was really handy with the younger one though, we had one of those where he could sit in front and I could put the babys carseat in the back and when she got big enough he could sit in the back which was more roomy and she could sit up front and they each had their own umbrella.

I think if ANYTHING for this one, I would get one of those where you can have the baby in the stroller and then one of the kids standing on the back (my kids love doing that)

OF course, you could also carry baby in a sling and still have DD in the wagon, until baby is big enough to sit in the wagon with her.

[mediumcrunch]

I'm not a fan of double strollers. I had a NICE one, really light and still with an older child sitting in front it was incredibly hard to maneuver and bulky to store etc.... I moved to baby in sling, older child in regular stroller pretty quickly. Now I have a Sit N' Stand which is a great compromise. I can put the baby (after about 4-5 months) in the front and the toddler or preschooler can stand or sit in the back OR I can put the baby in the sling, the toddler in the front and the pre-schooler can sit or stand in the back. The latter is the usual scenario. A Sit N' Stand is a great stroller when you have an older child that really doesn't require being strapped in a stroller but may get tired and want to ride a little if you are going on a long walk or out shopping for a long time etc... They are often on Craigslist (where I got mine)

[RedOakMomma]

this is free from a friend?

Definitely.

We use our double strollers a lot...especially once the babies are a little too heavy for comfortable long walks in a baby carrier. It's also very handy if the baby wants to take a nap, or if the summer is hot and skin-to-skin is too much. Plus I think older kids like to have the same pampering options open to them...especially being pushed around in strollers...when a new baby arrives.

If it's free or cheap, go for it. Makes life a whole lot easier sometimes.

[umsami]

If your DD is 4, then I'd say no... a single is fine. And most likely, she's too big for it anyways. You could get a little board that goes on the back of a single that allows an older child to get a lift.... or see if you can find a used "Sit-n-Stand."


I did love my double (side by side...Combi)... that I had when my kids were just 2 years apart. It was fab.

[Ashes]

Thank you for asking! I am wondering the same for myself, except no free strollers are offered my way... and I will have a 2 year old when this little baby is born in April. I want to do the sling thing for as long as possible, but when the baby is heavier, I am not sure what we will do.

I tihnk a major factor is, are you staying at home with the kids? Because if yes, then I am sure you will need it for errands and just getting out of the house!

[MacKinnon]

I think that with an older DC 2 and under I would spend the money on a double. I would take a free one for sure at anything under 4-ish. My DD was 1 month shy of 3 when my DS was born, and it was January. Knowing it wouldn't be stroller-outside weather until DD was 3 and several months we didn't bother getting a double. My neighbor gave me her sit and stroll and we used that a little, but not much really. We were later given a BOB Revolution as a gift. DD sits in the space for DS's feet, when she needs to sit for a bit. Mostly though, she walks. We are expecting #3 in September, DS will be 3 1/2, we have no plans to get a double.

[Ashes]

Awesome, I have a Bob Revolution... and I wondered about that... I hope my DS will want to sit at the baby's feet! haha.

I wish the Bob was like the Phil and Ted's where you can buy an extension at the back for a new baby.... I wish I had known all that when I bought it back when...

[etsdtm99]

if its free, i would take it .. BUT .. my first 2 were 26 months apart, and i got a double stroller and almost never used it.. i probably used it 5 times .. the rest of the time i wore the baby and the 2 yr old rode.. once he was about a year and she was 3 she walked and he rode or they took turns .. now that he is 20 months they take turns walking. I did have 2 umbrella type strollers if i was going shopping with my mom or something she would push one and i could push one, then the kids were contained.. my DD will be 4.5 when #3 arrives and i expect her to not use the stroller at all by then..

[jillmamma]

For neighborhood walks, I find that my 4 year old does well riding her tricycle while I walk. So I do not plan to use a double stroller much at all this time around. Even with my first two I did not use it much...I usually wore DD and DS would either walk or go in the stroller (he was 2 3/4 when she was born). DD was/is tiny though, so that made wearing her a lot easier. By the time he was 5 or so, he never got in the stroller at all.

[Tulafina]

I think if you could give it back if you ended up not using it or possibly find another home for it...then it would be a great idea.

I just purchased a double stroller...never thought I would but I think with number 3 coming this year I will find it handy. I ended up getting a Joovy with the seat in front and the small seat/stand in the back. The child in the back will most likely be my oldest(nearly 4) and then my 20mos old will be in the front. I end up carrying my new ones for over a year(my DS1 was 2 when I stopped wearing him and DS2 was 18mos...he hated being worn) so I hope that by the time the third is too large to be worn my oldest won't need to sit in the stroller. Anyway, not sure if this helped you any....
Take Care,
Julie

[ACsMom]

Thanks for all the input...I think this is a double and not a sit-and-stand - my friend's kids were much closer in age than mine. I do plan to sling baby in a moby for as long as possible, which is what I did with my first. I'm just not sure my 4 y/o will ride in a stroller at all, unless she has regression issues for a while after the baby's born. I dk - maybe I'll go ahead and take it and see how it works out. I can always pass it on to someone else if it doesn't!

[MamaMonica]

Moved to LWAB.

[Drummer's Wife]

since it's free, I would say take it and you can always pass it on. But really, at 4, I would guess you wouldn't get much use, if any, out of a double stroller.

My kids are all 23-25 months apart, and while I used one after #2 was born b/c of having to walk to the store and such, when #3 was born we didn't use one much, and even less (except for the jogger) with #4.

It's hard to say, and it depends on your lifestyle - but I really think you would be fine with a single. For neighborhood walks you could put baby in a sling/carrier, and have the 4 yo in the wagon/stroller, if need be.

[LianneM]

Mine are 3.5 years apart, and I decided to get a Peg Perego P3 b/c of the step on the back for the older kid. It has worked out beautifully. The P3 is easy to push with both of them in/on, and it still only takes up the space of a regular single stroller, both walking through stores and in the trunk of my sedan. I bought a previous year's color so it was not so expensive, and I have been absolutely thrilled with it

[ivymae]

I love my double jogging stroller, but would not bother with a normal double stroller. My neighborhood has too many hills/cracked sidewalks to get anywhere with small wheels, and most double strollers I've tried out are hard to maneuverer. I will have a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a newborn in April, and I plan to put baby in the sling, the kids in the jogging stroller, and take advantage of the small bits of sunshine we'll have without waiting for the big kids to inspect every rock and leaf along our path.

[Abraisme]

Originally Posted by umsami

If your DD is 4, then I'd say no... a single is fine. And most likely, she's too big for it anyways. You could get a little board that goes on the back of a single that allows an older child to get a lift.... or see if you can find a used "Sit-n-Stand."


I did love my double (side by side...Combi)... that I had when my kids were just 2 years apart. It was fab.

[Murph12334]

well depends on your 4 year old. If you will only get a walk in with it, then yes go for it. We have one and it has never been used. We got it for free from a friend and was dirty. We never cleaned it up. I just plop the baby in a sling and put the 3 1/3 in a stroller if I need better control of both of them

[Punchy Kaby]

My DC are 3.5 yrs apart and I didn't consider getting a double. DS has not used a stroller for normal outings since he was 2.5. I strongly believe that kids should walk as much as possible. If we were out and he was tired then it was time to go home or time to take a break.

He's just 4 and we can get in a good 30 min walk with him so exercise is possible, if I want to go running DH and I arrange our schedules so I don't have to go with a stroller. We are honest with him that sometimes we don't want to take a walk but we all need the exercise.

I personally don't like having extra clutter around the house, I have tons of stuff piling up all around me. To the OP I would say you probably don't need a stroller but if my kids were closer together, lets say 24 months I would have options for keeping the older kid safe in busy places or for certain circumstances. But overall if there is an option for a kid to sit all the time or ride along, such as a double stroller, they are going to use it instead of walking.

[MommyToElla]

my dd was almost 4 as well when my younger one was born. we hardly ever used a stroller with her BUT as soon as the baby came she wanted what the baby was using. i knew that would be an issue and i didn't want to deny her a seat just in case.

also, i like it when i'm trying to take an actual walk for exercise. we have a jogger and if my older one is walking with me i can't go too fast. we also take night walks before bed and it's perfect for them to relax in.

if it's free, i'd take it!