Juggling Multiple Kids and Strollers

Here is one member's experience:


My son was a young 2 when my twins were born. I ended up using a double stroller with a buggy board attached for my oldest to ride on.

Here is where I bought it.

http://www.amazon.com/Lascal-BuggyBoard-Maxi-2d-Black/dp/B000R85BKY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1264016844&sr=8-2
It was $90.

Here is more information on it.
http://www.lascal.se/web/buggyboard-maxi2.aspx

There is a list of strollers on this website that work with it. I ended up getting an Inglesina double stroller (very lightweight) off Craigslist. It wouldn't work with the double Combi stroller I had.

My son loves to ride on the board. It is a bit louder, but so worth it to me. He doesn't want to walk at all now though. It is very easy to take on/off (I'm talking seconds here) if it is just the twins. It is very lightweight too. I thought about the Valco with the extra seat, but this was so much easier, less expensive, and he just likes it so much.


Experience #2:

My second son was also 18 months when our twins were born. We did a few different things on our outings that I'm happy to share with you below.

We got the Combi double stoller when the twins were born -- it's a side by side, fairly lightweight (more of the umbrella stroller style), and we still use it (they are now 2). We've gotten tons of mileage out of it and it actually folds up into "4ths" so we easily keep it in our van always and we've made several airline trips with it as well. It's definitely been worth the money and I don't have trouble getting in through doorways,etc. I do have trouble in some clothing stores that have their racks packed in so tightly that there isn't room for much more than a standing person to walk through but I just try to avoid those stores when I have the kids. I don't typically have problems getting through the main aisles, though.

The only thing you should be aware of is, it does not hold 2 infant seats but it does have shoulder straps along with the lap belts, reclines, and will hold 1 infant seat. Combi does make infant seats to fit in their stroller but even so, only one will fit at a time. Having had 2 boys already going through the infant seat stage, I knew that stage would not last long and my husband and I decided it would be better to just invest in a stroller we liked and would prefer using over the long haul. So, we dealt with the temporary inconvenience of only being able to use the Combi stroller with one infant seat and looking back, it didn't seem that bad.

All that being said, here's what we did on our outings with the boys:

1. Used the Combi stroller with one twin in the infant seat, the other twin in our Bjorn carrier and our 18 month old in the other side of the stroller.

2. Used the Combi stroller with one twin in the infant seat, the other twin out of the infant seat, reclined, and strapped in to the stroller and our 18 month old in a single stroller. I could only manage this if someone was with me and pushing the other stroller (often, my then 5 yr old).

3. We also used our plastic Radio Flyer wagon which worked perfectly with both infant seats placed side by side. The little notch on the bottom of the Graco snug ride seats fit over the edge of the wagon so I felt they were fairly secure. I managed many zoo trips and neighborhood walks on my own this way because I could pull the wagon and push our 18 month old in a stroller at the same time.

It wasn't long before time passed and our 18 month old got to the point of not wanting to be in a stroller anymore and preferred walking on his own (or chasing after his older brother) and I just had the twins in the stroller. I know there are a lot of wonderful choices and some really nice strollers out there, but for us the Combi fit in our budget and we're still very happy with it. Feel free to email me with any additional questions and I'm hoping you'll get some additional input from all the other moms who have also been through this.

A Myriad of Stroller Thoughts

Question: I'm having twins soon and I'm wondering which stroller is best. I'm considering the snap n go. Any thoughts?

Here is the advice one of our members received.

I just had my twins 3 weeks ago and I absolutely love my SnugRide 32 car seats (holds up to 32 pounds) with Quattro Tour stroller by Graco. I got mine at BabiesRUs and while costly it is well worth the investment to keep you little ones safe. I went for a walk today and the stroller manuevers nicely and is easy to operate. It is a little heavy, but I can manage on my own.

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I bought the Duo Glider by Graco. It was great when I used it for my twins for snapping in the infant car seats. It turns great, the storage bin underneath the stroller fits a large diaper bag and it was convenient. You do have to try out the car seats to make sure they fit in the stroller (if you are buying car seats that don't exactly match the stroller). I had an older Graco Snugfit car seat that was too big to fit on the seat closest to the handle bars of the stroller. But it did fit the other seat. And luckily I had borrowed a car seat that was slightly smaller than the other and it fit in just fine.

BUT with all that said....now that my twins are one... I HATE the stroller. Once the twins were big enough to sit up in the stroller on their own, it's been horrible. It doesn't give them any support and they really "sluch" (sp?) down in the seats. Even my two year old doesn't sit comfortably in it. I actually decided to buy a new one. After surveying lots of twin moms, about 90% of them recommended a side by side Combi. I actually found one today at a garage sale for $30, it has a bad wheel but I am ordering a new wheel for $20. New Combi's run about $200+ dollars. I have been watching EBay for deals and there are some great deals out there.

So my recommendation....buy a cheap or used Graco Duo Glider and then spend the money on a stroller that they will use once you are done with snapping the car seats in the strollers (probably around the 6 month mark).

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I bought the double snap and go off of craigs list. I love it. I also have a graco one for when they are older, but we have not used it enough to recommend it!

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We used the Graco Duo Glider for our twins and that was a good stroller. However, we just had our third child and bought a snap-n-go and love it! You may want to get both. The snap-n-go is great for going out and about because it's very lightweight, but the Graco Duo Glider would be better for walks around the block and when they outgrow their infant car seats.

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I vote for the snap-n-go. Used it, Loved it! Excellent for small infants, lightweight. Buy one used off another twin mom. When the babes are out of their infant seats, use the money you saved to buy a double stroller that will last you a while.

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We bought the Graco Safe Seats and used the snap-n-go frame. The seats worked well with the frame. Just make sure the seat that you purchase works with the frame. Congrats on your twins!

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I had the double snap-and-go and loved it! It turns on a dime and wasn't hard to put together. I was able to push my boys around the grocery store while pulling the cart behind me ... that's how easy it is to maneuver.

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I used the snap n go for the 1st year and would highly recommend it. It's easy to buy used as well. You'll be able to sell it for what you bought it for (if you buy it used) b/c they aren't used for that long.
After that, the Peg Perego Aria is fabulous (for ages 9 months...when babies are sitting up well). It's a side by side and pretty light.

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Usually the snap n go is only limited b/c the babies grow out of their carseats. Now infant seats are going past 20 pounds so if you get the bigger infant seats, you'll be able to use it longer. You'll want to make sure your seats are compatible w/ the stroller but the snap n go is quite versatile.A jogger has it's limitations since they are heavy, somewhat clunky and not the easiest in mall type settings. Often moms choose another stroller as well, such as the aria. The jogger would probably work at 6mo...depending on how premature the babies are.

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In my opinion the double snap and go is the way to go. My twins are 8 months old and we are still using it. I have two other strollers but my kids are still too small to sit up well in a regular stroller. They do pretty well in a jogging stroller. We can put our carriers in our Graco double stroller but it is so large and heavy, the snap and go is so much lighter. I'll probably be selling mine in a few months and there are always ladies selling theirs on the site.

Strollers - My Personal Picks and Why

From Wendy at www.themooressix.blogspot.com:

I am not sure about all of you, but the stroller was by far the most difficult piece of twin gear to choose. The reason, I think at least, is that there just isn't a perfect twin stroller. I had a singleton first and I just loved his stroller. I loved the seat, the options to recline, the canopy protection, the tray with cup holder (that you could also remove), the parent console, the storage, the ease of opening and closing it - you name it - I loved it. Now for twins, I didn't find anything that met all my needs or desires, which was frustrating. So, here was my route with stroller and also my personal favorites.

While the twins were in carriers, I bought a double snap and go frame stroller off Craig's List. These aren't used long, so you can get a nice one fairly cheap. They are light, though long, and work well for what they are. Storage is great. It was also the overwhelming recommendation that the CMOTC members gave me when I asked, still pregnant with the twins. It gives you time to research your options, decide what will ultimately work for you and it is inexpensive. Not to mention that many of the double strollers are not made for twin infants, so this frame stroller works well for your infants in their carriers.

Once they outgrew the carriers, I decided on the all terrain Baby Jogger City Mini Double stroller. It was a laboring decision (no joking here) which I spent so much time research and debating. Let's face it, strollers aren't cheap and you need them so you want the right one if you are going to shell out all that money. For me, I didn't really like the tandem strollers. The front seat didn't recline much and didn't have great canopy coverage, the back seat had little foot room and a smaller tray. And they were long. They are made for an infant and a toddler, not twins. The child in the back might not be able to see as well and might also hit (on purpose or accident) the child in the front. Etc, etc, etc. But, again, it's ALL personal preference. I know people that love their tandems and people, like me, who prefer side by side.

One other big piece of advice I received from the CMOTC moms was that if you get a tandem, you will probably want to eventually get a side by side stroller for the zoo and outings like that. Originally that was my plan, a nice tandem and then a cheap used side by side. But, the more I thought about it, the more the side by side just seemed to fit my needs more (for the reasons I already listed). The nice thing about the City Mini Double is that it fits through doorways and yet the kids aren't squashed into the seats. The major bad thing about the City Mini Double is the cost - it is expensive. But so are most of the nice side by sides. I decided to get this stroller because of all the nice side by sides (and I researched every one, from every country and called them all - sadly, I'm not joking), this one had the most options to make it what I wanted. That said, it meant more money out for these options, but at least I had the options to make it more of what I wanted. Some don't even have options.

Why I like the City Mini Double:

• It can easily fit through doors
• The twins have equal viewing
• The seats are not wide open as to promote fighting or excessive touching (at least not that we have had issues with yet - which was a warning made by the CMOTC moms when I was given advice two years ago)
• The canopies are adjustable to whatever I want AND operate independently of each other
• It folds up easily
• It steers wonderfully and turns on a dime - one handed even
• I could add a parent console, a belly bar and trays (with cup holders)
  

What I don't like about the City Mini Double:

• The seats are always a little reclined when the twins kind of want to be more upright*
• The bar and trays (that snap on) are a little high (they work for my recently two year old twins, but not for a young one year old probably)
• The storage is a pain in the rear to get to and load (although a decent size)

* I did create a little work around for the reclining seats. On the back side of the seats are mesh pockets for storage. Since the seats are fabric, you really can't put a whole lot of anything in there as the kids would be able to feel it on their backs. What I discovered, though, is that I could fold up a full size towel and stuff it in there, making the seat backs more ridged and upright.

The trays just came out this year. I just recently bought them and tried them out on a major outing. I do like them and it did help greatly to have food and drink at their finger tips. Before that I had the belly bar consoles which really weren't good for much but sticking small toys in for storage - the kids could not reach them until recently and even then it was hard for them - the trays are much better. I also bought a couple liquid holsters. My husband jokes that it is our million dollar stroller and it was truly expensive (fortunately my mom bought the stroller and we bought all the accessories). However, we take good care of things and figure at some point we can get a little money back by selling it. It definitely is an investment and for us it was worth it. I have no regrets about the decision.

If you choose to get the Baby Jogger City Mini Double stroller, I recommend searching the internet for the best deal. They only sell through distribution (though BRU and some sporting goods stores carry their product on-line as well, but sometimes not in as many colors). I found a distributor on-line that had a great deal on the price, free shipping, and threw in an accessory (the parent console) for free as well. I called the Baby Jogger Corporation and verified that they were indeed one of their distributor (since I hate to give my credit card to just anyone). The stroller drop shipped from Baby Jogger a week later. No issues.

If you can, find it on ebay or Craig's List. The City Mini Double just came out at the beginning of 2008 so there are bound to be some used ones showing up soon.

That's my two cents on strollers and review of my personal stroller.

How about all of you? Does anyone have a double stroller that they absolutely love? Please tell us what it is and why you love it (as well as what you don't like about it). The more input we provide, the easier for others to make decisions and find their perfect match! We've all been there... and we all know input from others helps the decision process immensely!

Please submit your stroller advice/review/input to columbusmultiples@gmail.com for us to post on here on our CMOTC blog.

Stroller Advice

This week we are focusing our posts on stroller advice. Here is some from Amanda:

When they were really little- like in their (infant) carriers still, I preferred a front to back style where the carriers could just lock right into it. I am not really a brand specific kind of person. As they got older, it became more difficult with a front to back for two reasons: First, front-back models (when not used with carriers....) are generally designed for an infant and toddler, not twins. Second, we had problems with the one in the back kicking and pulling hair of the child in front. So, once they got bigger, I have preferred a side by side umbrella style-one built kind of narrow to fit through doors easily. You may want to consider whether or not you want trays as a feature. They can be nice to feed them while in the stroller, but they can also get in the way. So, that is a personal preference.