Elevator Out of Commission

I have no experience with an elevator being taken out of commission in my building, because my building has no elevator! Old building. 4 floors = best thigh workout!!

The 6-yo will be fine, just tired.

(I ❤️ NYC!)

I'd look at a front carrier for the little one (not a back one - if you lose your balance going up the stairs, it will pull you backwards onto baby) to use. I'd also look into a way to store the stroller if at all possible, like others have mentioned, or chain it outside with a bike lock until you can get to bringing it up the stairs. Also, maybe consider a cheap umbrella stroller that is easy to get up and down the steps for the time being. Is there a high school or even middle school student you can "hire" to help get things up and down the steps. Maybe for $20/wk you could get a 6th grader to help you out 20 minutes a day or something. Finally, I would invest in some good bags to carry stuff in that sits comfortably on your shoulders and makes sense to pack stuff in (some bags LOOK good, but actual don't hold a tinker's damn worth of stuff). Having ones that sit comfortable on the shoulder and hang at a good height at the hip, allows you to still use the handrails and hold your 6 yr olds hand.

One more thing - have your 6 yr old wear his backpack on the FRONT of his body, not the back, when climbing that many stairs. If he loses his footing, the pack will pull him backwards. You may also want to walk side by side so if someone stumbles, he doesn't take you out and you don't take him out.

Good luck!!!

I would consider leaving the stroller in the car if you have one. But my question is are there no disabled people living in your building? It seems like they would have some alternative for those that really need it, like a delivery elevator. But I have been surprised before by places not being handicap accessible.

I lived on the 5th floor, no elevator. (historical building)
Front toddler carrier works great.
Back pack for your son.
Use a cheap umbrella stroller the 11 weeks which you could leave on first floor and it will not take much space up.

It was not easy, my son was a baby and my daughter was 2 1/2 years old. Sometimes I had to carrie both upstairs at the same time and then went again to the first floor to get the groceries.

You definitely will stay in good shape!

I would get a backpack style carrier (like you might use for hiking) to carry the toddler in, and leave the stroller in the car. The six year old carries his own backpack and you carry the little ones backpack on your front.

I would leave the stroller in the car. I always did. Some years ago, I lived on the 23rd floor and there were at least 3 times where the elevator broke, or was inoperable after a false fire alarm. Going up and down the stairs was a pain, but would have been worse if I also had to deal with a stroller. One time, I had groceries I had to bring up and I was not prepared. THAT was bad. If I knew the elevator was going to be out of commission, I would bring a backpack and put my groceries inside so I could lug them up without putting 8 bags on each arm and killing myself, while bringing up kids as well. I would also leave their book bags in the car, if they cannot put them on their backs. Maybe you can bring a backpack that you can put on your back and only stick the books that your kid will need for homework, if the backpack would be too heavy for your son to carry on his back.

Oh boy! You are going to get your exercise! 11 weeks is a really long time. Can you leave the stroller downstairs during this time? I guess my only suggestion is to leave what you can downstairs. And give yourself extra time! Prepare to stop and have a little snack on the stairs if the kids are being cranky. If you have a ton of stuff and can't leave the stroller...can you stick the youngest one in a playpen watching a cartoon while you make a 2nd trip up and down the stairs? That way you don't have to carry it all at once. Well, try to think positively about it...it'll be a new exercise regime!

Any chance you can talk to management about temporary storage for your stroller on the 1st floor?

If not, I would also use either a front carrier or baby backpack and store your stroller almost entirely for a few months. I don't know how far you have to go with your little one, but Kelty makes fantastic baby backpacks that make it easy to walk even long distances (I had an older version of the Tour model and loved it). If you are only going a short distance (eg, from the car to the building), then I'd recommend a front carrier like a Snugli or Baby Bjorn. They aren't comfortable for walking really long distances, but they are easy to pop the baby out of the car seat and into the carrier.

Make sure your 6 year old's backpack is a small enough size that he can wear it up and down the steps himself.

The first few days will be rough but you will all adjust. Everyone will have to learn to carry their own weight (ok, you'll have to learn to carry 3x your weight) and get up and down those stairs. But you'll get used to it. NYC - greatest and worst place to live all wrapped up in one!

I'd find a way to store the stroller down stairs instead of lugging it up the stairs.

Have you considered moving? :)

Follow the advice of MilitaryMom6 and LessIsMore.

Umbrella strollers are much lighter and easier to manage carrying that the sturdier bigger stroller since little one needs the stroller. Everyone gets a back pack. Strapping it to the front when going upstairs and to the back when going down will be very helpful. Take your time on those stairs, your floor isn't moving and falling down or up the stairs is never any fun.

The positive is you will get a great workout daily. Make the most of it.

That stinks! I lived in a 3rd floor walkup when I was a single mama to my oldest son, who was 3 when we moved in. I remember some days coming home from work with him, my work bag, his daycare bag, sometimes a pillow or blanket, coats, and groceries and just wanted to cry at the thought of lugging it all back up the stairs at the end of a tiring day. One morning when running late I tried to carry everything - and my son who was having a tough day - down the stairs and down we both tumbled, bags and all.

My advice is to leave the stroller downstairs if you can, and make multiple trips if you need to - get both kids up, secure the little one, then come down for the rest of your stuff. When heading out, allow time to make two trips if needed. And think of how toned your legs and glutes will be!

Wow. I would definitely make use of lots of delivery services, such as grocery and take out, during that time. Do you have any neighbors that come and go the same time as you that you can count on for a little extra help? It might be a great time to ban together and organize to help those in need in your building. The elderly, disabled and those with young kids might need some "building buddies" to help with getting up and down for appointments, emergencies, and outings during that time. May, June and July are beautiful weather months and it would be a shame that the most vulnerable would be stuck inside.

On a side note, does your building have a service elevator for emergencies?

When we have lived in homes that have floors like this we just take a few steps then stop. Sit down for a moment. I have bad hips so stairs are really hard on my.

I understand this is a much needed repair and I truly wish you didn't have to climb stairs like this because I wouldn't be able to leave my house for the majority of that time. Going down stairs is actually harder on me that going up.

Perhaps you guys can go away on Fridays and not come back until late Sunday evenings at least a few times in the next few months. That way you at least get some time off from the stairs.

When we traveled with ours - we switched to umbrella stroller (easy to lift with one hand) and we had a sling style carrier that went on our hip that was great for toddlers. Left me hands free. Backpacks for gear. Or if you can leave your stroller downstairs for your hubby to bring up when he arrives home, that might be an option.