Strollers?

Hi A.!
I too have a 4 year old daughter and a new baby! I had the same dilema you do. I didnt do the double stroller because I think they are too big, plus my daughter wont do a stroller anymore. SO I got a baby carrier, its a snugli, its basically a knock off baby bjorn. When I go for walks with both of them, yes I have to go slower because of my daughter, but I do have a 20 lb baby strapped to me too. Its hard to get adequate exercise when you have two children with you, at least I think so. I still want may daughter to have exercise with walks, I just wanted to get more out of it myself, so I use the baby carrier. I also have a tredmill I do when they are sleeping. Congrats on baby! My daughter took a little bit to adjust, but she LOVES her baby brother and he loves her. Its amazing to see them together, another love I didnt know about!!! =)

As another poster mentioned, if you are serious about jogging, you need a jogger with a fixed wheel. These are for serious runners that plan on logging a lot of miles! If you are going to be light jogging, walking, and doing other activities with it, get a swivel front wheel, but make sure you LOCK it BEFORE you run/jog! Most "good" jogger doubles will fit through a standard size door so you can take them into stores, however they may still be wide for maneuvering aisles. Plus, they are large and heavy to push. If you think you can jog with a single and possibly have your older child ride along on a bike or even leave her with someone else while you jog, I would go for a Phil & Ted's. You can get a toddler seat to put on the back for when you are out and about and your older child wants to ride. However, you cannot jog with the toddler seat on! Good luck!

A.,
Not sure which one is the best but you might check out Kids Closet Consignment! www.kidscloset.biz You can look on the site and find a sale near you. There is always a good selection at each sale, and plenty of Mom's around to tell you how they liked each one! And you'll only pay a 1/4 of the cost for a really nice stroller! Good luck! The next sale is in Lawrence, Douglas County Fairgrounds. 2110 Harper St.
August 27-29th. Sat. 1/2 price Day!
Good Luck!

When my second was born, I bought the Joovy Sit & Stand tandum stroller. It holds a pumpkin seat for your newborn (which turns into a normal seat when they are old enough) and then there is a space for your older child to sit or stand behind your baby. It's great. My girlfriend has a similar stroller but made by Baby Trend. And she loves this, too. -A.

I would say since she is 4 it would be a waste of money to get a double stroller.I have a 5,2 and 3 month old,I have to use a double stroller with my 2 yr old and 3 month old because she does run off.Your 4 yr old is old enough to walk beside you and understand not to run off.For shopping I love to use a sling or a front carrie for my baby works well.

I would say it really depends on how you are planning on using it...if you are serious about the jogging bit, your 4 yr old will NOT be able to keep up. We're a military family and I've seen TONS of double jogging strollers on base with kids in them that I would have thought were too old for them...but the bottom line is if you are going to power walk or run and have no one to watch the eldest you need a double jogger.

As for using it for other outings...I seriously doubt it. Those double strollers, on average, are about 60 lbs AND most are difficult to manuever in tight spaces and through regular doors. My suggestion is to get it if you are serious about the exercise (or even get a used one in case the resolution falls through), and just get a regular stroller for other schlepping...I have to say...I've had a variety and the only ones that weren't a pain in the butt (and back) were the umbrella strollers.

BTW- have you told your daughter about your desire to go walking/running? If she's going to be sitting in the stroller you need to be consulting her too...after all, you are counting on her participation in the whole process...if she's game, then take her shopping with you and make sure you buy one that SHE is comfortable sitting in.

Hi A.,
how about a bike for your 4 year old? My son who is 2 1/2 just recently got his first bike b/c mommy wanted to walk at the park to get some excersize, lol. Well the bike was really a present b/c he was a big boy now and used the big boy potty, lol. But it is awesome! He rides his bike, and mommy sheds pounds. It is also sooooooo much fun to watch him, and it is also very good quality time spent. I was thinking maybe you could purchase a single jogging stroller for your new born and let your daughter ride along side on a bike. Or you could also utilize a carrier for the new born. it's almost like a book bag that you wear on the front side, which supports the babies head and body perfect, while you add a little wait into your walking routine. This was what I did when my son was new born. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck!

Love,
T.

Hi A.-
I can't help much but did want to say make sure if you get a jogging stroller, that the front wheel turns. We got one handed down from a friend, and it's great except that the front wheel is stationary, so you kind of have to jerk it or lift it to take curves. My son is almost 2 1/2 and he's really too big almost for strollers, so my guess is your 4 y/o is probably also. Maybe she can run with you? Anyhow good luck!