Getting Around Town with Two

S

Shenzhennifer

Registered User
By the time I have my second, #1 will be 2. I`m just starting to wonder just how I`ll manage to get around with both of them (I have no helper - alone with them Mon-Fri).

I know some use a carrier for the little baby. I can do that for a couple of months but I have a really bad back (which will just get worse with this pregnancy and new baby), am am not really fond of walking around all day with a baby strapped to me.

Then there are these massive double strollers. I have seen the Phil and Teds and I just saw a similar Graco one (half the price of P&T) but I also can`t look forward to bulldozing my way around HK, even less accessible now to me if I have a double. Plus the expense of it. Actually the Graco is affordable (about $2.3k or so), but I would only be using it until my son is 3 (according to the product requirements) so that`s only another year.

OR - as my husband said to me today, `just don`t go out.` Yeah, right.

So what are you all doing? I need a decent option also because #1 is not one of those hold mama`s hand and listen kind of tots.
 
my two were exactly 2 years apart, too. i found a graco stroller that was front-back rather than side-by-side. it was great because the seat at the back lay flat for newborns, while the one at the front reclined to a decent position for the older one to sleep, too. it had removable suncovers and you could get a rain cover that fit over both parts.

it wasn't wide, so could get through most doors in hk, even the turnstyle at the MTR station. it WAS long and took some getting used to.

the biggest drawback was that it was fairly heavy. you also couldn't fold it when there was something under the stroller. HOWEVER, it was a single hand fold, which, when you are by yourself with 2 was a god-send.

i got mine second hand when i lived in db and only paid about $250 for it. i took it overseas 3 times and it was awesome to have. i used it all-told for about 1.5 years.
 
Ugh, this is where having a helper really is gold! I haven't had the problem as I've only got one but just a few thoughts occur. One is your carrier, have you tried an ergo or beco - you probably have, but if you haven't they rest on the hips so are much better than bjorn or slingy ones for bad backs.

The other is a combo of reins and a buggy board. Mine is not a hold mummy's hand kind for too long kind of boy either and I've used reins when we're out - people give you funny looks and make comments about leashes but way better than toddling off the top of an escalator or something, then I guess buggy boards aren't practical for the streets but could be good for when you get where you're going and your oldest is tired.

All a bit of a faff but I'd think a big double buggy with a bad back would also not be great.

Oh and if your little boy runs off someone was telling me about red light, green light. I'm not sure how it works as mine is too young to get the concept but rather than chasing them yelling stop which they think is a game and then run away even faster, you play at cars and practice stopping when you yell 'red light' at home and then apparently they do the same thing when you're out... I'm cynical but I think I maybe didn't get all the information right, maybe google it as apparently it does work! :-)
 
ps> as for "hold mama's hand and listen", i would start working on that now as it is virtually impossible to run after the older one when you are carrying the younger one. i taught my kids "red light, green light". they are allowed to run until i say "stop". if they do not listen, they lose the privilege. it took a couple of times but now, we don't have many problems with that. my first was always a great listener. my second, on the other hand has always been a handful. now, she understands that mummy means business and ALWAYS stops when i tell her to.
 
Cara- The Graco double stroller sounds like the one you might have had - a DuoGlider I think it`s called.
jvn - yes, pushing around a clunky stroller is not best for a bad back. But I know it`s better than a carrier. I still plan to get the Ergo (my last hope), but really it`s just the idea of carrying all that weight again that will do the damage.
There`s a good possibility that I will have to get another c-section (terrified) and that means that there is NO WAY I will be able to control wild monkey #1 for a few months. He will need to be seated.
I do like the idea of the red light green light thing. I will have to start something like that. Now when he gets too rambunctious I either strap him back into his stroller or if I don`t have it, I have to carry him. Neither will be an option with a newborn and a c-section.

Helper would be great. No one has them back home, how the heck are they coping? Ah yes, they have CARS and carseats (and sometimes family).
What have I gotten myself into???!?
 
You can consider buying a buggy board which allows your elder kid to stand at the back of the pushchair (available from Mothercare). You need to check if it is able to fix to your existing pushchair. I've got 3 kids. I bought the buggy board for my eldest son after my twins came along (we have 2 Maclaren Quests). However, when I'm out w/ the twins by myself I just get one of the twins to stand on the buggy board.
 
Hi Shenzhnnifer, congratulations on your pregnancy ( I assume. :) we are working on it over here ).

A tough mum you are. Right now, I am trying to cope with my 14 month old for a few days without my helper. It's not impossible but not easy. Let alone to handle two.

My son is walking now but unwilling to walk when we are outside. He is so heavy to carry around even with a carrier. If I were you, I would definitely consider hiring help for a few months. Yeah, family is what expact families don’t have living away from home. I used to wonder how my sister-in-law handles two kids without help. It turned out that her mother is really helps a lot and her two are 4 years apart which makes things a bit easier.

Good luck with everything.
 
Thanks Carey. I actually do want help for a few months, but because my situation is not so straightforward, it actually seems hard to find someone. Plus, if only for my own children's security, I think I want to go the legal route. And that is either only in Cantonese or extremely expensive. I'm still thinking about it.
The ultimate goal is to leave HK and go back to Canada, but that will have to wait a while.
In the meantime, I just have to manage. And think of the moms back home. My friend just had #2 and her super active toddler is only 19 months, so I guess anything is possible. But would definitely looooove to get some kind of help just to save my back and my sanity. And maybe sleep a wink or two.
Thanks for your words~
 
I think you can get part time cleaner (legal) for reasonable price. And there were some posts on this forum from baby sitters that you can look into. Or maybe a friend/neighbor's helper is willing to "help" for a few hours every week. Another thought is once the older one reach 2, you can send him to unaccompanied nursery for a few hours a day. He might actually like it if he is an active and social kid.
 
Thanks for your ideas, all good.
All the legal cleaners are still a lot more than what I pay now(which is the average) and the one experience I've had with a legal from an agency was awful - the worst cleaner I've experienced. But a friend told me about www.all-in-one.com.hk who seem more reasonably priced than the others so I might give them a try.
I've tried scoping out the neighbours' helpers actually. But they are all worked like slaves around here, unfortunately. I know it's not legal, but I would just love to share a helper with someone. But there are almost no expats around here and all the Chinese have their helpers work fuuulllll time.
The one babysitter on this board that I contacted wanted something like $160 per hr. That kind of scared me off.
For nurseries, I've been looking exactly for that. Not a serious one where you have to apply a year in advance, have interview, pay deposit, etc, but a more casual one. I think my son would like it. He's quite social and likes to be active. There are few of these nurseries here, however. One I like takes almost half an hour to walk there from here for a 3 hr class (drop off, go home, pick up, walk home all with newborn).
Nothing is easy:) I still have to think of exactly what I need and look for it (pt help and nursery).
 
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