Author Topic: Pram envy  (Read 7916 times)

force majeure

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Pram envy
« on: March 18, 2015, 02:59:37 PM »
I have noticed people buying ever more expensive, modular prams. Its like the giant SUV mentality.
Look everybody, myself and my partner are a better provider than you.



http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/2500-for-three-sisters-defamed-as-they-looked-to-buy-rolls-royce-of-buggies-31077579.html

accolay

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2015, 06:19:49 PM »
I hate large strollers. (Or maybe it's just the drivers?) I can't totally understand the convenience factor since I don't have children, but how much stuff do you really need to take with you on an outing with your kid? How did we ever survive without them?

Joshin

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2015, 06:35:23 PM »
I hate huge strollers. I hate the fact that the mommy brigade in my neighborhood continues to use them until the kid is old enough to drive (okay, slight exaggeration). I have one neighbor that had one of those expensive types (McLaren or something like that). She had a second kid. First kid is 3, almost 4. Naturally, she had to upgrade to double stroller made for both infants and big kids. Likely double the price tag of the first, too. Personally, I found a sling for the infant, hand for the preschooler much more efficient both cost-wise and in implementation.

I was gifted a big stroller by my MIL when kid #1 was born. I used it once, at the zoo, because she went with us and it was to keep the peace. Sold it for $500 a few days later. Hated struggling with it, hated the whole thing. I loved my baby sling -- handmade by my sister. No stroller, no baby carrier, everything was a breeze with both arms free. When the kids got too big, we switched to a $15 umbrella stroller. By the time kids could walk for 30 minutes without getting tired, we ditched the stroller entirely.

But I think I'm an outlier. I hated diaper bags, too, but all the mom's around me are dropping hundreds of dollars on "designer" diaper bags that match their SUV strollers. I used a small camera case for short trips (room for an small feeding cover, diaper, and extra onesie). FOr all day trips, I used my hiking daypack. Granted, I have never carried a purse so I viewed a diaper bag as one more thing to lose.

Bigote

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2015, 07:36:53 PM »
So yeah, you can go crazy and spend way too much on a stroller/pram.   

But there is a role for larger strollers.   City dwellers.

First of all, if you walk miles every day across really bad sidewalks, you'll really appreciate the larger wheels of a larger pram.   Secondly, the stroller is how you run errands, you go to the grocery store with the kid in it, and come back with 4-5 bags attached to it.   While you push it over horrible sidewalks through snow.   

It's not the same thing as life in the suburbs or rural life.   Then you don't really need a stroller at all. 

Dr. A

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2015, 08:04:23 PM »
But there is a role for larger strollers.   City dwellers.

Have to heartily disagree with this one. I'll give you grocery runs, but for virtually any other trip in a city, wearing the kid in a carrier is way more convenient. Doubly so if any kind of stairs or transit are involved.

Jack

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2015, 08:52:36 PM »
Whenever I hear the word "pram," I think of this.

Silly UK-isms...

Joshin

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2015, 09:25:57 PM »
So yeah, you can go crazy and spend way too much on a stroller/pram.   

But there is a role for larger strollers.   City dwellers.

First of all, if you walk miles every day across really bad sidewalks, you'll really appreciate the larger wheels of a larger pram.   Secondly, the stroller is how you run errands, you go to the grocery store with the kid in it, and come back with 4-5 bags attached to it.   While you push it over horrible sidewalks through snow.   

It's not the same thing as life in the suburbs or rural life.   Then you don't really need a stroller at all. 

I must disagree. I lived in the city when my kids were young. A wheeled grocery cart plus baby in a sling was much easier to negotiate bad sidewalks with compared to an oversized stroller. Plus, the large strollers are impossible to carry up apartment stairs (where we lived at the time), to store in a small apartment, or negotiate public transportation with. I still use the wheeled cart to this day, and my youngest is 10, so it also had better longterm value compared to a stroller.

From what I see around me, expensive strollers are a status symbol with the current parental unit crowd. It's the SUV of the baby world. A few people actually need them, but for the vast majority it's just another ego-boosting toy.

EngineerMum

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2015, 10:34:21 PM »
Slings are fine if your baby likes being in one, and if your back isn't stuffed. When my LO was small, she would actually go to sleep in her pram, and I could push her around the lake to get some absolutely essential "keep mum sane" time outside. When we got home she'd often keep sleeping for a little while allowing me to actually move a few meters away from her for the first time all day. Pram needed big wheels - hence it was one of the SUV type prams - because the paths are crushed limestone or no path at all in areas. the one I had allowed me to push single handed while I had actual grown up conversations on my phone. Again, essential for keeping mum sane, when OH is not really available to talk to. So yes, I had an expensive pram, but it was certainly not for the status symbol factor, purely because that's what worked for me, at a fairly stressful time of my life. I would absolutely not change it. I used slings too, but could have done without them a lot more easily than the pram.

Bigote

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2015, 01:10:48 AM »
But there is a role for larger strollers.   City dwellers.

Have to heartily disagree with this one. I'll give you grocery runs, but for virtually any other trip in a city, wearing the kid in a carrier is way more convenient. Doubly so if any kind of stairs or transit are involved.

If they're small enough, I agree.  I ran my son around in a bjorn until he outgrew it.   At 2 1/2, pushing 3, give me a stroller.     Of course at that age they can walk a bit, but not the 3/4 a mile trek to preschool every day unless you want to budget an extra half hour for it.   

So yeah, I'm a fan of strollers for city living. 

PEIslander

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2015, 04:47:46 AM »
I'm cynical about these things. I think the large expensive stroller/prams are bought for first children. Soon-to-be-parents foolishly think they are a good idea. They think they'll look like Princess Kate and everyone will admire them, their baby, and their stylish pram. I'm sure many justify the high cost by thinking quality will last and it can be used for the second future child too. They don't realize how difficult these things are to get into a car and how disgustingly dirty these things get in real use! After the spawn barfs in it a few times, has some diaper leaks, it gets ripped stuffing it in the car, axle gets wobbly from smashing into a curb, and the fingers get crushed a few times -- they'll realize using it is not so desirable. Next child will likely get a more basic cost-effective light-weight version. They'll also soon realize that nobody else cares (except soon-to-be-first-time-parents & dreamers who read expensive bridal magazines).

pancakes

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2015, 06:09:06 AM »
I once had a very pregnant colleague who drove a small inexpensive car up until someone asked her if she had tried to fit the pram into it yet.

A few days later she pulled into work in a SUV. The pram didn't fit and it was decided the best solution was to upgrade the car.

aussiesaver

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2015, 06:16:59 AM »
I once had a very pregnant colleague who drove a small inexpensive car up until someone asked her if she had tried to fit the pram into it yet.

A few days later she pulled into work in a SUV. The pram didn't fit and it was decided the best solution was to upgrade the car.

If you ever visit a baby shop take note of the car park - if you don't have a large SUV you are the odd one out!

midweststache

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2015, 06:19:55 AM »
So yeah, you can go crazy and spend way too much on a stroller/pram.   

But there is a role for larger strollers.   City dwellers.

First of all, if you walk miles every day across really bad sidewalks, you'll really appreciate the larger wheels of a larger pram.   Secondly, the stroller is how you run errands, you go to the grocery store with the kid in it, and come back with 4-5 bags attached to it.   While you push it over horrible sidewalks through snow.   

It's not the same thing as life in the suburbs or rural life.   Then you don't really need a stroller at all. 

I must disagree. I lived in the city when my kids were young. A wheeled grocery cart plus baby in a sling was much easier to negotiate bad sidewalks with compared to an oversized stroller. Plus, the large strollers are impossible to carry up apartment stairs (where we lived at the time), to store in a small apartment, or negotiate public transportation with. I still use the wheeled cart to this day, and my youngest is 10, so it also had better longterm value compared to a stroller.

From what I see around me, expensive strollers are a status symbol with the current parental unit crowd. It's the SUV of the baby world. A few people actually need them, but for the vast majority it's just another ego-boosting toy.

As someone who lives in a highly pedestrian area, I'm generally pretty forgiving of strollers in general, but I have a newfound loathing for the double-wide strollers. I would much rather see the double length (one seat facing the parent, the other seat facing the front) than the double-wide, since, you know, that takes up the ENTIRE SIDEWALK (or an entire lane of traffic at a street festival, where the kids are hot and miserable anyway).

greenmimama

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2015, 07:10:30 AM »
A lot of SUVs don't fit them in either, unless you can put the backseat down.

I have a really nice stroller and I used it a lot when I just had one baby, we lived on a busy street with no sidewalks, so it was quite handy for walks, but I am also a big fan of baby wearing it was handy and easier to pop it in the diaper bag , but it's hard to baby wear 2 babies ;)

Now that I don't need it anymore, I'm trying to sell it and no one wants it.

JR

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2015, 07:54:23 AM »
Our only stroller is a jogging stroller that was given to us as a gift. We are runners so we wanted one we could use while running but I just find the jogging strollers to be much more maneuverable with their large pneumatic wheels instead of the little plastic ones that get stuck everywhere.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2015, 09:37:51 AM »
My SIL gave me a big stroller when we had DD - it was wonderful for going for walks on our unpaved country roads, including winter when there was packed snow on the road.  The wheels were huge, the carriage was big, lots of room for blankets for Quebec winters.

For going out with DD my Dad gave me an umbrella stroller, the kind that folds up.  It was terrible on our road (tiny wheels), but great on sidewalks in town, in malls, etc., and took up very little room in the car.

dragoncar

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2015, 12:38:07 PM »
I hate large strollers. (Or maybe it's just the drivers?) I can't totally understand the convenience factor since I don't have children, but how much stuff do you really need to take with you on an outing with your kid? How did we ever survive without them?

I'm not gonna lie.  I would probably buy this stroller if I had a kid:

http://www.toysrus.com/buy/full-size-strollers/origami-power-folding-stroller-silver-4m-006-001-12623897

watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERQHRo0fHGE


GuitarStv

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2015, 01:28:19 PM »
I was told we would need to buy a van or SUV when we had a kid.  Particularly because 'strollers are so big these days'.  Nearly got into a fist fight about this with my in-laws.  Turns out I was right, you don't need to buy the vehicle because you don't need to buy the big strollers.

ambimammular

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2015, 03:40:23 PM »
My kids are too old for the running stroller now, but I'm sure going to miss it walking home from the farmers' market. A week's worth of veggies gets heavy.

Flyingkea

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2015, 07:29:25 PM »
My kids are too old for the running stroller now, but I'm sure going to miss it walking home from the farmers' market. A week's worth of veggies gets heavy.
I baby wear and use mine as a shopping trolley. I have a hatchback, and I can fit my stroller in there. I was given a mountain buggy from SIL because they had 3 strollers for the 2 kids. The eldest is in school...

MrsPete

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #20 on: March 21, 2015, 09:12:30 AM »
I loved the big, comfortable stroller I had when my kids were babies.  Larger strollers offer some benefits that smaller, umbrella-type strollers don't:

- Larger strollers fold down "flat" so you can use them with a newborn who can't yet sit up ... or an older child who wants to nap.
- Larger strollers have "reversable" handles, so when you're using them with a newborn, you can turn the handle around and keep an eye on the baby ... and when the child is older, you can allow him to face forward and see where he's going. 
- Larger strollers have larger wheels, which roll more smoothly, especially if you're at an outdoor event.  Back wheels that can either be locked into a forward position or allowed to spiral 360 degrees are worthwhile, especially when you're talking about heavier toddlers. 
- Larger strollers provide a storage basket underneath, which is handy for shopping or carrying extra diapers, etc. 
- Larger strollers typically are made well and can be expected to last through multiple children. 
- Larger strollers typically have removeable cushions that can be machine-washed, whereas umbrella-type strollers are usually just a piece of material slung into a frame, meaning they can only be spot-cleaned. 

Yes, they DO take up lots of space in the trunk, but I had no trouble carrying one in a Nissan Sentra trunk -- I just didn't have much space left over.  The best ones are the style that fold in the middle: once you have it out of the trunk, it just requires a "shake", and it is set up with one hand. 

I did love carrying my newborn in a sling, but as she grew, I just couldn't do it any more -- and although I'm not quite 5' tall, I'm not a weakling. 

I did like having an umbrella stroller for quick in-and-out-trips, and once the babies were sitting up on their own, we probably used them more frequently -- for quick, in-and-out type trips.  But we continued to love the big, heavy stroller for longer trips.  Between the two kids, we used the big stroller for a good six years. 


Louis the Cat

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #21 on: March 21, 2015, 09:31:14 AM »
This might be the most mustachian thing DH and I ever did. We had twins in a lesser stroller that didn't handle long walks well at all so we bought a Double BOB (seriously fancy jogging stroller) for $400 at the local twins' club consignment sale. We used the crap out of it for two years and then sold it on Craigslist for $350 to another family with infant twins. To the person who complained about side-by-side strollers taking up the whole sidewalk, I hear what you're saying but when you have one year old twins who both want to see the WHOLE world at all times, I'd rather be the person taking up the sidewalk than the person with a screaming toddler who won't shut up. Our first stroller was in-line, the second was side-by-side. The improvement was immediate.

zkate

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Re: Pram envy
« Reply #22 on: March 21, 2015, 10:11:50 AM »
Quote
From what I see around me, expensive strollers are a status symbol with the current parental unit crowd. It's the SUV of the baby world. A few people actually need them, but for the vast majority it's just another ego-boosting toy.[/i]

I second this, my old neighbor (back when we lived in a city) had to have a bugaboo. No other stroller would do. This is even though they are at least (from what i estimate) 200k-300k in debt from med school (carribean schools are $50k/yr) plus taking out loans to pay for living expenses so she didn't have to work while her husband was in med school...

But reading the other comments, I realize you ladies would hate me. I have a double jogger. It was the 1st, only and probably last (baby #3 is due soon but a triple jogger may be going too far but it also means i have to get someone to watch 1 of my children which is hard) stroller I will own. I take up the whole sidewalk running with my 4 year old & 2 year old. We currently live in a rural area but when we lived in a city I would run with it down bike paths & grocery shop/do all my errands with it. It was my "commuter" stroller.

I bought one that would fit through doorways and had a high resale value. I also preferred a fixed front wheel and 16 inch tires which can't be found on a tandem stroller.

But I will tell you I cloth diapered, used a sling + convertible car seat because I think those infant carrier car seat things are a waste of money. I don't own a single diaper bag... So maybe we can still be friends.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!