Buggy board experiences?

[candp]

I bought a buggy board for our nearly 3 year old as toddler hates her maclaren and I thought I'd use the board with her old bugaboo bee for toddler and baby. We got the bugaboo board but the pushchair doesn't feel hugely stable with it on, she wants to get off all the time and walk (when she was strapped in the pushchair and there was only 1 child to watch this was an easier situation to manage!) and I feel that if she fell she's going to land on baby.

I was wondering how others have gotten on with a board. Where are we going wrong? Does the baby cocoon have to be forward facing for the board to work on a bee? Was I being naive thinking I could get away with just buying a board instead of a double pushchair for a child under 3? Should we just give up and buy a p&t?

(edited as I can't spell.)

[KatDew]

my son never really got along with the buggy board either attached to a bugaboo chameleon or the city select. He did use it at times as we didn't really have any choice (he was 2years 5 months when my twins were born.

He fairly quickly decided that he was better off under his own power. We got him a balnace bike and he went everywhere in that instead

[WorkingMummy]

I have mixed experience with The Bee plus buggy board. For no 1 (at 22 months) on the board with 2 (newborn) in the Bee, facing us, it worked a treat. No 1 is highly physical and loved to ride the kurb bumps and potholes on it. But then no 2 did not walk until just before no 3 came along so at that point we bought a Phil and Teds.

But now no 2 is 2 and a bit, we do go out with baby in Bee and her on the board (mostly because, with the phil and teds, I hate to have the baby in the position where my instinct tells me the shopping ought to go).

My tips are 1) experiment with training reigns. I never needed them with my first, but I use them when my current toddler is on the board. I hold the "lead" while pushing buggy and use this to stop her falling forward. It also helps a great deal if she insists on walking. 2) yes you can turn the bee seat to forward position and have board in place, but then you can't recline the seat. 3) start getting toddler used to an alternative, like a balance bike or scooter. Get practising in safe places, like the park. It's amazing how quickly they learn and gradually you can teach them road safety. My now 4 year old scoots everywhere very sensibly and I think I trusted her to stop at roads etc by about 3 and a bit .

Good luck!

[Dudley]

Hi I used a buggy board on an icandy for my toddler and baby. My daughter was 2.5 when baby born. I used buggy and sling or buddy board and buggy (if you get my just).

It can be a bit bumpy, but I was absolutely adamant that I would not get a Phil and Teds. They are an expensive bit of kit (even second hand) and come with their own problems. I also wanted to get toddler walking as much as possible.

I would advise to push on, because I do think by 3 you will not even need the bb. I accept however it can be stressful at times (the running away bit), and not great for long journeys. The bb is really only an option for local journeys.

The other thing you could do is get your toddler starting on a scooter. Of course it will take a while but as I said by 3, we now just use buggy and scooter or walking.

Good luck.

[snowboarder]

My eldest never got on with buggy boards - and believe me I have tried all scenarios - on the bee with baby facing him on a bugaboo board, on the maclaren, on the mountain buggy with - wait for it - a scooter style buggy board. But no - he jumped off really quickly as the novelty wore off then either bolted or wanted carrying etc. And the scooter was and is still a bit of a pain at nearly 4 as he's way too good and fast, so zooms off. All a bit painful...we had (and still have!) a double buggy. I also needed to strap him in sometimes at fraught moments!

It really doesn't matter how old your child is nor other people's experiences - your child will make it very clear what you need to do for your sanity/their safety...

[Otta]

We bought one, and ended up selling it (at a big loss) 2 weeks later. Daughter was having none of it!

[candp]

Thanks everyone.

I think we might persevere with her using the scooter on quieter walks and having reins on the board in busier areas for a couple of weeks and then see how we're getting - although I suspect as snowboarder says, what we probably need to do for safety and sanity is buy another pushchair and sell the bee or throw it back in the loft.

Snowboarder, I'd love your pushchair advice in case we need it, do you have any suggestions for my age ranges that will be mainly used for baby and will fit in the boot of a medium-sized car? And Otta, out of interest, did you end up buying another buggy after selling the board?

[crystal7]

I quite like using the Bee and (lascal) buggy board now with nearly 4 year old and 15 month old. It wouldn't have worked initially though, we do loads of walking and toddler wouldn't stay on. She is great at scooting but I found it stressful chasing after her with baby and buggy. I had a Phil and Teds which I wouldn't have been without. Found it invaluable being able to strap both kids in and get out of the house early on. Once baby was out of the cocoon (3 months) toddler sat in the bottom seat when she was tired but mostly scooted or walked. It was good to have the option of that 2nd seat though. We sold it on the EDF after about a year. P&t was annoyingly huge but it did the job for a short time.

[El Pibe]

Just get them on to a scooter or balance bike. Mine's being doing the former from about 2 onwards, and progressed to balance bike a couple of months prior to his third b'day.

Makes life much easier.

[gebbjane]

my daughter was 2 years and 3 months when my son came along. I was hoping to get by without a double and we have, my daughter loves the buggy board (lascal on icandy peach) or will go on her scooter if just to local shop or park but it was slow going at first as she wouldn't always stay on but after a couple of months she pretty much will do. if I knew we were going to be out all day I would just wear baby in a sling and my daughter then went in the macclaren. now my baby son is bigger I'm planning to use the seat bit of pushchair which they can share and if daughter wants to sit down I'll just pop baby in sling.