[blparent] strollers

Fri Feb 3 20:18:36 UTC 2012

If the child is like under two the sit n strole is good because it can be a 
car seet so no taking the kid out.

Kate
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
To: "'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2012 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers

> As a follow-up to this post, you deffinately want a leash when your kid 
> learns to stand and walk. There will be a period where they can walk and 
> run and stand and do so pretty well, but will have the attention span of a 
> gnat and an impulse control of 0. They also don't have the language 
> ability to know what you mean when you tell them to stand still.
> This will all come eventually, and sooner then you think, but a leash is a 
> very good thing until all that clicks.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Mary Jo Hartle
> Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 9:46 AM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: [blparent] strollers
>
>        HI,
> I have a couple of suggestions to throw out there on this issue.  I am
> mostly fond of using a pack to transport my daughter around.  It is a lot
> easier to use this with my cane because I don't have to worry about 
> looking
> for drop offs, or navigating a stroller on narrow, bumpy, cracked up
> sidewalks in Baltimore.  Sometimes getting the stroller on the bus is a
> challenge too because I have to close it down to take it on the bus.  At 
> the
> moment, my daughter is still able to ride in the attachable car seat that
> clamps on the stroller (we have a travel system) and this works really 
> well
> when using the stroller and going places b/c I can detach her from the
> stroller and she's still in a seat.  However, when getting on the bus, 
> this
> is a bit more challenging b/c I have to carry both the car seat carrier 
> with
> my daughter in it, and the stroller onto a bus and all while still holding 
> a
> cane.  I don't like doing this very often because it is harder and I also
> don't like to have to set her down on the ground at the bus stop while I
> close up the stroller.  I usually end up straddling the car seat with my
> legs to protect her and keep track of her while then leaning over and
> closing up the stroller.  When she outgrows the carrier in a few months,
> this may get easier b/c then I can take her out and have her stand by my
> side, but again, this won't work until she is able to stand/walk.  Even
> then, I am still nervous about letting go of her so to speak at a bus stop
> while I close up the stroller.  I may attach one of those kid leash things
> while doing this so that she doesn't walk away from me.  All of this is to
> say that I find the pack much easier.  But, there are times when the
> stroller is more convenient too, like on the train when I don't have to 
> take
> it apart, or when I'm traveling with my husband or another person who can
> help carry either my daughter or the stroller when getting on a bus.  It's
> also nice sometimes to have the stroller in public places because then I
> don't have to carry or hold my daughter the whole time--like at a 
> restaurant
> or public event for example.  The pack can get heavy after awhile.  My
> daughter is nine months old now, but only weighs about 15 lbs--still a
> little on the small side for her age, but she's tall and lanky like her 
> dad.
> So, we've been lucky and able to keep using the pack and other carriers 
> for
> a bit longer than most.  Our stroller is the Flip-it one from Grecko and I
> like it.  I would have preferred a jogging stroller, but because they have
> two separate handles, my husband (who is also blind) and I thought a bar
> stroller would work better for steering and pulling.  This allows us to 
> hold
> the handle in the middle of the bar and pull it behind us or hold it along
> the side and walk along side the stroller to pull it.  As I mentioned, our
> stroller is a travel system, so there is a baby carrier/car seat that
> latches in really easy to the stroller itself and which can be used as a 
> car
> seat in a vehicle.  This has worked great for us.  WE fly a lot too and 
> have
> found this to work well getting through air ports and also allowing us to
> have a car seat and stroller with us at our various destinations.  The 
> other
> main reason we chose this style was because we can flip the handle of the
> stroller.  Because it is a bar handle, or something like a large skinny
> upside down U, we can flip it over so that our daughter is facing us when 
> we
> are pulling her rather than looking out with her back to us as we pull her
> like a conventional stroller would require.  I hope that makes sense.
> Sometimes after using a pack so much I find our stroller to feel a little
> bulky and big, but I guess compared to most, it's about the same size and
> durability.   The wheels feel a little unsteady to me sometimes because 
> they
> are the typical plastic ones like most strollers have and not the rubber,
> more shock absorbing ones like the jogging strollers have, but as I said, 
> we
> live in Baltimore and the city terrain is pretty rough, so given this, the
> stroller is still in really good condition despite us banging it over a 
> lot
> of bumps and cracks.  Our daughter also doesn't get jostled around a lot
> either which is most important.
>        As LM said, I think there are a lot of different combinations to 
> use
> for different situations.  We have found using a pack and a stroller to be
> helpful.  Sometimes even when I take the stroller, I put the pack in the
> storage place under the stroller so we have it just in case.  Also, just
> FYI, I used a Bjourn pack until my daughter got big enough to face 
> forward.
> I love this pack and found it to be very easy to get her in and out of and
> on and off of me.  I would have continued to use it if she could have 
> faced
> forward in it, but the bottom wasn't appropriate for that.  So, now when I
> want to carry her facing outward, I use the Snuggly which I also like and
> have found to be very easy to use and comfortable.  It is also made of a
> little more flexible material than the Bjorn so I can put my daughter in 
> it
> facing outward, and then when she starts to get sleepy, I can turn her
> around to face me so she can put her head on my chest.
>        I think we will continue to use the packs as our main choices, but 
> I
> do like having a stroller.  I also think that when my daughter is older 
> and
> too heavy to carry for long periods of time, we will use the stroller more
> often.  They definitely are convenient.  I think the best advice is to go 
> to
> the store and play with some of the different options so that you can 
> become
> familiar with them and see how difficult they may be to push, pull, open,
> and close so that you can find one that works right for you.  Another idea
> would be to borrow different styles from family or friends if you have
> access to them and take different strollers for a test drive before
> investing in something that might not work best for you.  Good luck.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Michael Baldwin
> Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 11:43 AM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>
> Radioflier Deluxe has the seat belts, and the one seat can be folded down,
> and changed around for different seating or storage. This is the one we
> have. I am honestly not happy with it anymore. We have had it for less 
> than
> 1 year and it started to crack where the front wheel turning axle goes
> through the plastic. This causes the wheel to lean, making it difficult to
> turn. There is a 2 year warranty. But, because of the way the receipts are
> printed now days, they don't last long. So, we can't prove when we bought
> it, so the warranty means nothing.
>
> Michael
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Tammy
> Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 10:34
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>
> Hi,
> I have one, it's a 2 seater and my boys love it.  It's the radio flier 
> path
> finder.  Mine doesn't have a canapy but you can get one that has one
>
> Tammy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Veronica Smith
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 9:56 PM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>
> As for a wagon, I know there is one out there that really does have a
> seatbelt.  But can't remember what is is called.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Peggy
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 12:09 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>
> Well the first thing I'm going to do is take another look at my stroller,
> but it's just too hard to pull behind me, if I push it beside me, that 
> works
> okay, but then you've got my dog, me, and the stroller, and on really wide
> sidewalks that works fine but on narrower sidewalks or ones that are 
> really
> close to the street, not so well.  It's not that I'm not independent, it's
> that I haven't found anything but a backpack that works so far and like I
> said, as Dylan weighs about 30 pounds he's getting a little heavy. 
> Thought
> about a wagon but I'm not sure he'd stay in there for any length of time,
> depends on his mood.  Not sure where I got my backpack, do a Google search
> for baby backpack and it comes up with a lot of suggestions, if you need
> more help I'll try to see if I can look it up.
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lisamaria Martinez
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 11:58 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>
> Hi All,
>
> I use two different strollers and I've used a variety of carriers.
>
> When Erik was smaller, lighter and less fidgety I put him in the moby 
> wrap.
> I know many of you out there dislike it for its complexity but I know 
> there
> is at least one mamma out there who knows how awesome it is to wrap your
> little one snug around you. And in reality, it isn't so hard to put on.
> Obviously though it isn't for everyone.
>
> I tried an Ergo but thought it didn't fit someone my height very well.
> I couldn't get the back strap low enough to feel comfortable.
>
> I fell in love with the Beco Butterfly and used it to commute back and 
> forth
> to daycare and work with Erik for 2 or 3 months. By the time he got to be
> about 21 pounds I had to come up with another solution. I get lots of
> headaches and the weight on my shoulders wasn't helping.
>
> I've tried the Kelty once or twice, but not for any long periods of times.
> Erik really liked being up high and seemed to be way less fidgety in that
> backpack. Also, the straps seemed to put very little weight on my 
> shoulders.
>
> If we have a second kid I'm going to try and get the Kelty and use it if I
> can.
>
> As for strollers, which is the actual topic of this post, I've used two 
> and
> love both for different reasons. I am a cane user and I really think that
> any blind parent can find a stroller/cane combo or stroller/dog combo that
> works for them. It really comes down to how comfortable you are traveling
> yourself.
>
> I adore the City Mini Baby Jogger. I think jogging strollers are easier to
> use because they turn so easily. They are also much easier to control with
> one hand. I don't push from behind, but I do put the sunshade cover down 
> and
> place my hand on top of it and simply walk right next to the stroller. 
> That
> way, we're side by side. It is harder to do this in a crowd or a narrow 
> area
> so if the sunshade is down I can walk ahead of the stroller and place my
> fingers, palm up, under the lip of the sunshade and pull. The only thing 
> is
> I get my heels banged into frequently with the front wheel of the 
> stroller.
>
> I also use the McClairen Volo. I use this stroller everyday to take the
> little dude to daycare. We go up and down elevators and escalators with 
> this
> stroller. It is like a fancier and better quality umbrella stroller--very
> popular in Britain I hear. I do stand behind the stroller and push. I use 
> my
> cane over the stroller. I purchased a longer cane so that I could find
> things before the stroller did. This technique does require my cane in my
> hand as well as the stroller handle. However, the handle curves upward and
> slightly in so I tend to rest my wrist or lower forearm on top of the 
> handle
> and use my cane.
> When I need to push uphill I simply rest the very end of the cane handle 
> in
> my palm, or sometimes my fingers, and push with the cane and stroller 
> handle
> in my hand.
>
> I know all of this sounds complicated but it is one of those things you 
> just
> have to get out there and get comfortable with on your own.
> And who knows, you might come up with something totally different.
>
> all I know is that there isn't one answer. And in fact, I really encourage
> everyone to have two ways of schlepping your kid around.I mean, if you 
> carry
> your kid how do you deal with the kid at the dentist? The OBGYN? And if 
> you
> use a stroller, how do you pack the stroller and the kid when you board a
> shuttle or a bus?
>
> Just some thoughts to put out there.
>
> LM
>
>
> On 1/10/12, Veronica Smith <madison_tewe at spinn.net> wrote:
>> Where did you get your backpack?
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of Peggy
>> Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 8:25 AM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>>
>> I use a guide dog not a cane put I would think both would be equally
>> hard to
>>
>> do, you're trying to keep yourself straight, the stroller straight, it
>> was a
>>
>> pain, so although my son's about 30 pounds now, I'll stick with the
>> backpack.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Veronica Smith
>> Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 9:17 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>>
>> That is funny, I suggested a backpack as well.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of Peggy
>> Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 7:22 AM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [blparent] strollers
>>
>> A conventional stroller is almost impossible to use, they are harder
>> to use for sighted people as well.  I heard about getting a jogging
>> stroller and found one for a reasonable price on Craig's list but even
>> that isn't as easy as people made it sound.  I tride pushing it,
>> pulling it ... My advice for your friend ... get a backpack!!  Am very
>> interested now to hear if any of you have used strollers and how.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Veronica Smith
>> Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2012 10:01 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
>> Subject: [blparent] strollers
>>
>> A friend of mine who is blind and is or was a member here has recently
>> moved to NM and at the moment doesn't have internet.  She asked me to
>> throw out a question to you.
>> Her baby, Sam, about 10 months now likes to go for rides in his stroller.
>> Mom says how does a blind mom push or pull a conventional stroller?
>> V
>>
>>
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>
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