[blparent] strollers
Veronica Smith
madison_tewe at spinn.net
Sat Feb 4 23:18:59 UTC 2012
My daughter thought it was so much fun to put the leash on.
-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2012 12:04 PM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Parents Mailing List'
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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