One of my dear friends recently wrote a blog post in which she named strollers among one of the baby items that a new mother does not need. In her defense, she does not live in urban Dallas, and she does not have two toddlers. In this mama’s personal opinion, I could not live and play in urban Dallas without my two favorite strollers — my single and my double stroller.
Let me defend my personal mom crutch with the 4 S’s of why I love a stroller:
Safety – I currently have two toddlers. Before that, I had two babies. Two very strong-willed children who see parking lots as a huge expanse of concrete, perfect for RUNNING (but not looking before running)! They both feel that holding hands with Mom in the parking lot is not cool. I do love babywearing in my Ergo, but unfortunately I can only strap one 30-lb child to my body at a time. Literally the only way to keep them from dashing in opposite directions into oncoming cars is to strap them into my beloved double stroller for long treks across parking lots and into museums, grocery stores, and playgrounds.
Storage – Again, babywearing is great but what about my purse, their lovies, our lunch that I packed? Where do all those things go and, more importantly, how do I carry my coffee too? I’ll tell you where the things go: under the stroller! And the coffee? Cup holder, for the win!
Sleep – When the kids are young, there’s nothing like a nice long, jiggly walk in a stroller to cause heads to droop and eyes to close. Sure, a child can fall asleep while being worn in a sling or carrier, but have you ever tried that when it’s 105 degrees in the Texas summer? Not so fun, my friends. Not so fun. And what about when you have to talk (or, um, shout) at the child you’re not wearing? The child you are wearing wakes up. And there went the nap for the day.
Steering – I pick strollers that can be easily navigated with one hand. If it’s a single stroller, that leaves my other hand free to hold hands with the child who is not in the stroller. If it’s the double stroller, I can open a door while simultaneously swiveling the stroller through. You know what can’t be steered that easily, though? A toddler on foot. One who isn’t strapped in to a stroller.
So I guess this pretty much kicks me out of the attachment parenting club, but I love my stroller. There, I’ve said it.
Hi, my name is Jenny, and I’m a fan of strollers.
How about you? Do you use a stroller or see it as a waste of space and money?