Securing my son's pushchair in a flat?

suki1964

Having read the reviews of this buggy, it appears to be extremely lightweight and folds up very small so I too can't see why it can't be carried up and down the stairs along with baby and books

I'm not the most fit of people yet managed a toddler, buggy and shopping up and down two flights when looking after grandson, even more fun if I had dog in tow as well

It's only for a few more months, it will pass, and you will have leg muscles too die for:rotfl:

As others have said, you do not leave things in the hallway/stair area. You prolly have already upset some/all of your neighbours. When living cheek by jowl with strangers, boundaries are very important. When I lived in my HA flat, there were very strict boundaries around bins, stairways,line space and parking spaces, no one took advantage without asking the other residents first

delain

I'm sure I've seen buggy straps somewhere... google them then you could carry it over your shoulder.

I don't understand why the petite star zia is so popular to be honest. It has beggar all storage, the folded size problems of a big buggy and the flimsy-ness of strollers plus the seat seems small to me, older toddlers look very squashed in them (imo)

The op would do much better with an umbrella fold buggy. I'm guessing she's young-ish so how it looks is important (i am a young mum too - you feel people judge you - more so if you're pushing a crappy old buggy around!) And there are lots of nice looking ones for under 50 quid that actually have storage and aren't too big folded to get down the stairs.

valk_scot

When I was young and fit I could carry my folding buggy + toddler up three flights of stairs, with a breather on each landing. If I had shopping to carry up I would leave toddler firmly strapped in the buggy in the stairwell where I could see him, run up the stairs with the shopping first then come down and get him and the buggy.

(I used to be bloomin' fit in these days, yes!)

It was better when DS got old enough to walk up himself. I could put the shopping in the buggy instead, carry that and make him go up in front of me. It was a very lightweight umbrella buggy of course, not some huge version. Fine for a toddler though.

I used to just bump the buggy down the steps with him in it. Though tbh there wouldn't have been a problem carrying him, a folded buggy on a strap and a backpack down. (You need one hand on the bannisters for this though.) You do end up being as strong as a pack mule when you have kids.

My neighbours? They seemed a grumpy lot when I moved in but not one of them ever let me carry a double load up on my own, if they bumped into me in the middle of this process. Except the elderly lady and she'd stop and talk to DS so I could go more slowly with the shopping.

I would be utterly !!!!ed off if someone dumped an old cooker in the communal hall without even a note on it, btw. Maybe the other tenants asked the HA landlord to remove it and that will be a black mark against you, belive me, both with the landlord and the other tenants. As to the mattress that's what council uplifts are for, surely?

Jacqu79

I would just put the baby in the buggy and bump the buggy down the stairs. I did this when my son was young and I lived on the 4th floor. Not great when you have to bump it back up again with loads of shopping,:eek: but I had no other choice. If I'd have left it at the bottom, the Housing Association would have taken it away as it's classed as a fire hazard. My sister has 2 boys with 20 months between them and until recently she also lived 4 floors up and managed to get the boys and the buggy up and down by herself every day.

It seems like a hassle just now, but you'll get used to it.:)

Good Luck.;)

dizziblonde

My little koochi stroller that Argos have reduced fairly regularly has a carry handle at the side of the frame to make it easier to carry around places - something like that would work for you possibly?

Meadows

Whether there is space or it is allowed for you to leave the pushchair in the hallway and you buy a lock could you trust it?
Anyone with bolt cutters could probably get through the chain or lock, I have no idea what a petite star zia pushchair is but my guess is if it looks half decent it might just vanish and that leaves you with a problem.

I appreciate that you were busy trying to move between places but leaving a cooker in a communal place was not a good idea and either it was removed as it looked like it had been dumped or someone took a shine to it but have you asked neighbours or reported it to the police?
£40 is £40 when you don't have much money and if nothing else you don't want to be making your maisonette a prime target for theft.

Sorry you feel ridiculed by some easy to throw stones from afar isn't it!

If I was you I would keep your pushchair in the flat and when you take it down the stairs make sure you have you 20 month old son with you the last thing you need to do is leave a toddler alone, unattended in a flat ever for a short period, I am sure once you are in the swing of things you will cope both time wise and transporting both the pushchair and your son at the same time.

katiechoc_2

shegirl wrote: »

Bumping a buggy does not make a racket.It does not damage concrete steps (as most blocks of flats have) and it isn't going to do much to the buggy.You don't slam it down...wheels are round not square

An old banger,seriously? What buggy is worth wasting money and leaving an old car taking up space?Buy a banger to store a bloody buggy in?:rotfl: How many light weight pushchairs could you buy with that money?

People told the OP not to bother buying carpet for the bare floored flat (personally,I would prioritise for the little one and don't understand people who refuse to put any flooring in their home,but still) buying an old car to store a bloody buggy that she should put in her home is a good idea?:rotfl:

Bonkers!

I only mentioned not bumping as we've had letters from our HA about other residents that used to bump theirs up and down and how it damaged the nosing on the stairs making it a trip hazard. But the blocks on our estate are small and have wooden, carpeted stairs which are noisy even when you tiptoe on them, so a different kettle of fish to concrete steps.

And yes, agree re the car thing, if you have a car that is used and kept in decent nick its ideal for buggy storage but don't know what I was thinking when I seconded the old banger idea!

skintchick

I know you've already bought the buggy, but my suggestion would be to use a soft carrier like a Mei Tai. Your son can walk when he wants to and when he's tired, just wear him on your back. You have both hands free, he is safe and secure with a good view, you don;t have to wraangle a buggy to uni and back, and when he's not in it you can put it in your bag.

if you prefer something structured look at an Ergo or Connecta.

andy.m_2

Unless you have a Silver Cross 20's pram then I think it' safe to assume that it folds.
Get a canvas belt from a charity shop or in the bargain bin at new look etc for a quid or so and use that as a makeshift strap, get two if you need to, that way you can throw it over your shoulder in a messenger bag style.

Here's the main thing though, speak to your neighbours, read your tenancy agreement, you clearly (as does everybody else here) dont know what it says about communal areas and storage.

I think to be fair that if I saw anything but a brand new cooker in the communal area I would consider it dumped and make calls to get it taken away, I would also (wrongly in this case) think less of the person who dumped it.

londonsurrey

katiechoc wrote: »

don't know what I was thinking when I seconded the old banger idea!

...for a split second, you were in the twilight zone that is my mind