Articles
Double Strollers: How Can You Tell Which is Right for You?
Ever since the introduction of the double stroller to the market it seems as though manufacturers have been going crazy in their attempts to outdo each other. Each double stroller that is released seems to have more gizmos and gadgets than its predecessor, and the retailers have succeeded in pricing them accordingly. It may have only taken business hundreds of years to figure out that mothers of multiple children needed a stroller that could hold them both (the designers working for some of these stroller companies obviously didn’t have children or they would have figured it out long before that), but once they did latch on to the idea they were bound and determined to find the best way to make a profit from it.
Unfortunately, it is very easy to become so distracted by the “improvements” and “innovative designs” of these new strollers that you cannot tell which of these stroller designs it is that you really need-and whether it is really necessary for you to clean out the entirety of your savings account in order to purchase it. The simple fact of the matter is that many of these new additions to the double strollers are exactly that-additions. They do not serve a vital function, and while they are nice to have they are by no means necessary. Underneath you will find a quick guide to features that are absolutely necessary in a double stroller.
1. The stroller must be sturdy enough to hold the weight of your older child, preferably up to thirty or forty pounds. Many strollers are designed with babies in mind, and the last thing that you want to see happen is the seat your older child is sitting on collapse because it was not sufficient for their size.
2. The stroller must be lightweight and collapsible. This is absolutely vital; remember, you are going to have to get this thing in and out of the trunk of your car on a fairly regular basis. You do not want this to become the greatest obstacle of your day; you may find yourself becoming reluctant to leave you home, and after that it’s hello, post partum city.
3. Regardless of the size of stroller you are looking to buy it is absolutely vital that it have some sort of storage area for you to store miscellaneous items, such as shopping bags and toys, as well as a cup holder in the back to hold sippy cups and bottles. This may not seem like a vital feature now, but when you find yourself in a mall or an amusement park with two children who are decidedly less than amused you are not going to want to have to dig frantically through the diaper bag to find what you need.
4. You are going to need to choose a double stroller that provides a covering for both seats, particularly if you intend to spend a great deal of time outdoors. The last thing you want is for one of your children to become sun burnt while in the stroller-this will set you up for days of misery, rivaled only by the first time they get the chicken pox.
5. Be sure that the seats are comfortable. A large part of the reason that children hate their car seats is that the seats are not padded well enough to be comfortable. If you wouldn’t ride on it, don’t make your kids.
6. Finally, be sure that the stroller has no sharp edges and that the seats are high enough that the child cannot reach down and touch the wheels or the ground while they are fastened in (oh, and don’t forget to ensure that the stroller HAS fastenings for each child!). There are hundreds of other features available on double strollers today, and if it is within your means to do so you should not hesitate to take advantage of them; however, following the guidelines above will help you to select a double stroller that, while it might not be the latest in technology, will be comfortable and efficient.
How to Sell Your Gently Used Baby Stroller and Other Goods
Babies grow, and they do it so quickly that often it is very difficult to find where the time has gone when you are suddenly realize that you are looking at an energetic, opinionated preschooler where your precious infant used to be. This experience is a wondrous one for most parents (although if your child proves to be an exceptionally difficult three or four year old you may find yourself wishing that they had stayed a baby forever); however, it means that parents are left holding hundreds of dollars worth of baby equipment as their child moves on to independence.
Fortunately, where previously these parents would have had no other recourse than to give or throw their baby products away they now have the opportunity to reclaim some of their investment.
The easiest way to sell your gently used stroller or other baby supplies is to contact a consignment store that specializes in children’s merchandise. Be aware that these stores generally have very high standards for the merchandise they accept; if your stroller has seen a great deal of use it may be rejected. It never hurts to try, however.
Every consignment store has a different policy when it comes to the price they are willing to pay for an item. Most stores will accept your merchandise and keep a running account for you. When that item sells the amount will be credited to your account, and you will then have the option to either redeem your money in cash or in the form of store credit. Some consignment stores are willing to pay for goods up front; however, these are the exception to the rule.
Before you take your used goods to a consignment store, contact them and find out what their policy about packing clothing and other small merchandise is. Most consignment stores will not accept items that have simply been stuffed into a plastic bag. They will require them to be washed, folded and carried in a hard plastic tub with a lid to prevent foreign objects from entering and the various items from getting all mixed up. If you are selling clothing, place outfits together to save the storekeepers and yourself the inconvenience of having to do so after the fact.
Thoroughly clean and dry your stroller and other large pieces of baby equipment before taking them to a consignment store. Do not overlook wheels, trays and baskets; these are the parts of a stroller that are most likely to become dirty during use. Failure to thoroughly clean your stroller could result in it being turned away when you go to a consignment store; the storekeepers do not have time to clean all of their stock before placing it on the shelf and will reject unwashed items as a matter of course.
A children’s consignment store can be found in almost every city in the world. A Google search in your area or the yellow pages of your phone book should be able to direct you to the one nearest you.
