The Stroller Dilemma

Back when we were expecting our twins we (like many others) did a lot of research into strollers. We went back and forth on which model, features, prices, brands you name it, we considered it.

We decided to get one that had multiple seat configurations, big rubber wheels, a big storage basket…not to mention a big price tag!

Over the past three years this thing has been through the ringer; it’s been tossed in and out of the car and the garage, dropped on the ground, rammed into curbs, taken off road on walks with the dog, jogged with, eaten in, covered in mud, rained on, snowed on and (knock on wood) it’s still going strong!

Yep, we’ve gone through ONE stroller over the past THREE years with TWO kids.  This thing was worth its money in gold if you ask me!

The trouble is, now our girls are three. They don’t really NEED the stroller when we go out places. Sure, their little legs get tired depending on what we’re doing but they spend more time out of it than in it.

So why is this a problem? Well, I’ve tried leaving it at home only to wish soon after that I had brought it!  Not only for the girls to have a place to go ‘just in case’ but for me to put all of our STUFF!

Take this week for example; I brought the girls to the mall without our beloved stroller. I packed our diaper bag (now no longer full of diapers, but still just as full) as lightly as possible, but between the spare clothes, snacks, water bottles, wipes, my wallet, keys, phone…I could go on…this thing still weighed a ton! And then we took our jackets off…well where the heck was I supposed to put those??

I ended up shelling out $4 to rent one of those double decker fire truck strollers (which the girls loved) but that’s a cost that could’ve been avoided had I just brought the damn stroller!

So my question is:  when do you stop using a stroller?  Not necessarily when do your kids not need it anymore…but when do we as parents stop needing it?