Last week I was off work and we'd packed in a number of trips out and about to see friends and family.
Our first trip was down to Brighton to visit my brother - the weather was typically British and we got drenched on our little walk around the Marina, taking refuge in a local inn to dry off betwixt showers.
This trip we travelled light, with only the change bag, buggy and a bag of gifts etc so the boot of the car was more than ample.
We then drove up to Sheffield the following day to visit the Out-laws and this was when things were tested a little more - in terms of space at least.
The idea was that we would drive up to Sheffield with the intention of staying the night in a hotel in Sheffield whilst Hayden stayed with his Grandparents for the night, and then we'd pop in again the following morning to check how everyone was coping, and then continue our journey north to Helmsley where we had booked another hotel for the night.
Well, we arrived in Sheffield - we stayed a while, had lunch and then the time came when we'd need to leave our little boy for the first time ever. Was he bothered? Not in the slightest.
We waved goodbye as he was in his Grannies arms, and drove off.
Needless to say, he was absolutely fine overnight and the following morning, so we didn't need to pop in the following morning, so we popped into the local shopping centre and had a look round. We stopped in a well known department store who I shan't mention, but their initials are J for John, and L for Lewis. Having commented on the lack of baby boys clothing compared to the vast amounts for girls we then asked the sales assistant if they provided advice on child seats. She confirmed that they did, and we presented our situation regarding size and rear-facing. The lady tried to be as helpful as she could, but again we ended up without any real answers, - keep them in a rear facing seat as long as possible, and then move them up for a forward facing seat when they reach 9 months. Trouble is, Hayden is not going to fit in his seat at 9 months the rate he is growing.
Once we'd had a bit more of a look around we continued our journey north to Helmsley. We stayed in a gorgeous hotel - The Feversham Arms, and spotted two wine buffs off the telly. Sat in the hot tub and they walked past us to their room. I turned to Bev and said "that's the wine dude off the telly" We later found out that they were Peter Richards and Susie Barrie - both wine experts featured on Saturday Kitchen several times. Never realised they were together. Watching them select, smell, swirl, taste, smell some more, swirl a bit and then eventually drink the wine at the evening meal was an experience.
Having spent a nice relaxing evening together we then drove back down South to collect our boy.
We loaded the car back up - and I mean loaded, there was barely room for a fag paper once everything was in the boot, which enforced my theory that a car with a more accessible boot would be a good idea, but that's for another time.
Over the last couple of weeks I've read a lot about rear facing car seats and contacted a number of people regarding advice - with no real answers at the end of it.
Here's one example:
Hi Wayne,Sorry for the late reply. I have been on holiday.I don't really know what to reply to this. I can see your concern, but I think that you might be surprised at the rear facing car seats available. Some of them are not huge and might well fit in your car, even with the length issue you present. I think that you will also find that children's growth slows down rapidly at around 1 years old. My daughter was a big 1 year old but is now not much taller or heavier than she was then and she is now 2.5 years old.If there is a will, there is a way. As you point out, it is guidelines and you are not legally obliged to have a rear facing car seat. I would personally never put my daughter in a forward facing seat, as I would fear for her safety. I get reports from parents whose children have broken their necks and it is not a happy thought (http://www.joelsjourney.org/), but youhave to do what you think is best for your family.My site is there to offer information, and I hope that it will be of help to you.Kind regards,Helena Atkinsonwww.rearfacing.co.uk
I have to say, that the site is very helpful, if you are of an average size and persuasion.
Some of the examples quoted within the website are once again unhelpful if you are above/below average. Within the rearfacing.co.uk website the British Medical Journal is used as a source: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/338/jun11_2/b1994
A lot is made of the headline grabbing figures and facts, but on closer reading it's clear that they have not considered all situations:
Many babies are switched from a rear facing car seat to a forward facing seat at 9 kg (8 months of age for a boy on the 50th centile)
Hayden is currently outside the graph, let alone being anywhere near the 50th centile. Literally "off the chart". He is currently almost 6 months old, and weighs 9.15 kg (20.19 lbs), and is 76 cms long.
Helena kindly pointed out that children’s growth often slow down at the age of 1 yr old, but Hayden is likely to be far too big for his car seat by that point anyway, and given that in every school photo of mine I am always on the back row in the middle (tallest in class) this is likely that he will be the same.
Enough of the continued frustrations for now - here's something slightly more light hearted.
One morning last week I was playing with Hayden in the bedroom and now that he is starting to sit up a bit on his own I decided to try and sit him up on my shoulders. So, I slowly lifted him up and over my head, but before he reached the point where I could pass him over my head - his head hit the ceiling (not with any great force luckily).
If you are 6ft 7 and are attempting to lift your child onto your shoulders - do it outside.
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Our first big trip out
Well, we ventured into London yesterday - using public transport no less!
The Xplory worked very well - a little cumbersome and heavy to move up and down stairs, but managed very well considering.
Bev was going to go in on her own, but with the benefit of hindsight concluded that the both of us going on the first attempt was probably the best thing.
The train pulled in at the station and we noticed it was a brand new one - air conditioned, smooth, quiet and grafitti-less (for now).
The Xplory was easy to get onto the train, and we parked Hayden by the doors - next to the luggage rack thing they had installed. He slept for most of the way - even with people occasionally knocking his buggy. He woke up as we neared the end of the journey - City Thameslink and took in the sights.
We were then forced to use the lift on account that you are not permitted to use buggies on escalators, and the stairs were just too numerous given the slight difficulty we'd had at the local station.
Then we were there - London, "the big smoke".
The Xplory is designed very much with city life in mind - it is perfectly at home on city streets, and is easy to manouevre around the streets of London. It also attracts attention, so if you are considering buying one, and you're a bit of a shrinking violet, be warned. At no point did I feel uncomfortable pushing it given that I didn't have to stoop to reach the handles, and I never kicked the wheels/axle as it provides a decent stride length for those of us with a 36" inside leg.
We then faced our next "challenge" - the London Bus.
Many buses are now fitted with the ability of "dropping" down when stationary to allow easier access on and off, for elderly travellers, the less able and I presume parents with buggies. A fine concept, providing the bus parks somewhere in the same postcode as you/the bus stop. On several occasions I had to drop down onto the road, and then up onto the bus - one particular occasion I was forced to lift the whole buggy in my arms to get it onto the bus before being run over by cyclists (the special breed only available in London).
It was then we discovered why parents often use the small "strollers" when venturing around town on public transport. There is one area on the buses in London allocated to wheelchar/buggies - the middle of the bus on the ground floor.
Given that we were there during the "quiet" time of day (mid morning and again mid afternoon) it was not too much of a problem and we managed to get the buggy in, and sit in the seats adjacent to the buggy area.
Not without incident I hasten to add.
As with all methods of public transport, because they are often overcrowded and people are forced to stand whilst travelling, there are various grab handles and bars placed about at "convenient" locations - one of which is "conveniently" placed directly where a tall persons head might well be when placing their buggy in the allocated area. Thunk! Another bump to add to the extensive collection.
The one thing they advertise with the Xplory is the fact that children often have a better view in the elevated position the Xplory allows. We didn't really consider this, just the fact that Hayden would be closer to us when being pushed about, however when on the bus he could actually see out, so the journey was far more interesting for him. So interesting in fact that again he fell asleep for the majority of the journey.
When we arrived at our stop we had a short walk to the office, manouevering around your typical London people. Part of the final leg involved walking along cobbled streets - Hayden remained asleep and the Xplory performed once again.
The last part of the walk involved a particularly congested area of London (I know, more than usual) and we had to walk between stationary cars - dodging cyclists and couriers in the process. I noticed that another benefit of the lofty position of the seat on the Xplory meant that Hayden was not in the direct line of fire of car exhausts - a minor thing, but still.
We made it to our destination in one piece, Hayden lapped up being centre of attention and dished out smiles without prejudice. Time passed by, chats were had and we then broke for lunch.
One other advantage of the Xplory is the fact that it can be wheeled up to a table and used effectively as a high chair of sorts. Cafe Rouge in Knightsbridge isn't designed with children in mind, more ladies wot lunch and shoppers out to be seen. However, we were more than comfortable and managed a pleasant lunch in view of 'arrods and the well to do.
Back to the office and then the home leg.
The bus was a little more congested on the return journey, but we still managed - I again had to lift the buggy to get off the bus at our stop.
The train on the way home was your standard "well used" affair - Hayden was forced to be parked in the middle of the aisle, but with plenty of room for other passengers to negotiate their way past without incident.
Made it home in one piece and Bev is confident of repeating the journey on her own in the future.
Who knows where we might end up next!!
The Xplory worked very well - a little cumbersome and heavy to move up and down stairs, but managed very well considering.
Bev was going to go in on her own, but with the benefit of hindsight concluded that the both of us going on the first attempt was probably the best thing.
The train pulled in at the station and we noticed it was a brand new one - air conditioned, smooth, quiet and grafitti-less (for now).
The Xplory was easy to get onto the train, and we parked Hayden by the doors - next to the luggage rack thing they had installed. He slept for most of the way - even with people occasionally knocking his buggy. He woke up as we neared the end of the journey - City Thameslink and took in the sights.
We were then forced to use the lift on account that you are not permitted to use buggies on escalators, and the stairs were just too numerous given the slight difficulty we'd had at the local station.
Then we were there - London, "the big smoke".
The Xplory is designed very much with city life in mind - it is perfectly at home on city streets, and is easy to manouevre around the streets of London. It also attracts attention, so if you are considering buying one, and you're a bit of a shrinking violet, be warned. At no point did I feel uncomfortable pushing it given that I didn't have to stoop to reach the handles, and I never kicked the wheels/axle as it provides a decent stride length for those of us with a 36" inside leg.
We then faced our next "challenge" - the London Bus.
Many buses are now fitted with the ability of "dropping" down when stationary to allow easier access on and off, for elderly travellers, the less able and I presume parents with buggies. A fine concept, providing the bus parks somewhere in the same postcode as you/the bus stop. On several occasions I had to drop down onto the road, and then up onto the bus - one particular occasion I was forced to lift the whole buggy in my arms to get it onto the bus before being run over by cyclists (the special breed only available in London).
It was then we discovered why parents often use the small "strollers" when venturing around town on public transport. There is one area on the buses in London allocated to wheelchar/buggies - the middle of the bus on the ground floor.
Given that we were there during the "quiet" time of day (mid morning and again mid afternoon) it was not too much of a problem and we managed to get the buggy in, and sit in the seats adjacent to the buggy area.
Not without incident I hasten to add.
As with all methods of public transport, because they are often overcrowded and people are forced to stand whilst travelling, there are various grab handles and bars placed about at "convenient" locations - one of which is "conveniently" placed directly where a tall persons head might well be when placing their buggy in the allocated area. Thunk! Another bump to add to the extensive collection.
The one thing they advertise with the Xplory is the fact that children often have a better view in the elevated position the Xplory allows. We didn't really consider this, just the fact that Hayden would be closer to us when being pushed about, however when on the bus he could actually see out, so the journey was far more interesting for him. So interesting in fact that again he fell asleep for the majority of the journey.
When we arrived at our stop we had a short walk to the office, manouevering around your typical London people. Part of the final leg involved walking along cobbled streets - Hayden remained asleep and the Xplory performed once again.
The last part of the walk involved a particularly congested area of London (I know, more than usual) and we had to walk between stationary cars - dodging cyclists and couriers in the process. I noticed that another benefit of the lofty position of the seat on the Xplory meant that Hayden was not in the direct line of fire of car exhausts - a minor thing, but still.
We made it to our destination in one piece, Hayden lapped up being centre of attention and dished out smiles without prejudice. Time passed by, chats were had and we then broke for lunch.
One other advantage of the Xplory is the fact that it can be wheeled up to a table and used effectively as a high chair of sorts. Cafe Rouge in Knightsbridge isn't designed with children in mind, more ladies wot lunch and shoppers out to be seen. However, we were more than comfortable and managed a pleasant lunch in view of 'arrods and the well to do.
Back to the office and then the home leg.
The bus was a little more congested on the return journey, but we still managed - I again had to lift the buggy to get off the bus at our stop.
The train on the way home was your standard "well used" affair - Hayden was forced to be parked in the middle of the aisle, but with plenty of room for other passengers to negotiate their way past without incident.
Made it home in one piece and Bev is confident of repeating the journey on her own in the future.
Who knows where we might end up next!!
Monday, 15 June 2009
Ok, so we've got a travel system - now to travel.
At the time of purchasing the Stokke Xplory I owned a Seat Leon Cupra (Mk1) - which I loved. The Xplory did fit into the boot, but that was it - nothing else, I was a little concerned to say the least, but had been considering changing the car for a while now as it was starting to get expensive to run. This gave me the catalyst that I needed.
Chosing a car used to be quite a straightforward experience, can I fit behind the wheel, does it go fast, do I like the look of it, simple decisions - not any more.
We now had to consider (amongst others):
Chosing a car used to be quite a straightforward experience, can I fit behind the wheel, does it go fast, do I like the look of it, simple decisions - not any more.
We now had to consider (amongst others):
- does all the travel system fit in the boot - with room to spare
- can I fit behind the wheel with room behind me for the baby seat
- does the car have Isofix
- what is the NCAP rating
- is it reliable
Previously, being of a lofty disposition I had to have the driver seat as far back as it would go, with the seat down as low as possible. This meant that the Leon was effectively a 3- seater on account that very few people could sit behind me.
Eventually, after much deliberation we bought a Honda Accord - iCDTi Sport. Reliable, roomy, frugal, sporty (ish).
With the Maxi Cosi Cabriofix & Easyfix base in place, the car seat (stage 1) was unable to fit between the back of the driver seat and the rear seat back. The car seat is therefore installed on the passenger side. There is just about enough room for Bev to sit behind me (not for long journeys though).
When selecting the car people would often say things like "Oh, get a people carrier - loads of room". Well, in our experience (and I dragged Bev round enough car showrooms in the past) the people carriers rarely gave us much more in the way of legroom - if any. The biggest improvement was for headroom, but I don't have an issue with headroom in a "standard" car, so we saw little point.
So here we are - the buggy/travel system fits into the boot, we can all fit in the car in relative comfort, and everyone is happy.
Well, almost.
When Hayden was first born we easily popped the car seat onto/off of its base (if anyone is considering buying the Easyfix base, do it - it's so easy). We're not alone in thinking this either.
http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_0_10751_-1__9513_10001_
Now he's getting a bit bigger/heavier it is a little bit of a strain on the back when lifting the car seat in/out of the car, so having to bend less would be a boon. I can't imagine having to fit the seat into the car without the base.
However, there are seemingly few cars out there that we
- can afford - to buy and run
- fit into (including paraphernalia)
- like the look of (image is obviously important)
What we have discovered is that bigger cars don't always mean bigger space inside, but almost always mean bigger bills.
For the forseable future the Honda will suffice, but as we grow - both physically and in numbers (no no, nothing to report!) we are certain we'll be more comfortable in something bigger.
Given the recent news suggesting that parents should keep their children in rear-facing car seats until the age of 4:
Means that our situation is only exacerbated - Hayden is only 4 1/2 months old, yet is already getting to the stage where his car seat (suitable for up to 12 months!?) is a little too small. Official guidance currently suggests that the baby should remain in the rear-facing car seat until the age of at least 9 months. Well, Hayden is the size of a nine month old child already - so how will that work?
I have sent an email to Maxi Cosi - who have been very helpful in the past, but I am still concerned over the guidance.
I'll keep you posted.
Friday, 12 June 2009
So, here we go!
This blog is a little late we've actually been here 4 months already! "Here" being a parent that is, but having had those four months I thought it a good idea to set up a blog to see if anyone else is encountering the same challenges.
My name's Wayne, and I've always been pretty tall - tallest in class throughout my childhood (which made me easy to spot in school photos - centre, back row every time), and I've learned to accept, and embrace my height. My wife, Bev has also been taller than average for most of her life, and is proud of her lofty frame.
However, when you become a parent you're faced with a whole new set of challenges - and then some if you happen to be outside the "average".
My wife and I are considered taller than average - me being 6ft 7 and my wife being 6ft. There are taller people, and there are shorter, but for the purposes of this blog we'll consider ourselves tall.
Ever since discovering we were expecting our first child we've been constantly surprised by the amount of equipment, advice and guidance that seems to cater for Mr & Mrs Average, whilst ignoring Mr & Mrs Above-Average.
One of the first things we did was look at buggies.
Before we got into the whole "does it have enough cup-holders, will my iPod connect etc" we had to make sure we fitted it, or more importantly, it fitted us.
The choice is simply mind blowing, however once we tested a few we soon discovered a number of problems with a large number and were able to narrow our choices down.
One of the obvious criteria was does the handle come up high enough - in the majority of cases, no. We found a number that came up high, but not quite high enough. Quinny, Bugaboo, Bebeconfort and Stokke all seemed about as high as they'd go.
The shop we visited (no longer trading) allowed you to "test drive" the buggies, which proved invaluable in our case. We set each buggy to our desired height and had a walk around the shop, took them outside and folded/unfolded them, folded them back up again and tried to load them in the boot of the car (we'll come back to that in a minute).
One of the first things we noticed was that although the handle came up high we were kicking the axle/wheels when we walked. That discounted a couple more models/makes.
We were eventually left with the Stokke Xplory with travel system (Maxi Cosy car seat). Although expensive - it ticked all our boxes and was by far the most comfortable to use.
Here we are on our first outing once the snow had cleared enough that we weren't skating all over the place.
The pictures show the Xplory with the pram/carrycot attachment. The beauty of the pram is that it could double as a crib/moses basket - meaning we didn't have to buy an additional moses basket and stand.
The only trouble - was that Hayden soon outgrew the pram too, but it gave us the flexibility and ability to move him about, and give him somewhere to sleep wherever it became convenient for us.
Anyway - let's skip back a few months to the shop. Once we'd chosen the Xplory, we then attempted to load it into the car, but that's another story...
My name's Wayne, and I've always been pretty tall - tallest in class throughout my childhood (which made me easy to spot in school photos - centre, back row every time), and I've learned to accept, and embrace my height. My wife, Bev has also been taller than average for most of her life, and is proud of her lofty frame.
However, when you become a parent you're faced with a whole new set of challenges - and then some if you happen to be outside the "average".
My wife and I are considered taller than average - me being 6ft 7 and my wife being 6ft. There are taller people, and there are shorter, but for the purposes of this blog we'll consider ourselves tall.
Ever since discovering we were expecting our first child we've been constantly surprised by the amount of equipment, advice and guidance that seems to cater for Mr & Mrs Average, whilst ignoring Mr & Mrs Above-Average.
One of the first things we did was look at buggies.
Before we got into the whole "does it have enough cup-holders, will my iPod connect etc" we had to make sure we fitted it, or more importantly, it fitted us.
The choice is simply mind blowing, however once we tested a few we soon discovered a number of problems with a large number and were able to narrow our choices down.
One of the obvious criteria was does the handle come up high enough - in the majority of cases, no. We found a number that came up high, but not quite high enough. Quinny, Bugaboo, Bebeconfort and Stokke all seemed about as high as they'd go.
The shop we visited (no longer trading) allowed you to "test drive" the buggies, which proved invaluable in our case. We set each buggy to our desired height and had a walk around the shop, took them outside and folded/unfolded them, folded them back up again and tried to load them in the boot of the car (we'll come back to that in a minute).
One of the first things we noticed was that although the handle came up high we were kicking the axle/wheels when we walked. That discounted a couple more models/makes.
We were eventually left with the Stokke Xplory with travel system (Maxi Cosy car seat). Although expensive - it ticked all our boxes and was by far the most comfortable to use.
Here we are on our first outing once the snow had cleared enough that we weren't skating all over the place.
The pictures show the Xplory with the pram/carrycot attachment. The beauty of the pram is that it could double as a crib/moses basket - meaning we didn't have to buy an additional moses basket and stand.
The only trouble - was that Hayden soon outgrew the pram too, but it gave us the flexibility and ability to move him about, and give him somewhere to sleep wherever it became convenient for us.
Anyway - let's skip back a few months to the shop. Once we'd chosen the Xplory, we then attempted to load it into the car, but that's another story...
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