I am a full time nanny for five families, with 12 children and one on the way, ranging in age from 8 weeks up to 10 years. I have been a nanny for many years, I love doing this job and I can’t see stopping any time soon. Over the years, and families I have come across many different prams, car seats, and baby items that are meant to help with the day-to-day life with children.
I have used all the prams under the sun, and because I work with more than one family everyday, I’ve been hauling two or three different prams in and out of my car daily, I was getting sick of forgetting to take a pram out at one family home, then not having the right one for the next set of children – ARGHHHH! So I said to my self – I should just get my own pram that stays in my car that I use with all my families when I am out and about with the children. So I spent a few weeks really thinking what I needed in a pram:
• It had to fit in my smallish boot
• It had to be able to take newborns by themselves
• It had to be able to take newborns with older siblings
• It had to be able to take toddlers by themselves (including older 3/4 year old that are runners)
• It had to be able to take 3 year old twins (for school runs)
• It had to be able to be used without lots and lots of extras to start off
So, once I had that worked out most prams were out: side-by-side, tandem, single. So this left me with little chose, until…
I went to a baby shop and really the only pram that I could use that filled the above list of needs was a phil&teds. Now the problem was which P&T to get? – There are just so many different ones that could work for me.
I went with an Explorer, after using an E3 V2 and Vibe V1, with some of my families. I loved that I could get a capsule and double kit on at once, the follow the sun hood, the somewhat more off road type of design; PLUS being able to have just a child in the double kit if needed.
I now use the pram two or three times a day with four of my five families (one family has 2 school aged children – 8 &10), all of the kids just love being in “Kate’s Pram”, I can keep kids in there when their parents pram can’t. The parents often try to hold the hand of runners whilst pushing a newborn in a pram.
Over the first six months of my new pram’s life, I have gotten most of the extras accessories that just make the pram so much easier to use. I now have;
• The doubles kit – both the Explorers and the Hammerhead (love the recline of the Hammerhead)
• Both single covers
• Both double covers
• Peanut – This was a gag gift at Christmas from my family
• Cover for the peanut
• Saddle bags
• Hung bag
• Diddle
• Travel system (1) – Phil&Teds Bebe
• Cocoon
• Cup holder
• Lazy Ted
I have just loved using my Phil&Teds Explorer, and recommend the brand to any parent that I can. It has helped my life no end.
All the covers come with me, at all times – so never am without them, when they are needed
• I get so much into the under basket, I can pack to pram full and not need anything else for a whole day at a park, zoo or theme park.
• I keep a sleeping baby in the capsule and put them into the pram and off we go
• I can fit in a large 6 year old into the main seat and a large 3 year old in the double kit, have another 3 year old (set of twins) on my hip, have two dogs attached to the handle and still push the pram strait and up and over the curbs
• I am never at a loss as what to do with a child if for some reason I have an extra child with me for the day – there is always a place to put them safely in a phil&teds!
• The one hand fast fold is great, I can hold the capsule and still get the pram into the car
Because of my love for the phil&teds pram, I have now also gotten a lobster and bebe capsule.
Over all I give the Phil&Teds Explorer a 5 out of 6, only because phil&teds will one day bring out a better pram (I am sure) and I can’t wait for it.
Kate
