Wanted - one lightweight, large knobby-wheeled stroller with a reclining seat, one-hand steering, and a large shopping basket for transporting an adorable four month old. Want single-handed folding, adjustable canopy, and good looks. Must have machine-washable fabric. Needed immediately for savoring Chicago in springtime and for grand European adventures. Will provide an intimate and exclusive relationship with a loving and appreciative family. One condition - consistent performance under (over?) all the urban street stress we can dish out. Come, be our fourth-Wheel-er!
Eric and I finally broke down and bought a stroller Monday. Brooks turned four months yesterday, so yes, it was about time. Well, the whole experience was ridiculously difficult in ways that I just didn't anticipate. Our new stroller is still in the box with the receipt in my wallet, just in case I need to return it. And I'm still searching the web for something "better". How can acquiring a single piece of baby gear be so insanely complex?
Lightweight vs full featured? Large shopping basket vs easy to collapse & carry? Good for public transportation vs good for cobble-stone streets. Compact double wheels to fit in our trunk vs some large knobby ones that can take a beating as our primary mode of transport? Something cheap that I won't feel guilty pitching after we beat it to death in the next 12 months vs one that will last for years? And of course, what about Brooks' siblings? With this kind of investment, shouldn't we look at a stroller that can convert to a two-seater?
And THEN, once you've chosen the stroller, do you get the wind/rain cover, the matching buggy bag, the winter-weather boot, or my personal favorite - what about the "atmosphere shield" (to protect the little darling from "dangerous pollutants" on the way to starbucks)? The choices (and their corresponding price tags) are mind-boggling...
As I described to SWS today, the shopping process made me feel absolutely crazy - like one of those cartoon characters who has black and white swirls for eyeballs. I felt frozen with fear that I'd choose the wrong brand or model... that I'd get it home and end up hating my choice.
I guess that's what's really bothering me now... This kind of thing has happened to me before. WHY am I so paralyzed by decisions like this? I find that I really want to do things RIGHT. That I am compelled even, to pass some sort of stroller buying test... but who's responsible for grading me? I mean, really, what am I afraid will happen if I make the "wrong" choice? Perhaps I buy one too quickly without finding the ideal stroller? That could mean that I am too lazy to research thoroughly. Well, honestly, I'm not sure that the "perfect" stroller even exists. What if we have to buy another stroller at some point? Does that make me a bad steward of our money? That will probably happen no matter which one I choose. Perhaps most honestly, I fret that my choice will somehow disappoint someone... but who am I trying to please? Certainly not Brooks! He doesn't care if he's riding in a $900 Bugaboo or a $39.99 Walmart umbrella stroller. And who else really matters?!
So, what does God say about this? Unfortunately, the Bible is strangely silent on the subject of stroller selection. But since I say that I want to be about the things that God values, I guess that means I don't make decisions based on the world's standards. Because I claim that I want all of my life under His Lordship, that must include shopping, right? It certainly includes how I raise my children. But does He even care about what kind of stroller I push?! I mean how important is it to Him that I shop with eternal purpose every single time I plunk down cash for something? Surely I'm over-thinking this. I can't get neurotic about every single thing I buy, fixated on finding the best thing at the very best price to meet all our current and future needs and by so doing, honor God and respect Eric and love our kids with my incredible responsibility and financial management... AHHH! Where is the freedom and joy in that?! I mean there must be an answer in here somewhere, right?
God, please give me some stroller sanity. And help me invest my time and effort on things that really matter... whatever they are.
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3 comments:
Okay, I can totally relate, of course! I think every first time parent goes through stroller-agnst and it's terrible. I think a lot of the pressure comes b/c it's a hefty sum of $ you will spend and you want it to be well spent! We bought an "Inglesina" which was a lightweight, one handed folding etc. and felt good about it and it was a great stroller. Then we ended up buying a BOB jogger. BUT, in hindsight, I think we should have just gotten one of those "snap n go" things for the infant carrier and then invested in the Bob jogging stoller, which I LOVE. But, don't spend $$ on a Bob unless you like to run/walk a lot. Anyway, I think another good and safe bet is McClaren. NYC moms swear by them, and truthfully I was swaying between that and the Inglesina.
So if I wasn't a runner (or pretending to be these days!) then I would just get a McClaren and be done. It's a good one and most websites/research will say so.
Good luck!
We'll make it, SC. In the end, it's just a stroller and we really will be alright. Maybe we can get GRBH to design one for us.
Ridiculous but true...
My mom went out and bought a Graco stroller for Brooks today that fits his car seat. It was probably the easiest purchase in the world: Walk into Babies R Us, find stroller with fabric that matches car seat, plunk down money, walk out with stroller. And it worked very well. Brooks slept for almost 4 hours this afternoon as we puttered around the mall.
I was absolutely KICKING myself for making this so insanely difficult.
Thanks, mom, for constantly showing me how easy it can be.
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