Winter Dilemma - How do you get from A-Z?

Hi
I know it is hot outside and summer is here to stay but I am already thinking to the fall and winter and how to get through this one better than I did the last one.

Last winter I went to bus stops with 3 x 2 year olds and 1x 3 year old and there were days where it was miserable and I felt like quitting when I got home. :woot::no: There were cold days where the kids would cry from the windchill (The bus has a 10 min range during which it arrives depending on how fast everyone loads and driving conditions) plus we have about 5 minutes each way to get to the bus stop.

I also had only strollers or else my handy dandy choo choo wagon to use but when the sidewalks aren;t clear it feels like you are pushing or pulling an ox around rather than 3 little toddlers.

So I swore to myself that this winter will be different. My first inkling is to change from a sedan to a 7 pass SUV or van but hubby thinks it is insane to take on a car loan just for transporting daycare kids (obviously because he was not out there suffering). :huh:

I have looked into toboggans but nothing holds multiple kids with seat belts.

What do you do to get around through the winter - without the misery and heart breaking tears from frozen kids and trudging through mountains of snow with kids that cannot walk through it? Or is this just par for the course?

This winter I will have 2 x 1 year olds and 3 x 2-3 year olds :eek:

Once my own kids were old enough to go to the bus stop alone I stopped taking school age kids so no more bus trips. You could look into one of the older kids on the bus or another parent stopping by to pick up your kids and take them to the bus and bring them back. At least there would only be the occasional day you would have to do the runs. Offering to pay the person of course or trade for a night/Sat of daycare in exchange. As for transporting them there is something called a "turtle" . I saw one that sat 4 with seatbelts and has a cover that goes over it so they are totally enclosed. Think they run in the $2000 range or something like that but cheaper than a van. Making sure the parents know about how to dress their children for this kind of outside weather so they have boots good to -40, extra mitts on, hats with the face mask piece, scarves etc. Is there anywhere near the stop that you can encourage the kids to move around to keep warm rather than just sit and wait?

I don't know how much help I can be here. I have chosen not to transport or do bus-stop drop-offs/pick-ups, because I will have a brand new baby in the fall. I was simply not up for hauling an infant, and x-number of small people around unless it was under my own terms.
In general, though, I love my mini-van for transport. We aren't within walking distance of much, unfortunately, so it is fairly necessary for us to get around. It just takes a little juggling somedays to get everyone dressed and loaded into carseats, especially if you have non-walkers.
I have thought seriously about getting a 10 or more passenger van, because when my own kids are around, we fill up more than a minivan. If you go with a van, check into the extra liability insurance that will be needed to transport kids. I think I had to add a 2 million dollar liability clause? I can't remember the details.
In your case, I might look into what playfelt suggested, and make an arrangement with an older student or another parent nearby. Even if you alternate weeks or something, that would be better than every single day, I should think!!
Oh, and don't forget to tell hubby that if you are using a vehicle to transport kids, you can write off a decent amount of your fuel, maintenance, etc. Might make that seem more appealing to him, if he feels like it will come back, somewhat?

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Originally Posted by Spixie33

Hi
I know it is hot outside and summer is here to stay but I am already thinking to the fall and winter and how to get through this one better than I did the last one.

Last winter I went to bus stops with 3 x 2 year olds and 1x 3 year old and there were days where it was miserable and I felt like quitting when I got home. :woot::no: There were cold days where the kids would cry from the windchill (The bus has a 10 min range during which it arrives depending on how fast everyone loads and driving conditions) plus we have about 5 minutes each way to get to the bus stop.

I also had only strollers or else my handy dandy choo choo wagon to use but when the sidewalks aren;t clear it feels like you are pushing or pulling an ox around rather than 3 little toddlers.

So I swore to myself that this winter will be different. My first inkling is to change from a sedan to a 7 pass SUV or van but hubby thinks it is insane to take on a car loan just for transporting daycare kids (obviously because he was not out there suffering). :huh:

I have looked into toboggans but nothing holds multiple kids with seat belts.

What do you do to get around through the winter - without the misery and heart breaking tears from frozen kids and trudging through mountains of snow with kids that cannot walk through it? Or is this just par for the course?

This winter I will have 2 x 1 year olds and 3 x 2-3 year olds :eek:

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How old are the after school kids? If they are older than kindergarden could you apoint an older cahild to walk them home for a fee?

I knew someone who had a wagon that converted to a sled in the winter...it had a roof to cover it and you could probably drape blankets over that to keep the wind out. I think it seated about 6 kids. I don't know where she got it though unfortunately.

I use a Peg Perego triple stroller and absolutely love it! The canopy covers them completely and the wheels are huge. It goes through snow, rocks, anything. http://http://www.google.ca/imgres?i...ed=0CC8Q9QEwAg

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Originally Posted by kangaroomama

I knew someone who had a wagon that converted to a sled in the winter...it had a roof to cover it and you could probably drape blankets over that to keep the wind out. I think it seated about 6 kids. I don't know where she got it though unfortunately.

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I have a wagon from here. I have a canopy but it is an older style and I don't use it much anymore. But then I don't take them out if the weather is bad either. I love my wagon. I have the larger one with the wide wheels.http://toywagons.com

Funny how today I am starting my fall curriculum and making arrangments to get my winter music teacher in etc.

For me, I leased a van 100% for daycare for the last 4 years and am now taking out a loan to buy it. So yes, I understand upgrading your vehicle for daycare purposes. My van has been a sanity saver these last 4 years. I have 5 car seats installed and am able to travel with my daycare children. The van is also an 8 seater so I can have both of my girls with me too.

For walking with the children I found my choo choo wagon way to difficult to pull when the sidewalks were not cleared properly. The best that I have found are strollers with larger wheels, I have a runabout, but a few caregivers have the chariots and love them. I have up to 5 infants where others may only have 2 or 3.

If a sled is what is best for you, why don't you sup it up? I have taken a wagon and put a frame on it and a covered it in plastic to make it weather proof for the children. Supping up a wagon was relatively easy. I even went as far as putting a pad for the children's bottoms and bumper pads too.

Like several caregivers in my area, I decided not to do the school runs while I have infants or toddlers in care. This means I am able to limit the children's exposure to the extreme weather. I had both age groups for only 3 months and I couldn't handle the school runs with the little ones. I have a friend who does all the school runs and buses, she has 3 school runs and 2 bus stop runs each and every day, she is constantly on the run, don't know how she does it.

Do you have a retired neighbour or friend who lives nearby who is on mat leave come by and watch the young ones while you walk the older kids to the bus on particularly nasty days?

I love the input - thanks. I love the point about how gas and a different vehicle could account for some possible tax deductions.:) I hadn't even thought of that.

I think our jobs are so isolating as it is that having alarger vehicle would also mean that maybe on one day a week I could go to a different park or a different early years because I wouldn't be confined to everything in walking distance.

The suggestion about neighbours alternating off would be great but it is not a good solution for our neighbourhood. We have about 3 different schools and buses going around - catholic, public, French as well as walking distance to another English Public school. I don't have any neighbour whose kids go on the same bus as mine that I am close to and all the other people at the bus stop we use live closer to the bus stop than we do so it would mean a big detour for them to backtrack to our house and then turn around back to the bus stop.

The days I am worried about are the Jan/Feb windchill -20 days and I don't see any volunteers to go out in that. lol. I have a neighbour/friend on mat leave and she doesn't leave the house unless weather conditions are perfectly cozy

I have heard from another provider that had the turtle bus, that its ok in a bit of snow but in wet sticky or a lot of snow the wheels pick up the snow and it gets stuck in the break.

I walk back and forth to school, although the school is only about 10min walk 1 way for me, it takes us 45mins to an hr to do the school run (due to some of the kids that walk). So I hear ya, on thoes miserable, cold, "I want to quit" days! I only have 1 child that needs a stroller, so i have a jogger with a weather sheild. However, I used to have 3 younger kids, and i had a Runabout Stroller, big wheels, great in the snow (no problem with the break like the turtle bus) light weight and easy to push. I had a triple but they come as big as 6. You can get a canopy and a winter weather sheild as well. These strollers too are a pretty penny, however, as someone else had pointed out, less than a new vehicle! If I find myself with more than 2 little ones that would require a stroller in the future I would for sure get another one of these!!!

5 Seater Runabout stroller here. It glides through the snow easily....way better than my double or triple stroller. Brand new, with weather sheild, it cost me about $1500.

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Originally Posted by Emilys4Guppies

5 Seater Runabout stroller here. It glides through the snow easily....way better than my double or triple stroller. Brand new, with weather sheild, it cost me about $1500.

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Le Sigh :crying:
I think this might be the route I have to go. I don't find the runabouts very attractive and it is going to hurt to spend that much on a stroller but in the long run it is probably the cheapest option and I haven't found anyone who has a bad word to say about the runabouts

I never had much issue dragging my wagon through the snow provided the roads were at least plowed. The wheels were wide and the height was fairly high to stay out of the splash of the slush. A really good quality one will run you about $300-400 but cheaper than the runabout and you can fit in extra kids or older kids if needed.

Have any of you used a garden wagon? Someone suggested it to me and I am wondering how hard it would be to pull. ANy thoughts?

Kids used the garden wagons for flyer delivery 3 times a week year round and complained to some extent but managed. Those wagons will loaded when heading out. Again they had the bigger ones with the wider wheels. Make sure you have the padded liner for the wagon and put a plastic tarp or liner of some sort under as the slush will splash up into the wagon if you don't. The plastic protects the padded liner.

I actually have a garden wagon that my dad completely redid for me- he actually make bench seating for me- ( with seatbelts-) we also changed the tires to the ones that do not go flat. works well- a bit heavy - but happy to have all the children tucked in tight. and really for me the bus stop ( for my girls) is less than a block away.