Getting Baby to Daycare on Metro

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:13 - I presume your walk to the metro is uphill in both directions? Drop the attitude - it isn't a contest.

It is not the case that one can get on a train with a stroller at 8:00 am at all stops.

OP - I think it is instructive that you see very few children on the metro during rush hour. One does what one needs to do, but most of my colleagues who brought their kids down town chose to drive in - even if they lived near the metro. I'd look at the kids you see - I don't see too many acting as if they view the experience as "quality time."

Where did I say it was a contest? I've been doing it for a long time and know of what I speak!
I think driving is honestly a waste of time and resources. Especially in this area. Clogging the roads w/ another car for what? So your little precious doesn't have her own little bubble traveling down 66?
And - you obviously DO NOT ride the train! There are TONS of kids on Metro.

[Anonymous]

I took metro for a few weeks while my car was in the shop. On an average day, it would take twice as long to take metro than to drive for various reasons (e.g. I had to take 3 (!) elevators to get out at metro center) so I prefer driving. Other than the time, it was totally doable, and I prefer the metro to the bus because I didn't have to unload DC and all our stuff from the stroller to get on the train. During rush hour, I just got on the train near the back and never had a problem with my umbrella stroller.

I had my DC at a daycare near home for the first few months, and I was always hitting the closing time. While I rarely leave DC at daycare until closing now, I love the flexibility of having him at daycare near my office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP if you don't mind how old is your neighbor's kid? Would they really ticket someone for feeding a toddler at dinner time? I give my one year old a snack before her evening bottle.

My neighbor's child is about 20 months. She hasn't gotten a ticket yet, and tries to serve non-messy foods, but Metro is pretty strict about food on the trains so she does think it is just a matter of time. But she is willing to risk it because there is just no other good way of getting her fed dinner on the way home, time-wise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:13:13 - I presume your walk to the metro is uphill in both directions? Drop the attitude - it isn't a contest.

It is not the case that one can get on a train with a stroller at 8:00 am at all stops.

OP - I think it is instructive that you see very few children on the metro during rush hour. One does what one needs to do, but most of my colleagues who brought their kids down town chose to drive in - even if they lived near the metro. I'd look at the kids you see - I don't see too many acting as if they view the experience as "quality time."

Where did I say it was a contest? I've been doing it for a long time and know of what I speak!
I think driving is honestly a waste of time and resources. Especially in this area. Clogging the roads w/ another car for what? So your little precious doesn't have her own little bubble traveling down 66?
And - you obviously DO NOT ride the train! There are TONS of kids on Metro.

It also depends on what your child is used to. We just bought a car (we use it during weekends when buses don't run as often in our area) and daughter HATES being in her carseat. It's because she's used to the bus/Metro commute in the morning being held by my husband in the Ergo; being able to look around; have more freedom of movement instead of being strapped to a carseat looking at the back of a car.

[Anonymous]

I assume you're talking about metro rail (verse bus). It's absolutely doable. I used a small backpack for DD's stuff and left my pump at work. So, I was just left with carrying DD - and I put her in the sling.

Some people didn't even realize I had a baby wrapped up inside my coat (during the winter time).

Just avoid using a stroller - it's a real PITA even the small foldable umbrella ones will seem bulky and hard to maneuver when the train is packed.

Gasp! You're taking your baby on metro which is Germ Central...I'm surprised you're not flamed for this issue by itself. How brave of you to post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:13 - I presume your walk to the metro is uphill in both directions? Drop the attitude - it isn't a contest.

It is not the case that one can get on a train with a stroller at 8:00 am at all stops.

OP - I think it is instructive that you see very few children on the metro during rush hour. One does what one needs to do, but most of my colleagues who brought their kids down town chose to drive in - even if they lived near the metro. I'd look at the kids you see - I don't see too many acting as if they view the experience as "quality time."

I agree. I think your metro experience can vary widely depending on the line you take. I am SAHM and I've taken my daughter on the metro many times during peak and non-peak hours. You can forget taking a stroller on my line during rush hour. I don't even like to take stroller during non-rush because it is still crowded and the elevators are filthy and smell of urine. People are rude and do not move because they are too busy sleeping or listening to ipods. I agree with the other posters to do a test-run before baby and I definitely recommend the Ergo as a carrier.

[Anonymous]

OP - I think it is instructive that you see very few children on the metro during rush hour. One does what one needs to do, but most of my colleagues who brought their kids down town chose to drive in - even if they lived near the metro. I'd look at the kids you see - I don't see too many acting as if they view the experience as "quality time."

oh, baloney. you will definitely see MY kid on the metro during rush hour, and in a *gasp* stroller!! and he might be eating a snack, too! (don't worry, i'll clean up any dropped food).

my DS is a thomas the tank engine fanatic so he thinks riding the train everyday is supercool. i do, too.

it sounds like the ppl who are against your taking your baby on metro are not fans of public transportation in general. if you are a regular rider, and happy with your mode of transportation, you shouldn't have any problems. that's how my family operates.

[Anonymous]

Wow, people realyl feel strongly about this stuff.

I have a 2 year old daughter. I have a phenomenal daycare in my building near Metro Center. I take the Metro every day. And I would never move my daughter from the center near our house.

My reasons are the same as many people have already mentioned. One thing to consider is whether your partner also works downtown. My DH works a little closer to our house. By not bringing her all the way downtown, by husband and I have more flexibiltiy in who takes care of daycare pick-up/drop-off duty.

And I concur with the poster who suggested that you look around your train/bus dring rush hour. I routinely see one parent/child pair reading a book in the first train. This seems to work for them. However, I rarely see any other kids. Also, I have begun to HATE the crowds and unpredictability of the Metro. I don't think it worth subjecting my daughter to it (and the other riders when she gets upset) to have the few benefits of a daycare near my work.

[Anonymous]

I do it with a two and a half year old and a stroller. I was very nervous about it, but it's been fine. I am glad we don't have to do the red line, but the orange and blue line generally haven't been too crazy crowded. If she was smaller and I could do the bjorn or the ergo it would be even better, but a stroller is definitely doable in my experience.

[Anonymous]

PP again--and regarding the quality time point, I think I interact more with my daughter on the metro than when I am driving, when she and I are more likely just to veg out. On the metro we are more likely to be conversing, singing, etc. And yes, I do give neat non-crumbly snacks, like an apple, to make it easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP - I think it is instructive that you see very few children on the metro during rush hour. One does what one needs to do, but most of my colleagues who brought their kids down town chose to drive in - even if they lived near the metro. I'd look at the kids you see - I don't see too many acting as if they view the experience as "quality time."

oh, baloney. you will definitely see MY kid on the metro during rush hour, and in a *gasp* stroller!! and he might be eating a snack, too! (don't worry, i'll clean up any dropped food).

my DS is a thomas the tank engine fanatic so he thinks riding the train everyday is supercool. i do, too.

it sounds like the ppl who are against your taking your baby on metro are not fans of public transportation in general. if you are a regular rider, and happy with your mode of transportation, you shouldn't have any problems. that's how my family operates.

Not really baloney, actually. I'm on the orange line and you would be hard pressed to get a stroller in one of the trains during the commute. Yes, it is done. But there are no mythical hoards of children on the trains that I'm on (currently 3 days/week, previously 5 days/week). The ones that are on there are not tolerated well by many of the passengers that I observe. I actually witnesses a guy say something to a mom about the size of her stroller on a busy day, parked in front of a door (not her fault, she had two kids and there was nowhere for her to go). The DH of the mom CHARGED the other guy and they almost came to blows. Over kids on the metro. While that is the only one instance of that magnitude I've seen other behavior that does not indicate MANY commuters are tolerant of children.

As for me, I opted for a daycare closer to home for some of the reasons listed. I find metro actually takes me longer to get where I need to be and I find it uncomfortable when NOT lugging around a stroller and backpack for DD. Plus, when I am sick, daycare is right there. DH and I are lucky that we can stagger our hours and make it a short, workable day for DD.

[Anonymous]

I used to take the metro to work. My husbands drives to work. With DD's daycare being close to work, I thought I could take the metro, drop her off at daycare, etc... i tried for a week, it was impossible. At one point, during rush hour, at L'Enfant Plaza, with the stroller, i tried to hop on the train, people wouldn't let me!!!! Three trains came by and i never got on... Ended up walking home and buying a car shortly after the ordeal. I was not willing to put up w/ extra stress! I'd say what you need to do depends on the station you get on, where you live, etc... Try for a week and then decide what's best to do.

[Anonymous]

I just have to say that I get mildly annoyed when I see ANYONE eating or drinking on the metro, and that goes for kids too. The rule is no food or drink, not "no food or drink unless you promise to clean it up." How is it any different for me to eat an apple/bagel/smoothie etc on my Metro ride because I'm hungry than for my daughter to do it? And even with the best of intentions, I don't see how a parent can guarantee picking up all crumbs on a crowded train. If your kid is hungry, I suggest taking the ten minutes to give them a snack at daycare before you get on the train.

[Anonymous]

what line will be taking, OP?

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't recommend it. I take the metro every day w/o baby and it's a hassle. Escalators and elevators are often broken. When the train is crowded, you can get pushed and jostled and I wouldn't feel comfortable with a baby in a soft carrier. Also, you are carrying your purse, diaper bag and whatever else. If you have to feed baby a bottle on the metro (when babies gotta eat, they gotta eat) that can also get difficult. What are you going to do when it's winter? Ergo's don't really fit over winter coats so well and in the summer, Ergos can be extremely hot and I usually do get a sweaty back with just a light cotton T-shirt. And there's always the possibility that your baby is not going to want to be in a carrier. Babies definitely go through their phases, and when your baby is really upset in a carrier right next to you it's definitely worse than when they are in a car seat. Don't get me wrong, the Ergo is great, but I would not rely on it as your daily commute vehicle.