Commuting to daycare

[Anonymous]

Our current daycare a short walk from our house is closing and we are considering an option near one of our work locations. This would require taking metro with a double stroller and either transfering lines (with a 10 min walk on one side) or no transfer and a 20 min walk on one side Total door to door would be about 35ish min including waiting time. How bad is this? We may only have to metro one way (due to other parent's commute) but occasionally it will be both ways. Driving patent would be in th e car with kids for about 15 to 30 min depending on traffic. Asking here for realistic sense of commuting with kids under 4. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Why do you want to switch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you want to switch?

They don’t. Their daycare is closing.

[Anonymous]

That double stroller is going to be a PITA on the Metro.

[Anonymous]

What do the other options near your house look like? I would avoid the commute, if possible, particularly if it’s only convenient for one parent to do pick up and drop off.

[Anonymous]

It's the double stroller on metro at rush hour aspect that's pushing it into the "ugh" category for me. Maybe it's not as busy on the section you need to go on but I know I have trouble getting just myself in the doors sometimes when it's crowded, let alone a big stroller. I know people do it all the time but it doesn't seem like something that would be easy to handle day in and day out if you have a choice.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, sorry to hear your daycare is closing - what a pain. If you can I'd recommend looking for another one close to home rather than by your offices. While a daycare by the office is convenient in that it can cut down on some stress getting to/leaving work, adding commuting activity to your kids' day may be really tough on them (and you too, especially with two of them to wrangle).

With two, is there any way you could swing a nanny instead of daycare now that you have to change anyway? We went to a nanny when our now-toddler was about 9 months old and it has made such a positive difference to all our lives, not least because DD hasn't been sick once since the switch but also definitely because not having to get her out of the house in the morning is so, so nice. It's been completely worth the extra money to us, and actually wasn't so much more expensive than daycare as we thought it would be, since daycare prices around here are so nuts. (And yes we pay her legally, not under the table.)

[Anonymous]

OP here. Does anyone here have experience with this type of commute and can offer advice on if it was better or worae than anticipated? We are looking at neighborhood options which are better logistically but have other itable. tradeoffs. While I could see how a nanny would be a good option for many people, we do not feel it is good for our family and would prefer to commute with kids over hire a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Is there a way you can do it with a single stroller? Maybe by wearing the younger child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a way you can do it with a single stroller? Maybe by wearing the younger child?

Possibly but I wouldn't want to rely on that so I'd rather plan with the double stroller.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it OP. Find another daycare close to home. Your plan sounds so stressful. A double stroller on the bus? Just no.

[Anonymous]

We used the joovy caboose ultralight. It has about the same footprint as a single, is pretty maneuverable and is light enough that if the elevator is out I can just put the baby in the carrier, throw my bags over my shoulders, hold the big kid’s hand in one hand and the stroller in the other and take the escalator.

A few notes on our experience:
1) You will always want to have a baby carrier in the stroller. I kept a cheap ring sling folded up in the parent organizer for just this purpose, because as I said, you never know when you may end up having no elevator or once both elevator and escalator were out at the same station. ?
2) Figure out a routine with the kids so that it’s not just totally wasted time. My kids always have a muffin for breakfast during the commute, and when the baby was small would also nurse in the baby carrier.
3) I used two cross-body bags for the commute: one for work stuff and one for kids. We always did a car pickup at the end of the week and we would restock things like diapers and formula and spare clothes and pick up things like bulky art projects, etc. as part of our Friday routine.

[Anonymous]

OP, how old is your oldest child? Just wondering how close to kindergarten, where this plan would leave you to deal with drop offs in two completely different areas.

[Anonymous]

We do about 50 min right now with one kid (lengthy walk on one end to the metro). We have considered whether we would do it with two and I would say, no, I would rather not. I do think it's possible, but the contingency if the elevator is broken is tough. I agree with the rec on having some kind of baby carrier in case of emergency situation. We use lots of books, snacks. It's nicer than a similar length car ride because it is time together, but I am realizing that personally, I would rather drop them off earlier and then not be stressed.

[Anonymous]

I've done it. The commute was a pain but I loved having daycare close to my office. The train was slightly more quality time than driving (could read to them, etc.). Most people are nice about giving space for the stroller, even in crowded conditions. There were a lot of benefits to having daycare near my office. I could nurse instead of pump when they were babies and when they were preschoolers there were lots of little events or volunteer opportunities. Once you get used to the commute it'll be no big deal.