The Best Strollers for Big Kids

We had the Sit N Stand for a long time, too! We are fortunate that our younger son is the child who needs assistance, so by the time we were ready to be done with the Sit and Stand, we didn't need a double stroller anymore as our older son had outgrown the need. It is frustrating that insurance won't pay for a medical stroller in addition to the wheelchair - we faced the same issues. Fortunately, a friend told me about a Maclaren Major on craigslist and I bought it for $50 - a huge relief for us at the time. It was definitely a pain not to have any storage with it, though (and the basket attachments are very expensive to add). Let me know what you find because I'd like to add to the article for those who have a need for a double-stroller for big kids!

Adding a second idea, Lisa - if you have a stroller like a Maclaren Major for your daughter with Cerebral Palsy (we used a Maclaren Major for Nolan for a few years), there are additional "pods" that an be added for a sibling to ride on the back of the Maclaren Major. Some of the pods are standing boards, but there is one called a Buggypod which allows a younger sibling to sit while attached to the larger stroller. Examples of the Buggypod may be viewed here: http://www.buggypod.com/wordpress/

Hi Lisa! A double stroller definitely makes the weight issue difficult. I'm not sure which stroller you currently have, but the BOB Revolution Flex Duallie Jogging Stroller might work for you. The seat belts might not fit your daughter, though - so this is one I'd try to buy at a store where you can test-fit the stroller (Babies R Us carries many brands and might be worth a visit). If you can get insurance coverage, I would try to get something like the Tandem Buggy (see product information here: http://www.activateforkids.co.uk/assets/tandem-bro... If you are in the USA, you might be able to get it covered as DME under insurance (though it might take some appeals).

Hello Sasha, The Joovy Zoom 360 Ultralight has a maximum weight of 75 pounds. Could you point to the product information that states 50 pounds? The official product information states: "Your child will have great visibility and can take in the view in the Zoom 360 Ultralight’s high riding seat. This comfortable and supportive seat has convenient mesh pockets for snacks and take-alongs and is sturdy enough for a child up to 75 pounds."

Hello, Paul - jogging strollers may be purchased from any retail store which contains a baby department. A better selection may be found online through searching. Medical strollers are very expensive and generally covered under DME through medical insurance, though sometimes they are not covered at all. Wheelchairs and some medical strollers must be fit to the child and require a fitting appointment. I hope this helps!

It is disgusting how other people judge when they have no idea about a hidden disability. It absolutely breaks my heart, Cass! Our son is doing much better now than when he was younger, though still fatigues easily. Long distance walking is particularly difficult for him and he has to sit frequently to regain his energy.

People can be truly appalling sometimes. I suppose the old saying is still true: if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It is too bad more people don't heed this advice!

Exactly, Theresa! It is amazing how judgmental people can be, isn't it? People make comments all the time, without having any idea about the reality behind the situation. We were once at a grocery store and my son's legs gave out, so I placed him into the basket of the grocery cart (he's a little big to carry) - I think about 5 people came up and said, "Oh, but you're such a big boy, why are you riding in there?" It is so rude. It is no one's business.

We don't have a double stroller, Lily, but we did recently acquire a Maclaren Major. It is a medical stroller that looks a lot like an umbrella stroller, but accommodates children up to 110 pounds. It is PERFECT for our needs. My son has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and "looks" fine, but cannot walk long distances as he fatigues. If you can get a developmental pediatrician to write a prescription, you should be able to get a medical stroller covered by insurance (though that sometimes doesn't work, as some insurance companies will only cover strollers for children who are paralyzed or cannot walk at all). We obsessively watched craigslist, ebay, and our local garage sale pages - a friend notified me that someone local was selling a Maclaren Major for $50. We picked it up about 4 months ago and it has made life MUCH easier. Nolan is now 7 years old and will not fit into an umbrella stroller. Another benefit of a medical stroller is the lack of judgmental stares.

I hope you find something that works for your little boy, Natalie! Some people really have a lot of nerve - they should not make comments and judgments. It is really awful! My son is six and a half, and due to his genetic disorder he fatigues easily. He can run around a playground and look perfectly "typical," but extended walking makes him extremely fatigued and can cause a lot of other issues. Kids come in all sorts of different sizes and there are so many 2 year olds that are the same size as a 5 year old (or vice versa)! Let me know what stroller you find! Nolan (my six year old) is 45 pounds and we have a hard time finding one for him due to his length - which is why we're leaning toward a medical stroller at this point.

Natashia, it is ridiculous how some people feel comfortable judging others, when they have no idea how difficult it can be with young children. Disney World is extremely large and more than most preschoolers could ever tackle on their own. My little boy has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which involves several medical issues - including weak/floppy joints and early-onset arthritis. He can generally walk short distances, but he does not have the endurance most typical children have. On the outside, he looks "typical," but he requires a stroller if we are in a large mall or if we are walking around a city. He is six now, and looks odd in an umbrella stroller due to his size. We're trying to get a Maclaren Major (medical stroller) for him - I've been bidding on eBay to find a cheap one.

There are a few brands that work well with bigger kids, lindacee, but most children who require long-term mobility assistance will eventually move onto a medical stroller or wheelchair. Many of the medical strollers look like souped-up umbrella strollers.

I do hope it is NOT mito, but I have run across several cases of "mild" mito and varying presentations from a few of the blogs of kids with multiple medical issues or hearing loss + other issues... I'll shoot you a PM- not sure how to bring it up to his ENT (the only doc that has chased down any sort of diagnosis for the little guy) - it is entirely possible that he has something else, but I suppose time will tell. If anything new pops up, we'll obviously be even more suspicious.

Hi MitoMom - mito is on the table for Nolan, though we haven't gone through any formal testing for it yet. He has mild hypotonia, gastrointestinal issues (severe reflux - Nissen with mic-key placement/motility issues), sleep apnea (uses a C-pap at night - obstructive hypopneas and central apnea - the central apnea has resolved). He also has a congenital, progressive hearing loss, chronic sinus and ear infections, a urology issue, and some vision issues (amblyopia with astigmatism, nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other eye). We're not sure if his fatigue issues are more related to GI pain or are true fatigue - it is very unpredictable. He also has difficulty gaining and maintaining weight. Our docs aren't very interested in a comprehensive diagnosis. The geneticist we saw at Cleveland Clinic speculated on a connective tissue disorder, though he doesn't quite "fit" that category. We're in the wait-and-see mode to see what else pops up. I do wish they would run a few tests to get some answers, because it would b nice to have a "name."

Very true, teaches! Sometimes kids tire easily at the ages of four or five and need a little extra help on a big trip that requires a lot of walking. We had to run to a department store to get a cheap umbrella stroller for our son a few months ago, because we had sold all of our strollers! It has come in handy on several occasions.

Thank you, Rose! There are a lot of options out there - we often use a wagon when we're going out to a fair or to the zoo.

Jackie, it absolutely breaks my heart - I understand the attempt at humor behind the blog, but it is very misplaced and very few parents actually place a child in a stroller when it is not needed. It is much harder to push around a stroller than to simply have an able-bodied child walk.

I hope it helps someone, greatstuff! We are still undecided as to whether our son will require long-term mobility assistance, so we may invest in a jogging stroller until we have a more clear-cut need for a medical stroller. Hopefully our little guy will gain strength with a little more age and we can ditch the stroller altogether!

Very true, Riverfish - I may have been one of the judgmental people in the past, until I had a child who requires the use of a stroller past the typical age range!

I never used a jogging stroller for exercise, krsharp, but we are considering buying one for Nolan. He has considerable difficulty with standing and walking when he has a high fatigue day, and it would come in handy. They are supposed to go over rough terrain well, so it would be great for hiking at our local audubon with our little guy!