Friday, May 29, 2009

Buggy procrastination


Hurrah, it’s a Mildred Free Day, so I am in early at my desk. Its high time I stopped dithering over a major bank breaking purchase. I need to get the pushchair / pram situation sorted. I have 1 day before Mildred returns. I need to research and purchase it, so that it is delivered at some point before the baby arrives.

The number of options found by the search engine stuns me. There are bewildering arrays of models, sizes, accessories, click in –click out options. After an hour of surfing, I conclude that one can buy a 1] Mary Poppins type perambulator; a 2] minimalist fold-up meccano type pushchair, a 3]3-wheel drive over rough terrain buggy or a 4]3-in-1-travel system. This is extremely irritating, as I have lost all ability to make a decision.

Each type is persuasively promoted by svelte celebrity Mums. Each comes with a whole host of benefits and must have accessories. Unfortunately, they all come with a huge price tag that only a celebrity could afford.

Apparently I should be considering the recline settings, suspension; fold up capability, weight, tyre settings etc; I am stunned to find that some wheels come with a pump. Presumably if you a member of the AA, you can get them to fix the puncture and pump the tyres.

I shoulder the weight of this decision alone until coffee break. Then I crack and consult my colleagues. ‘What type of car do you drive? Asks John [father of 2] ‘Because you have to make sure it’ll fit in your boot’. ‘How wide is your hallway? because they can take up a lot of space? Asks Fiona [mother of 1]
‘And how much can you afford to spend?’ asks Louise [blissfully childless] who is well aware of the special relationship I have with my credit card.

‘Listen, I have a buggy you can have’ shouts Lara across the canteen.’ Its just taking up room in the attic. Its safe, light, fits in the car and I don’t ever want to see it again. My childbearing days are definitely over. Thank goodness! No more nappies, burping; sterilizing, crying; spewing... ‘That would be great ‘ I interrupt.
Lara is one of these very ‘with it’ women, who oozes coolness and competence. If it was good enough for her sprog, then it’s good enough for peanut. I am rather taken aback however, at her evident delight at being over the ‘baby ‘ stage. I sense I am at the bottom of a very steep learning curve.

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