My School Run – By Lou
The summer holidays have come to an abrupt end, and we are back to the school run. I resume my position as Sergeant Major, and we slip back into our ever familiar military regime.
I am barking orders at the children, encouraging them to eat breakfast, cooking porridge, making bottles, answering ridiculous questions asked by my 5-year-old, and chasing the baby around the house to tackle her into a high chair.
It's not even 0745, and my house looks like its been ransacked by burglars, with children running around half-naked looking for their uniform. I am shouting instructions on loop. Meanwhile, the baby is now quietly occupying herself emptying the kitchen cupboards with a low swinging nappy which still needs changing.
I am now running around like a lunatic getting the pushchair ready, and the dog has got wind that we are going out. To avoid missing out, she is now bouncing around by the front door, tripping up the children and adding to the chaos. The final stage before leaving the house is to wrestle the baby into the buggy.
We then leave the house with an air of serenity so that no-one knows of the chaos or burgled scenery that we are leaving behind.
Does this sound familiar?
So why the Nipper Single?
I am a Mum of 3 girls who are 8, 5 and 1. It feels like I have just spent the last six weeks of the summer holidays being a walking vending machine, providing constant snacks and entertainment. Now I can't believe it has gone so quickly, and we are now back on the school run.
We live in a lovely village, and my girls attend a school which we can get to on foot. When I found out I was pregnant with my now 1-year-old, I did a huge amount of research as to what pushchair to own.
My lifestyle involves walking to school down a bumpy country lane and walking home via fields with our 10-year-old Border Collie. Needless to say, I needed something that could cope with all terrains. With multiple recommendations and a huge amount of research, we purchased our Out'n'About V4 Nipper Single, and haven't regretted this since. This buggy has done more miles than our car in the past year, and I have been recommending it to so many.
To set the scene of my journey our Out'n'About is now loaded with my 1-year-old, multiple school bags, water bottles and various coats which the kids have refused to wear and the dog alongside, ready for a morning jaunt.
And off we go!
The buggy moves effortlessly down the country lane which has potholes leftover from last winter. I can steer with one hand whilst holding my 5-year-old daughter who is now dragging as she is insistent on looking for bees and feathers and saving the snails that have crawled their way onto the road.
We weave in and around the puddles. This lightweight pushchair takes every twist and turn in its stride, running to catch up with my 8-year-old who is inching her way ahead to get independence from her sisters and me.
We weave in and around the puddles. This lightweight pushchair takes every twist and turn in its stride
Finally, we reach the school gate, and the girls run happily into their classroom ready and excited for the new school year ahead. I smile and pass the appropriate pleasantries to the other mums.
And now it's just me and my youngest left. We walk home via the fields, and it is one more test for our school run buggy. A
Ready for the next adventure
Half an hour later we are home, greeted by the upturned chairs, pyjamas on the floor, the contents of my cupboard halfway across the kitchen, but the dog has been walked, and the school run has been completed. A quick cup of tea to digest the morning chaos. I glance over to see my faithful Out'n'About, holding my now sleeping baby, ready for the days next adventure.
