Ask Hip Dad
Every month, the Hip Dad will answer your questions about parenthood, both inside and outside of the home. Send your queries to hipdad@hipbabygear.com

View more questions.
Question of the Month

Dear Hip Dad-

My husband and I are expecting our newbie next week (YIKES!) and we have a 14-month old son already. What are some hip transportation solutions for a newborn and a toddler? Most two-up strollers are heavy, bulky and pricey. Please help!!

Tragically Uphip in Sarasota, FL

Dear TUS:

Hipness really starts when you walk out the door, so it is essential your stroller and diaper bag, as the two pieces of gear most visible to the outside world, reflect your sensibilities as a (still) fashionable mommy. Maintaining your in vogue-ness becomes more difficult, but not impossible, with easy passed child. Rest assured, TUS, that www.hipbabygear.com has many choices that will keep your look from becoming uninspired, so I will focus this response on the pragmatic side of taking two chitlins out of the house.

The Hip Mom currently owns four strollers (and counting), which, except for extreme examples, is more than most families could possibly need. Fortunately for you, TUS, extensive shopping for and use of strollers has provided me with a vision for how a family with two toddlers can survive with just two strollers: 1 portable, for the hip mommy on the run, and 1 full-sized with more luxurious features for strolling/jogging around town. 

Portable stroller choice: The Inglesina Twin Swift is the perfect choice for the family on the go. It is an easy-folding, not too heavy, umbrella-style stroller that fits easily in the trunk for trips to the mall or Grandma's house. We previously purchased another single-child umbrella stroller, whose brand name I won't reveal, and I was struck by how sturdy the Inglesina is in comparison. It can take a beating.  

Full-sized stroller choice: The Bumbleride Queen Bee provides adaptability and a smooth ride that is essential for any serious stroller. Our hip family does a lot of strolling around town, and the Queen Bee is great because it has a optional toddler seat and bassinet attachments, which make it adaptable for your growing kids. Since the children are seated in series instead of in parallel (one child in front of the other, not side-by-side), this stroller is very maneuverable around our small town, while still nicely compact when folded. High-end suspension components make for a smooth ride on-road, off-road or atop the white sands of Sarasota. (Definitely mention the the bit about "high-end suspension components" when trying to sell your hip dad on this stroller--the more you can make a stroller sound like an automobile, the better your case will be. If things get really desperate, you can talk about the "5-point safety harness," which is the type of seat belt they use in NASCAR and other forms of motorsports. Also, tell your hip dad that you will need him to adjust the air pressure on the pneumatic tires for optimum performance.) 

I remain,
The Hip Dad

Dear Hip Dad-

As a pround (not to mention sleepless, harried, and crazed) mother of twins, I am experiencing a diaper bag dilemma. Although I received a perfectly nice diaper bag as a shower gift, I'm finding it hard to keep two sets of diapers, outfit changes, bottles, bibs etc. in this one bag without overflow. What should I do?

Sleepless Mama
State College, PA

Dear Sleepless in State College:

For me, the diaper bag dilemma is even more daunting than the stroller challenge when it comes to making room for two babies (see "Tragically Unhip" above). Our family owns no fewer than 5 diaper bags (and counting), and we have experimented greatly. We have tried putting gear for both babies in one bag (not big enough) and one bag for each child (too many pieces of luggage). Finally we settled on the Fleurville Mothership, which is a wonderfully elegant, spacious, lightweight, and ergonomically advanced bag. Some dads might not be comfortable with the distinctly bright and colorful look of this bag. In such a case, tell him he needs to look inside himself and get in touch with his ubersexual side; a real man, even a dad, should be secure enough in his manly identity to carry around the Mothership. If all else fails, make a deal with him: he gets a Kecci Voyage Daddybag; you get the Mothership. 

Hiply yours,
The Hip Dad