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Little 'un due April and both Hubby and I are desparate to get back out together again on trails. We are lucky to have my folks living close to North Wales and the associated trails and trail centres so child care is taken care of there, however further afield is a different story.
As this is our first we have little idea about nurseries and creches but wondered if it was possible to go somewhere, research local nurseries and/or creches and drop child off there whilst we go and play.
Has anyone else tried this? Is it even possible to do this?
And before the catcalls of "sort your priorities, you've had a kid" and so on...we are aware we will be besotted/knackered/looking at life totally differently etc and the child is our first priority. We just wondered if this was an option?
trailer?
IF you're lucky and get a baby that's as good as gold then you'll get out and ride - if you get satans offspring then you will be so knackered you won't have the energy! As for nursery/creches - never heard of any open on a Sunday, nevermind one that you could just drop your child into for the odd weekend. Would you even want to? I certainly wouldn't leave my son with someone I/he has never met. The easiest way for the time being is to ride separately with other riding buddies
Yeah, it did occur to us that we probably won't want to drop little 'un off with strangers (albeit trained, vetted and ofsted approved strangers) but just wondered if it was an option, especially if we are going somewhere on a regular basis (Afan, Cwmcarn).
We are also looking at this as a holiday option (7stanes etc) so could check out places before deciding.
I think you need to get a trailer or do what most others do and take it in turns.
It sounds very, very unlikely.
Your best option is to find friends in a similar situation and share, but even that is hard to sort out. You may need to accept that most of your riding will be apart for a while.
not really an option IMO.
just dump him/her with the gramps and **** off for the weekend.
For a weekend break / week you could try Center Parcs at Whinfell (Cumbria) - they appear to have lots of childcare options (never used it myself). Plenty of tasty riding near-by.
Already looking at the share with friends option; grandfolks will be utilised on a regular basis during holidays; and as we both recognise the importance of riding for us we are sorting out individual riding opportunities when each of us can do our individual Mum and Dad roles (not babysitting as we are the parents).
Thing is we (hubby and I) quite like each other, and each others company on the trails, and part of the enjoyment of riding is the shared experience of a good day out.
We know that riding together will have to be about quality not quantity once little 'un arrives (and before we can get it on a bike) we were just looking for other options, that's all. Let's face it, my local leisure centee has a creche that you can drop said child at while you spend time in the gym or at a class or whatever, why not trail centres? Holiday companies and kinderhotels run kids clubs so you can spend time away from your child (sorry, they can meet other children and have great fun). Surely we aren't the only biking couple out there?
Fubar: you read my mind!
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea, just not something that's currently available
Hmmm, potential business opportunity me thinks!!
"sort your priorities, you've had a kid"
About right, you've made the choice to become parents and so must make some sacrifices.
Comparing trail centres to leisure centres is retarded and personally I hope that no trail centre ever has a creche.
Backhander: Bless your heart, thank you for your advice which I will take with the pinch of salt that it was so clearly given with! 😉
Aaah, the rose tinted spectacles of pre-parenthood 🙂
You won't have the energy to do any riding (of any description!), so it's a problem you won't need to solve 😉
Take it how you like kip, you should be preparing on how best to care for and interact with your newborn, how to ensure it has the best start and being a good influence. Not how you can dump it off on a saturday so that you can go ride bicycles with hubby.
last year we dropped of our two at a nursery in brithdir, nr dolgellau, so we could go ride at coed-y so it's certainly an option.
well worth looking into.
We just wondered if this was an option?
It isn't.
Woody2000: What? You mean I won't be riding Mountain Mayhem solo 2 months after giving birth? P'shaw, I'll take my fancy glasses and believe whatever I want in the hope it will get me through the complete and total fear that my life is ending!! 😆
Backhander: Mum, how many times have I told you to stop stalking me online!
theres so many nay sayers on this forum that sound like they don't have kids but are happy to give an opinion.
you do whatever you want and ignore the miserable bunch of sods on here.
what differance is it to putting your child into nursery to got to work for a day?
Flatfish: If it wasn't for the fact I know he can't be bothered to set up a profile I'd ask if you were my husband! He has said exactly what you just did. Cheers. Long may you ride dry trails in sunny weather!
Kip - good luck, do whatever it takes chuck 😀
what differance is it to putting your child into nursery to got to work for a day?
Kids need routine and places they know and trust. IMHO dropping a child off at a nursery where they don't recognise the surroundings or any of the staff is going to result in a miserable little tyke. That may be a price worth paying if its the start of a regular routine (like returning to work), but its different if its going to be a different nursery in a different location every couple of weeks on a Sunday.
Seriously, get a trailer. Strap them in the car seat and they can go in one one from day one - obviously, limit the riding time, but they'll be fine.
And get a road bike so you can get out at short notice should the opportunity arise.
Be imaginative and hvae fun!
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Geoff seems to have the best idea IMO - a trailer with a car seat well strapped in
I have a bit of an issue with what you're suggesting, mainly because you and your husband don't seem to want to involve your unborn child in any way. it sounds as if (and I'm hopeful it isn't the case) that as soon as you're fit enough you want to just get on with your old life. Well the thing is there will be 3 of you in the family. How about looking at ways all 3 of you can spend your time together?
I remember postierich getting a slating for having his baby in a baby carrier while he did some fireroad stuff. I thought it was a great way of a dad spending his time with his baby doing something he loved.
Maybe you and hubby should be looking for ways to include your baby in the things you share a passion of instead of looking at ways to carry on as if it hadn't happened.
BTW I bought a chariot cougar 2 and took my kids with me. bloody good training pulling 2 kids along.
A few pics to insire!
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kids need happy parents...do what you need to stay happy.
We're expecting our first in August, we've just accepted that there won't be much riding together for a long long time, and that my dad (unbelieveably excited to be a grandparent having just about given up on the idea) will be coming to stay a lot!!
Kip - If you're going to be chest feeding your new child (which you really, really ought to) then you'll need to be within suckling distance of it for the first 3-6 months in any event (I've never really met anyone who successfully expressed milk on a regular basis).
I appreciate that you'll want a bit of 'me' or 'us' time but leaving a baby with strangers isn't really the way to achieve it unless you have a title in front of your name and a wing of the house set aside for Nanny and the offspring.
me and mrs nonk met on the bike we both live for getting out riding/racing etc.
i tell you this though due to being parents we get out together about three times a year.
nowt wrong with your post its just that you dont know how much your life will change.
good luck with it all.
Leave the poor woman alone. She'll find out soon enough.
Leave the poor woman alone. She'll find out soon enough
agreed! Nothing can prepare you for it...but in a good way. I dont blame you for wanting to plan ahead but when that little dude is in your arms you really wont care about anything else; I certainly wouldnt leave my child with strangers so I can play on my bike!
Its good to get out riding though; the first 3 months can be hell for you and it is good to let off some steam - you might just have to take it in turns for a bit
I've heard that having a baby can sting a little. You might not be so keen to rush out and sit on a pointy saddle quite so soon.
She's not actually said she's planning on hopping back on the bike the minute it's born!
I hope that no trail centre ever has a creche
I don't know - my two love getting buckets of soapy water and cleaning my bikes in the back garden of an afternoon. A couple of hours doing this with a bunch of other kids at Glentress of a weekend could earn them a useful bit of pocket money while I got on with ignoring them.
This has potential.
Book a cottage near Glentress that's big enough for you two, the little 'un and grandma/grandpa etc etc.
Lots a full family time, plus the ability to get sneaky rides in when no-ones looking.
You would be amazed the phonecalls we get of 'so its ok to leave our kids with you and go riding then?'.....
can't you just take the nanny with you?
Just wanted to finish this post off with some thanks and stuff.
Our first priority is and will always be our child and we are both looking forward to the adventures we will have as a family on and off bikes.
Thank you to everyone who has posted with their experiences and advice; we can take some really positive stuff from what has been said and we love the trailer pics of CYB(?).
Hopefully see some of you out and about on the trails, maybe with a trailer or in a few years with the not so little 'un ripping ahead of us.
5 1/2 weeks to go!
Good luck. It sounds like you'll find a happy medium.
Never mind all the people who say 'oh your life is over you'll be dead on your feet forever'. It's not necessarily like that (as long as you don't end up seriously anaemic like my Mrs).
Don't admit defeat. Your life is to be made to the satisfaction of all involved. This means NOT giving up what you love. You need to carefully plan exactly how you are going to do things and make damn sure you're not doing any more work than is absolutely necessary. This means NOT, I repeat N.O.T ironing baby clothes - amongst other things. Yes, people do do this - talk about making work for yourself!
You could get a Chariot trailer with the baby sling and suspension, but that limits you to fire-roads so won't be that much fun. My suggestion would be to either ride near your house and get a babysitter in, or ride near the house of someone who can look after your baby 🙂
Even if you don't get out nearly as much, the stolen moments of riding that you do do whether separately or together will seem so much better and more precious than the pre baby rides. Even a 45 min ride along the canal seems exciting to me now! However your fitness make take some time to come back and is harder to sustain. One year on, I still can't manage more than about 3 hours before I am finished!
Get your baby used to be looked after by others even if only for a few hours early on then it won't be a wrench for either of you.
And your life defintley isn't over, it is just different and I think enriched because you still have your old life to revisit but have an entirely new one as well. Good luck.