Nanny + twins + stairs

Hi everyone, My wife and I are expecting twins and, as a result, need to upgrade to a 2BR apartment.  Logistically, an elevator building is ideal so a nanny can easily stroll the babies in and out.  We live in Carroll Gardens and would love to stay, but there aren’t many elevator buildings to come by. The alternative is a walk-up building, but our hesitation is that when the nanny takes the babies outside, he/she would need to carry one baby to the first floor, leave it unattended in the stroller, and then go back upstairs to get the second.  I’m slightly uncomfortable with the idea of a baby being unattended in the parlor, even if it’s for only two minutes.  To any of the Brownstoner parents who’ve had the blessing of twins, is this something to be concerned of, or am I overreacting? Many thanks. cstanger

cstanger

in Family and Parenting 13 years and 2 months ago

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HouseNut | 13 years and 2 months ago

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Is the parlor in a locked building? My twins are a little over 9 months old, and I have been known to carry them down our stairs football style, but mostly I do a couple of trips.  We keep a pack n play by our front door for loading and unloading, stroller goes down the stoop first, then kid one, then kid two.  Our side by side stroller fits through most standard doors but not the entry under our stoop at garden level unfortunately.

CGman | 13 years and 2 months ago

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Our twins are seven months old and we have kept them in their car seats in the stroller frame, rather than put them into the stroller proper. Its been a lot easier to detach the car seats and put one inside, leave the baby still strapped in, go get the other one. Or if you have the strength you can carry both at the same time. We have a garden floor entrance and that makes it easier than having to walk up and down the stoop.

slopemope | 13 years and 2 months ago

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brooklynbemused is sooooo right.  resonant wood floors of an old walk up are a nightmare for who lives under you.  i lived the nightmare. was so bad the landlord actually sided with me, and it was just kids being kids!  try a garden apt or a building with cement floors, there are some walkups that have them.

brooklynbemused | 13 years and 2 months ago

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Your biggest concern is not the elevator, but your potential downstairs neighbors. Children run around a lot and are a living hell for the people that live below them. I moved to a brownstone from a 4th floor condo with an elevator for that reason. My oldest walked at 10 months. The time that they need carrying anywhere flies by, but the time they spend running and jumping around like maniacs goes on and on. (And even if you don’t get maniacal kids, you can bet they will have maniacal friends)

dylan621 | 13 years and 2 months ago

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We don’t have twins but we have one baby and one toddler who is not above refusing to walk up the stairs on occassion and we live on the top floor of a brownstone.  We moved there from an elevator building in Manhattan and the stairs haven’t been as big an issue as I feared.  The nanny could wear one baby in a carrier and carry the other baby in her hands.  But I’m sure there’s been a time when I left the baby in his car seat on the parlor floor while I ran up to grab something.