I found out today that my pram does fit into the boot of my wagon without being folded down. I don’t normally make it my habit to do things the hard way, but the stupid pram would not behave and allow itself to be folded down. I’ve had it for a few months - a gift from a friend who no longer had a use for it. I’m not really a ‘pram person’ (ie: I don’t trawl shopping centres for hours dragging small children along.) I do the shopping and try to be as quick as possible about it. Obviously a pram helps with transporting little babies and I have been swayed to accept their convenience.

But the pram design of today is so much different to the second-hand pram I used when my first daughter was a babe, back in the mid-90’s. Then I owned a simple contraption with hard white rubber wheels. It had two main positions – folded and upright. This pram I possess now, has approximately a dozen various settings for optimum child and parental comfort. The footrest folds up, the backrest folds down, and a little flap on the top rolls up like a sunroof. I’m sure there are other positions that help the child to experience the air from 8 different directions, or ride in bump-free pleasure using independent suspension, but I haven’t quite figured out the levers for those.

When my friend donated the pram, she ran through the list of functions and operation techniques. I do remember that she was very definite about how to fold the pram down – press this button on the handle while depressing the opposing lever with the thumb. At the same time, push down on the red pedal thingy. At that point, I was right with her. Uhuh… lever; red thing. Then she said, Remember to put the something in the something position. I remember her saying that bit quite clearly. I just don’t actually remember the content of her instructions.

And so, each week that I use the pram I struggle with putting it down again. It starts to fold, then stalls in the bent over position, just wanting to fold, but not quite getting there. No matter how I hold my tongue, or curse, or plead earnestly, the pram refuses to fold at my request. And each week, the pram just folds spontaneously when I have almost lost the will to deal with it anymore. Last week, one of my neighbours passing by watched my contortions. She gave me Microsoft advice – pull it back up, then start again. It worked! Hooray, I thought. Now, I know the secret.

Today, when the pram balked at folding, I smugly remembered the advice. I snapped it back into the upright position and then pressed the appropriate buttons and levers. But the pram resisted. I restarted again, and again. Each time, the pram refused to fold. I moved the handle forwards, then backwards. I lifted the backrest. I put it down again. I checked the brakes. I spun the wheels around to face the opposite direction. All possible hindrances I dealt with.

After about 10 minutes of striving, I was ready to leave the stupid pram in the Woolies carpark and drive home. But the fact that it really is a valuable piece of equipment, and a gift, and also knowing that the people on the verandah of the pub across the road were probably watching and laughing at me, made me refuse to surrender. I will get this stoopid pram home!

And that’s how I discovered, if I took half the shopping out of the boot and rearranged the bags, I could get the upright pram in the back of my car. I couldn’t see much out of my rear windscreen and yet I was the Winner! I rang my hubby as I was leaving town and told him my dilemma. His response? He laughed! “Obviously you didn’t do something right.” Clearly.

All the trip home, the view in my mirror of the pious upright pram taunted me. And as I drove under the house, and got the boot open, hubby came over to have a go. He pulled the pram out and folded it to the ground. Of course.

Next week, I may use the Kapoochi baby sling instead – the one with the buckles and straps for forward facing, or backward sitting positions, and options to use as a child seat harness. Hmmm, now where’s the instruction book for that?

Comments (0)