What’s with the big prams? The planet must surely be doomed. Not only do middle class women these days appear to be having larger and larger families, but these are not complete without the four wheel drive car and the giant pram.It is interesting to see how easily even presumably intelligent people are sucked in by clever advertising. Like the 4 wheel drive, the large baby buggy was ostensibly developed for off-road activity. It was apparently really good for parents who wanted to jog up hills and down dirt tracks as they tried to get Hunter or Hannah off to sleep.
But how many parents actually do this and how appropriate are these ridiculously large contraptions in the city? They clog up streets and shops. They are almost impossible to get onto buses without an enormous amount of fuss. Their tyres need to be pumped up at the garage. And if you are trying to pass one you are frequently forced onto the road.
Is it just a reflection of the current fetishisation of motherhood and childrearing that parents seem to think these are better than the buggies which fold up like an umbrella? Are they just making sure we all see them coming as they rush off to Gymbaroo, baby swimming, or music group? Or am I just a grumpy old grandmother?
