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a necessity? If so, what are good ones?
Never used them with our kids.
I saw someone earlier with a cat on a lead.
It wasn't muzzled though.
Drac - how did you stop them disappearing in shops etc?
Don't put your kid on a lead. Used by lazy parents IMHO.
(father of 2 never put kids on a lead ymmv)
geoff - how lazy, just want to give her a bit of freedom but keep her safe, she is less than 2 ft tall with arm up - i am 6ft 2!
More worried about turning my back and her being snatched (paranoid i know) or wandering off
Drac - how did you stop them disappearing in shops etc?
Hold their hand, tell them not to wander off and keep an eye on them.
Used by lazy parents IMHO.
Easy to say if you've been blessed with kids that don't bolt for busy roads at every opportunity as soon as they can run.
My Mum used them on my sister and she was definitely NOT a lazy parent - the hardest working person I know in work and at home.
My sister in law used a backpack with a leash on it on her very bright but somewhat feather-brained toddler. The girl had no problem at all with it, was quite happy to wear 'the puppy' when they went out. In the US though everyone thinks it's evil to use a leash like this. What else are you gonna do though, confine them to a pushchair all the time?
No-one bats an eyelid at a screaming toddler straining to get out of a pushchair, and that's far worse.
Hold their hand
Not possible continuously, you have to carry things, answer your phone, pay for goods, open doors etc.
tell them not to wander off
Many kids don't respond to this.
and keep an eye on them
Running after our kid (not on reins) has already done pregnant Mrs Grips a mischief at least once. Keeping an eye out does not in itself solve the problem. A big healthy bloke might have no trouble.
We use one of the wrist leads. Most of the time it stays in the bag but it is useful if you are about where harm may come to her with a moment's inattention. It turns out that she walks much better when you are out with it. She seems more inclined to walk along with you rather than when she is loose and stops every 5 seconds to pick up another stone. Ours was a fiver at Mothercare.
My sister used them with my nephew for the same reasons. This being in Holland she did get some very funny looks but he would just run into a road at the slightest chance
No-one bats an eyelid at a screaming toddler straining to get out of a pushchair, and that's far worse.
You are joking right?
Wot Drac said.
tell them not to wander off
Actually this is a pretty dumb thing to say. Do you really think parents haven't thought of that?
not sure that @18 months she understands being told not to wander off FFS
Actually this is a pretty dumb thing to say. Do you really think parents haven't thought of that?
Did I suggest they didn't? He asked what I did to stop my kids, that's what I did.
Not possible continuously, you have to carry things, answer your phone, pay for goods, open doors etc.
How you going to hold the reins then?
not sure that @18 months she understands being told not to wander off FFS
You asked what I did.
We have used one of these for both of ours, not lazy, has saved at least one burst lip, makes the little 'un walk, blah, blah, blah.
Dog lead thing that comes with it clips on the back
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Actually this is a pretty dumb thing to say. Do you really think parents haven't thought of that?
Do you really think that you are th only parents who have had to deal with this issue?
Use a lead if you want to, but don't get upset when you ask for an opinion and you get one you don't like.
I think not all toddlers need them but for some its very handy - only used on one of my two nephews - the other one didn't try to throw himself under buses all the time
Paulosoxo - ladybird rucksack is to be bought on the way home tomorrow. Thanks for the link.
Safe and practical as she can now carry tinnies home from the off licence 🙂
How you going to hold the reins then?
Reins can come up to a door handle or ear quite nicely, and they can go over wrists or elbows.
but don't get upset when you ask for an opinion and you get one you don't like
That's not why I'm (mildly) upset. I'm upset because you're calling good people lazy without knowing the situation. Not really fair is it?
Reins can come up to a door handle or ear quite nicely, and they can go over wrists or elbows.
Juts hope no one opens the door when their fastened to it Ay.
molgrips - don't lower yourself dude. The pious never tire of it
That's not why I'm (mildly) upset. I'm upset because you're calling good people lazy without knowing the situation. Not really fair is it?
As I said IMHO and YMMV
Do what you want - you may get a few raised eyebrows using them in Germany though.
RR
a necessity
No
Pious - as I said, do wha you want, just don't expect everyone to agree with you. The world woudl be a dull place if we did 😉
Never used them, still have a child to show for it, not managed to loose him yet in 10 years.
Younger kids shouldn't be out of sight or reach of parent, I don't know if I'd go so far as to use the phrase "lazy parenting" as mentioned above, but one of the principle responsibilities of a parent is to ensure the safety of their offspring. Reins are a bit like letting the dog babysit.
Handholding worked for us in the toddler period.
molgrips - don't lower yourself dude. The pious never tire of it
Hehe, I thought that was me 🙂
Geoff - we don't use them.
Younger kids shouldn't be out of sight or reach of parent
That's exactly what reins are for.
Reins are a bit like letting the dog babysit
What's that mean?
FWIW, I have 3 kids and I used a lead with the middle one (daughter) she was always doing a runner! She didn't mind 🙂
And hand holding, a child will be closer at the end of you arm than at the end of a couple of feet of nylon. Much more touchy-feely too, Josh doesn't have a problem putting his hand into mine in crowded places if he feels worried by the environment.That's exactly what reins are for.
A throwaway comment that probably needed following with a smiley :lol:.Reins are a bit like letting the dog babysitWhat's that mean?
Interesting debate - twin girls coming up to 18 months - the MIL bought some wrist reigns without consulting "because they were cheap". I'm not keen, but we are still mostly using a buggy so running in different directions not yet a problem...
I have more kids than I care to admit to on STW in the expectation of being judged, but I can say that we never used reins on any of the children until recently, when we decided it would be helpful for one of them.
I realised a long time ago that some parents can be unbelievably judgmental about the choices other parents make, and gave up worrying about it. And although I know I did it myself in the olden days, tend to stick with the 'live and let live' principle with respect to others.
In other words racing_ralph, go for reins if you think it would be helpful, and sod what others think. I think we bought ours from Lidl.
We used a ruck sack like above with our eldest. She would run whenever she could, even slipping out of our hands. If you haven't got kids who do this it may be hard to understand. It has nothing to do with being lazy.
I have 27 month old toddler twins and we were given some reins by an auntie. I won't even entertain the idea of putting my kids on a lead and that includes putting them in the car on my own to take them to nursery in the morning. My view is its great for building discipline and responsibility all round. Its a huge challenge sometimes to get them to stand in the right place so I can see the one standing on the pavement whilst I put the other in the car. I know that if I had them on reigns I'd be a bit lazy about enforcing the rules about holding hands and staying off the road, so I think the lazy parent comment stands. I think this even more when I see a singleton on a lead
Yours, sanctimoniously
djglover
😉
See once you get the reins sorted out are you going to post a thread looking for saddles too? Now that would be lazy parenting.
Yeah, you probably want reins, and possibly stirrups too - otherwise they just try to buck you off when you ride them round the shop.
😉
+1 for little life rucksack
And hand holding, a child will be closer at the end of you arm than at the end of a couple of feet of nylon.
Yeah but like I say you can't do this the entire time.
Sometimes you simply cannot get through to Lil Grips. You explain patiently but if she thinks she's done something wrong she doesn't deal with it well and shuts down, becoming completely unresponsive to anything you say.
Fortunately she doesn't just bolt very often although she sometimes does and we have so far managed to just run after her.
She's 24 months by the way.
I'm not keen, but we are still mostly using a buggy so running in different directions not yet a problem..
Interesting. At 12 months she was walking as often as possible, and by 18 months she wanted to be walking all the time and would object to the pushchair unless she was tired. Because she wants to wander off and do her own thing a lot. We only use the pushchair when the situation demands it, ie we are in a hurry and can't afford the time for her to wander.
Not judging, just saying all kids are different.
I know that if I had them on reigns I'd be a bit lazy about enforcing the rules about holding hands and staying off the road, so I think the lazy parent comment stands
You know, you sometimes need to walk in someone else's shoes. You explain to your kids about staying still and cars and stuff, and they listen. As does our kid. However some kids simply do not. So you can say what you like, you give them the best talk ever but if they refuse to listen then you're wasting your breath.
I promise you it is not (necessarily) laziness. Just because you had good results with your kids does NOT mean that it is therefore perfectly possible with everyone.
So less of the judging please. You do not know enough to judge. 2 kids is not a big enough sample size.
Re rucksacks - they are lovely, we have them, but reins seem preferable - after all the kid still gets exercise and can be in charge of themselves, just not run off under cars.
Sometimes you simply cannot get through to Lil Grips. You explain patiently but if she thinks she's done something wrong she doesn't deal with it well and shuts down, becoming completely unresponsive to anything you say.
I wonder where she gets that from 😆
I thought these disappeared in the 70s.
Still, at least your kid won't be shot by a shepherd next time you're taking a walk in the country.
Reins are a bit medieval - I favour a more technological solution:
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🙂
Seems any parenting thread raises the righteous sanctimony levels a bit on here, but it is still far removed from Baby Centre where my wife recently saw a tragic post from some poor mum trying to deal with losing their child in a car crash replied to by some sanctimonious cow saying it was her own fault for using forward-facing child seats!! 😯
Could you just hobble them? By the time it can respond to intelligent parenting it's legs should have recovered.
Molgrips did you actually look at the little life bags? They come with a strap that can be clipped on - like reins but better because she carries her own stuff. And ours is pink so she lov
es wearing it.
My wife tried reins for our two and very quickly gave up - the knotting up and general fitting faff far outweighed the benefits but I guess every child is different.
I wonder where she gets that from
Lol 🙂
I know what you mean, but she's sensitive so knowing she's done something wrong causes her hurt, and then to deal with the hurt she shuts down. She gets those things from me too...
Inigo - yes, we have one of the little bags actually. We bought it as a rucksack for her, so she could have her own bag. We haven't used the leash though, in fact I think we left the whole thing back in the UK.
Ok, seemed like you thought by rucksack we meant a carrier. We had reins for first child, but were more faff than use but second child will not hold hands, strap on the bag was mainly to stop her falling over!
Oh sorry, I did think that rucksack meant carrier, see what you mean now.