Running across the road without looking HELP!

[RosaLuxembourg]

My four year old ran off on me on the way home from school today and ran across a road without looking. I was absolutely terrified. This is the second time in a fortnight that she has done this. The first time I gave her a major telling off and told her she was never to do it again. This time I picked her up carried her kicking and screaming home, sat her down and made her promise that she would never do it again, explained how dangerous it was and that if I couldn't trust her to walk nicely with me I would buy baby reins and make her wear them.
DH and I have now agreed that for the next two weeks she will also have to hold our hand on the way to/from school as there are a lot of busy roads to cross.
Is there anything else I can do. She is my third child - her older sisters are 9 and 7 and have never, ever done anything like this. I feel totally at sea - she is so different from them it is like learning parenting all over again from scratch.

[massagemum]

Sounds like your doing everything right to me - although you should be prepared to put into practise what you threaten and get those reins if needs be!!

the other way is to take a single buggy so that if she does do it to put her straight in it a strap her. Its the threat of humiliation in front of friends that does it!!!

[SparklyGothKat]

My dd2 does this too. She is 5 now. I have told her that she will have to wear reins if she does it again. I will be watching this thread to see what advice you get.

[RosaLuxembourg]

Thanks guys. It is comforting to know that she is not the only one. The worst thing is she was running off down the road and DD1, DD2 and I were all chasing after her and I was thinking is this just making her run faster than if we ignored her, I just didn't know what to do. Fortunately I caught her before the really busy road.

[edam]

Rosa, my 3.5 yr old did the same thing today (although luckily not a main road). Major telling off etc. etc. plus I have actually dug out the wrist strap and will be taking it with me tomorrow morning. So he knows it is there in my pocket and if he so much as looks at the kerb, it goes on.

He ran across because one of his friends from nursery school was just ahead of him.. the day after they had the blasted police at school drilling them in road safety. Clearly the message didn't sink in...