Walking/reins/free range/holding hands

[cheekypickle]

Okay so not really an AIBU but need quick advice.

At what age if ever did you use reins? I have DD who is 14months who I would love to get out of pram at times

What did you do?

[ZombTEE]

Used reins.

[fraktion]

DS has has a backpack with a lead since 15 months. He's supposed to hold hands but gets excited and runs off.

He goes free range in the park.

[dexter73]

I used reins on my dd when she was that age. I thought they were great.

[cheekypickle]

Recommend any brand??

[GhostofMammaTJ]

If you feel she is ready, give it a go. I found reins hard work with DD1, she felt too in charge and ended up leading me. With DD2 they were fab, she loved the freedom but unusually for her, she did not try to take the lead. DS stayed in the buggy for as long as possible as there was only a year between DD2 and DS.

Each child is different, each parent is different.

[dexter73]

I think mine were from Mothercare but that was about 14 years ago!

[DeWe]

Used reins for dd1. She loved them and would ask to wear them. She liked the feeling of freedom without the actual freedom.

Dd2 used to just take her feet off the floor and dangle, so they didn't work so I used the wrist band with her.

Ds would wear them, but argue all the way as he wanted to hold the end as well. Kind of defeats the purpose doing that.

[BrianButterfield]

I have reins for DS who is the same age. He's too little to really understand that he needs to stay near me.

However I do sometimes take him somewhere open and quiet (the grounds of a nearby council-owned stately home place which is free to get into) and let him roam free. I think it's good for him to have that independence and make his own decisions about where to go next sometimes!

[DeWe]

If you're happy to spend more on them, the leather ones (try ebay, although I think Mothercare did them) are better. They're tougher, dd1 found them much more comfortable, and they attach to the lead bit by clips, meaning you can also use them to fasten child into supermarket trolley, and some highchairs when you're out.

[SugariceAndScary]

Mine are teens now but I never used reins but I was controlling about where and when they got out of the pushchair.

I would wait for a non stressful area then let them walk, never a town centre area or a busy walkway but a quiet street on the way home or the park and not near a lot of traffic.

[oldraver]

DS had some that where more harness like, with pocket on the fron he could put stones and suchlike in. It also had a padded loop as well as the rein bit, really good for when you need them to stand close (and not for hoiking him in the air like my bro did)

[5madthings]

Didnt need them for ds1 but have uaed them for all the others. Dd is 22mtgs and i have a littlelife backpack with reins for her, a turtle one :)

[MagicHouse]

I didn't use reins much with my daughter as she was so clingy. I've used them more with my son - he likes to run! I use the backbacks that look like a ladybird, with a lead on the back - they clip round him like a harness, and he can carry his cars etc in it!
Most of the time we don't use them though, as we tend to go to parks/ farms/ woods etc where he doesn't need them.

[KatoPotato]

We used the little life backpack that looks like a tortoise shell from waking to 2.5. He's now a hand holder!

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Reins for DD, very independent and very high energy so I needed to run her every day. I didn't enjoy hand-holding and neither did she . I have the Little Life giraffe one. <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.ca/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=709&tbm=isch&tbnid=Khdkne_1UN7woM:&imgrefurl=www.skyblueleisure.co.uk/acatalog/info_L10820_Littlelife_Animal_Daysack_Giraffe.html&docid=Z6u_U0F3mREBnM&imgurl=www.skyblueleisure.co.uk/acatalog/L10820_Littlelife_Animal_Daysack_Giraffe_Lifestyle.jpg&w=600&h=440&ei=rYuJUJ7DGMPoigKS74DYCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=767&vpy=367&dur=999&hovh=192&hovw=262&tx=182&ty=114&sig=101652942560651010940&page=1&tbnh=174&tbnw=237&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0,i:93" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">Here. I do find that the straps come loose a bit but she doesn't slip out of it.

[Shelby2010]

I used Mothercare reins as soon as dd could walk, I found them better than the backpack style as I could also support her if she fell over. Initially she couldn't walk far so had to learn to manage her and the push chair at the same time. Now she trots happily at my side and holds my hand across the road. I use the same harness in the pushchair so easy to unclip the lead part and clip her into the seat when she gets tired.

Free range at the park!

[greensnail]

I had a little life back pack for dd1 but hardly used it as she insisted on holding hands as well and it was tricky holding her hand and the lead and pushing dd2 in the buggy as well. She liked wearing it though and it was really handy as she could fit in a nappy, small pack of wipes, her cup and a snack so I didn't need to carry anything for her myself!

[DoesItComeInBlack]

Mine wouldn't do reins, she would swing from like a demented parachutist and refuse to walk at all if I put them on her, however she was quite happy to wear a wrist lead and hold hands. ( Wrist lead for back up if she let go whilst I was distracted)

[KatoPotato]

Re little life and hand holding, I used to slip the 'lead' up round my bicep and hold hands!

[MrsTerryPratchett]

at demented parachutist.

[KatoPotato]

Laughing out loud at 'demented parachutist'

[EdgarAllanPond]

depends.

reins for a short walk - easier than holding hands, more secure, and you can stop them hitting their heads when they trip up

free range in an open space

holding hands indoors/ garden

my reins were off ebay. i like the ones with a panel, but couldn't get any at the time.

[wasabipeanut]

I have used some good, leather reins for both DS1 and DD when they were around the 2 year mark. DD in particular had severe buggy loathing and insisted on walking everywhere at about 0.1 miles an hour.

Now DD is 2 yr 10 mo and we use the Little Life rucksack or hand holding depending on her mood. I try and encourage her to get on the buggy board (DS2 is 4 mo) as it makes my life a lot easier. Obviously that isn't uppermost in her list of concerns [hhmm]

[FutureNannyOgg]

I believe oldraver is referring to these : www.amazon.co.uk/Tommee-Tippee-Explora-Safety-Reins/dp/B000HPU4FO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351194995&sr=8-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

I have these, also a little life pack but these are sturdy and supportive enough to hold the short loop and stop him throwing himself on the floor in a tantrum

On our village,where there is no traffic and you hear a car coming long before it gets to you, I am training my 26mo to hold onto his brother's pushchair, if there is traffic, I use the reins too.