26 month old nightmare when out

[Mkent1402]

Hi all,

My daughter turned 2 in Feb and she’s always been very active and climbs everything, moves furniture to climb on windowsills, empties out cupboards and drawers. She’s always been able to escape from buggy’s and car seats until I got a Houdini strap. She won’t sit in a high chair or trolley she climbs out and stands up and jumps off. I’m at my wits end and am struggling to want to be nice to her or take her anywhere. When we’re out she’ll scream about being in the pram so I let her out she holds my hands for a second then will tug out of it or run and she will run so fast and out of sight I have to try catch her with buggy in tow. She won’t stay near me even if I call or shout or walk the other way she just doesn’t care! I’m finding it impossible to take her to parks, cafes, superstores, soft play basically anywhere and am just not enjoying any outings with her. She is very sweet and loving never hurts anyone and sleeps well I’m just finding it impossible to leave the house! (She’s not the sort of child to appreciate reigns she’d just sit on the floor and scream. Did try a few times!) I feel I am quite stern with her, will put her in bed for bad behaviour and will get down to her level and tell her ‘don’t run away’ etc. Not sure what else I can do?

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I wouldn’t punish her but just keep explaining that it’s eith the pushchair or walking on reins. There are no other alternatives.

[GandTforme]

Have you tried little life backpack instead of traditional reins? I agree with previous poster it's a case of hold hands or get straight back in pram, ignore the tantrum, rinse and repeat.

[NoKnit]

She sounds just like my eldest at that age. The good news is that it will pass as she gets older. I just avoided shops with him or ordered on Internet.

As for running off in park or soft play just let her do what she wants within reason and just let her run off and just follow her, I know it isn't the idea of fun for your child that you think it should be but she is just discovering things. I used to take mine to park, zoo etc all places he should haven't enjoyed and half the time he just wanted to open and close the gates or wheel the buggy back and forth so in the end I just let him. There has to be limits though of course you can't just let her run off into the road, but a wide open space why not?

[NoKnit]

I personally don't think putting her to bed for bad behaviour is teaching her the right things (doesn't she just climb out of bed anyway?) but if you are sure of your reasoning then go with it. Personally I never want mine to think of bed as a bad place

[firefirejugdypantsonfire]

Same issue here. We use a Little life backpack reins, although sometimes have to clip him in when deploying YouTube bribery on my phone. Same for getting him in the pushchair or car seat. Not proud of this, but it works.

Sometimes a snack will ensure he'll get in his car seat. "If you get in your seat and sit still you can have a snack / watch my phone."

A big field like a football pitch is perfect to just let him run or a specific place for kids like a role play activity place.

[Cellardoor23]

My DS is very similar to your DD. He'll be two in a month's time. I've tried everything I can think of.

'Hold mummy's hand or you're going back in the buggy/being carried. Your choice' All this results in is me standing there holding onto his top while he screams the place down. No tears, just screaming and headbanging. Sometimes he hits me as well, although not very often. If I tell him off in the house for doing something he shouldn't be doing, he thinks it's a game and will just laugh.

He doesn't like reins either. I even had the one with the bag, but he was having none of it. When he has a tantrum, trying to get him back in his buggy is a two-man job, literally. It's ended up with me not taking him to the park or soft play on my own anymore as it's too stressful. He hasn't started talking yet, although he understands basic commands and questions e.g, where's your nose? Where're your hands? Go get your shoes etc.

I'm hoping once he starts speaking, it will get better. I have no idea if this is normal behaviour or not, as I've never had any experience with toddlers apart from my own. All I want to say is, you're not alone!