The worst shopping trip ever - buggy escapee unmanageable Advice please

[SebbysMum]

18 month old DS can now get out of buggy without any problem. Once out he is almost impossible to put back in against his will and in any case just gets out again. He's been doing this on shopping trips/walks and nursery pick up for a week or two. Happy for him to walk and help when he can and he has reins but I am simply unable to shop for food, carry heavy bags, push buggy, manage toddler having a tantrum and walk down the very steep hill home at the same time.

Just had a horrible horrible shopping experience. I don't think I've ever felt so close to smacking him - though I didn't. I almost gave up, tempted to leave the shopping in basket and run (tempted to leave the toddler too).

Please advise, those with older kids. What can I do to manage him. He is too strong and capable to restrain in the buggy but a bit too young to be able to manage walking around the shops without being distracted by every little thing and periodically sitting down etc. I can't reason with him as you would an older child.

BTW - he's not generally naughty or difficult to manage, just a normal child. i suppose really what I'm asking is what tricks are available to control him while out.

[TheOtherMaryPoppinsDiets]

does your buggy harness have D rings on that you could attach the reins harness to?

[littlelamb]

My ds is the same. He is 12 months old and can get out of his highchair and buggy straps no problem. What we have to do is use seperate reins and then attatch them with d rings so there is no way he can get out. I do sympathise, my ds is a very awkward strong willed little chap and was trying his best to do his escaping act yesterday when an old man behind me started singing 'there may be trouble ahead' I swung around and gave him the look of death

[chevre]

shop online? honestly, you have to readjust to his crazy pace.

[stealthsquiggle]

I agree with using the harness for his reins, combined with bribery. I used to feed DD raisins / cheesy fishes / grapes / whatever else it took to keep her in the buggy. Plus toys tied to the buggy (securely)

[mummy247]

i use duck tape with my ds buggy as he can get out to with the duck tape wrapped round he cant get it open

[lljkk]

Mega sympathies, BTDT. Another endorsement for REINS.

[littlelamb]

You duct tape your ds into his buggy

[TheOtherMaryPoppinsDiets]

or buy a Maclaren stroller with the round harness, they need to press both under and over it to get it open, very tricky!

[littlelamb]

Ah, the problem with my ds isn't that he can open the harness. It's that he's so skinny he can just twist himself round and stand up backwards and step out of them iyswim

[FluffyBunnyGoneBad]

Reins are a good idea.
Could you not give him some pictures of things you are going to get (stuck down on some card) then get him to 'spot' them ? Keeps them busy.

[screamingabdab]

I'm with chevre, honestly. Severely reduce the number of things you try to achieve with a toddler like this (DS2 was similar). I shopped online for everything I could for a while.

Leave lots of time to get to and from nursery, if he is walking. Insist he holds on to the buggy when you cross the road, and if he doesn't, put him in the buggy.

[screamingabdab]

You have my sympathies, BTW

[Ripeberry]

Just don't go shopping with little ones!

[bruffin]

DD was an escapee as well. Second everyone who said use reins attached to the D rings, although dd could twist out of those in the summer if they weren't done tight enough.
I always used them anyway in both pushchair and highchair much safer than the normal straps.

[SebbysMum]

Thanks everyone. To clarify, the problem is as littlelamb describes - a slim, agile baby who just twists his way out. I'll go and look now for rein rings on the buggy. Double restraint may be the way forward.

[curlygal]

My DS could also get out of the straps when they were fastened.

I used to cross the straps over IYSWIM so that they held him in better. He sometimes managed to get out of that too though!

[Momma23]

Things that i find works sometimes

Shop online it SO much easier.

Use a trolly (If he has not been in one it will be a change), he is up high and feed him raisins and other goodies.

Harness and get him to walk holding onto buggy/trolly. Go to the park and let him walk with you with harness.

Make him feel like he is helping you do the shopping eg: can you out this in the basket, or can you get one of those please..

Its bloody hard work and my 2.6 yr old is still a nightmare!!!

I like the duck tape idea

[MummyDragon]

You like the duct tape idea? Really? Do you put it over your child's mouth too?

To the OP: definitely adjust your expectations - shop online when you can, try putting your DS in a shopping trolley, bribing him with whatever food/treats work for him, and don't try to make him do too much. It is hard, but it does get easier.

[MummyDragon]

Another thought. Does your DS nap in his buggy? If he does, and you absolutely have to go to the shops, can you go at naptime - I know it's not relaxing for you but at least he won't be climbing out of the buggy ...

[DesperateHousewifeToo]

I agree.

More effective restraint (i.e. reins) to keep him in the buggy when he has to saty put.

Lots of distraction e.g. ''lets find the apples, can you see them? Clever boy, there they are. Lets count them into the bag. You put them in.........''

When he is allowed out of the buggy, and you are not shopping, encourage him to always hold your hand when you say so i.e. to cross the road and put him in the buggy/go back home if he won't.

He will soon learn what is expected - doesn't mean he'll always do it of course .

[melmog]

Just a thought, you think that maybe the duct tape was just over the clip of the harness, not round the child?

Sounds like a good plan if all else fails.

Online shopping is great if you do it in advance but if you run out of milk/bread you still need to pop to shops.

I feel your pain. At least in winter I could park right outside the Spar and pop in leaving dcs (1 and 2)in the car. (Where I could see them, no one jump down my throat).Such a bugger when it's too hot to do that.

[domesticslattern]

I feel for you. I also recommend Ocado.

BTW I don't know what kind of buggy you have but have you tried him in other styles? (Maybe borrow for an afternoon from a friend to try?) DD can't escape from her Maclaren if it is done up tight. Though she may not be such a Houdini, I appreciate.

Also, in terms of getting him back in again, a friend taught me how to pin them using your knee on their tummy, while you quickly do up the harness. Before anyone says this is not brutal, you are just doing it to hold them in as you would do if you had three hands.

I also sometimes use a fairly structured backpack, which works brilliantly for toddlers especially the slender variety. Fine if you are just going to nursery but probably not a go-er with the shopping, I appreciate.

[littlelamb]

With ds it is a Mountain Buggy. I have to strap him in and then use the reins as an extra harness It's the same in the Maclaren. We do use an Ergo carrier though, which he loves and I think part of his problem is that he much prefers to be carried, but in this weather he can forget it

[screamingabdab]

domesticslattern Oh yes, the old knee-in-the-stomach trick - I remember it well

Don't jump on me either.

[thrifty]

the way i read the duct tape idea, was that the tape was put over the clips,not the child