Baby reins?

[Nessynoonars]

I have a very active and independent 1 year old. He is not quite walking yet but don't Think it will be long. I was just wondering if baby reins would be a good option for him as he likes to do things independently.

We used them for DD1 who was a runner. We got loads of judgy comments. My response ranged from telling people I preferred to keep my child safe to telling them to piss off and mind their own business. She was an early Walker, we ditched the buggy when she was 18 months as she wouldn’t go in it, and reins were a godsend. The advantage of her insisting on walking everywhere was that she was very tired by bedtime!

I'd recommend one with a loop that goes round your arm for when you want to hold hands, it doesn't have to be either or. The backpacks are also good for spare nappy and wipes or a snack.

@FlingThatCarrot you realise that most children aren't diagnosed with SEN, particularly ADHD and autism (which is common in bolters as they try to avoid the sensory overload or struggle with recognizing danger) until they are at Secondary school.

Reins are great, we used them and no one ever made comments. The backpack ones are fairly commonplace where I live.

Don't understand the judgement tbh, it's nothing like walking a dog! As OP have said you can still model good hand holding, while having reins as backup.

Just teach them hand holding. Actual reins I hate- it's not the 80s, I think it's lazy unless SEN.

This comment is ridiculous. You do realise that the vast majority of children with additional needs won't have been diagnosed until after they are past the using reins stage. So what you're actually saying is you're judging everyone you see keeping their child safe as lazy.

Mine were runners but understood 2 warnings or they'd be strapped into the pushchair. It only takes a couple of time before they understand holding hand = the freedom to walk.

Their hands weren't over their heads. Walking around with your arm I the air is completely different to someone holding your hand.

All you're doing is teaching them they don't have to hold hands. What ages are you going to suddenly say no you can't hold sticks you need to hold my hand? 3, 4? Are you going to walk them to reception with reins?

We used them. Dd2 went through a phase of not wanting them on but we gave her no choice - she was a bolter and used to sneakily try to wriggle her hand free if holding hands.

You use them while you teach them hand holding.

The anti reins people seem overly fussy about all sorts. They are a useful tool in many circumstances.

Good for you. That didn't work for my child who would bite me to try and get free of hand holding

Most people have to walk alongside roads. I’d say cars are a bigger threat to children then occasional canals

How do you teach hand holding. I'm all for natural consequences but not when it's running into traffic.

Yes thanks, ADHD runs strong in my family. And my son was a runner- tried to get in any random van he saw. Would leg it across the park when I was heavily pregnant and knew I could chase him.

I used reins with my twins having experienced their older sibling being something of a bolter. On more than one occasion I had one twin try and run off behind me and the other in front, reins kept them safe.

On holiday in France I heard 'le petit chein' more than once. I didn't care. I preferred to let mine walk than to strap them into a pushchair.

Just do whatever feels right to keep your children safe. I liked reins for the freedom they gave my children vs a pushchair and didn't care whether other people thought it wrong or cruel or whatever.

I cannot fathom why there should be any judgement over a safety device.

I loved them. The old fashioned kind were useful when they were at tottering stage as you could often catch them and prevent falls.

The little rucksack kind with a strap later were also good.

I once got trapped in the barrier of a very busy station. They shut on you hard. My two year old was the other side. If I hadn't had him on reins and dread to think what might have happened as staff did not exactly rush to help me.

There are times you need to get something out of a pocket or bag. You can't do this and hold a squirming hand safety.

We still held hands but I liked the extra reassurance of the strap and with second who was a runner, I think it would have been dangerous not to.

My DC refused them. Both of them just grabbed the 'lead' and would run off with it. My DS was a big runner and I can't run due to a disability. I wish he'd have taken to reins as it was frankly dangerous. He would just keep running and running without stopping or turning back.

Sounds like reins would have made your life infinitely easier. Seems ridiculous you wouldn't use them and instead risk him being hit by a car or getting lost to uphold some nonsense principle that you could boast you taught him to hold your hand.

Always used them, ds was a bolter and dh and I are both tall so made hand holding difficult.

Agree I don’t understand why people are weird about it. Haven’t used them yet but planning to. My dd is a confident walker and likes to be independent. She’s 16 months and is pretty good at holding my hand but not reliable enough. She’s currently ok in the pushchair but increasingly wants to walk. My MIL is also very anxious about it and it is uncomfortable for her bending down to hold her hand. I think backpack reins as a backup until you can trust them 100% is very sensible. I don’t understand why anyone would judge, the arguments against are illogical.

We had the backpack ones and they are just really helpful, my little one liked to put a snack (and countless rocks) in his.

Your DC sound very compliant or maybe not particularly nimble? My DS would have just unclipped the buggy or wriggled out of it and ran for the hills.

Depends on the child. I used them for my first as he was a runner with no sense of danger. They were just a back up safety option as we lived by a very busy road.

Never need for my second as they were very good at walking nicely and holding hands. Never once ran away.

We used the Little Life backpacks without the strap, and they'd put a little snack and toy in there. If they then got fussy about not wanting to hold out hands we could grab the loop.

Yep! Especially in busy places

Definitely use them - non negotiable in our house. You don’t know that you have a bolter until it’s too late.

Safety first.