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.

I seriously don't get the issue and judgement around baby reins. How can something that's there as a safety device be anything but a good thing.

Imagine taking a risk of your child running into the road because you don't want them 'to look like a dog on a lead' - bonkers.

We had the little life backpacks, they are really great. Hardly used it with DD she would just like to carry a toy or drink in the bag like we did. She was a lovely toddler who would hold hands

However DS was like other on here a runner and it saved him several times he also point blank refused to hold hands. Especially the time I stopped him diving into a canal. As he got bigger I didn't always have the rains on it but the handle on the back of the bag meant you could easily grab them safely. So glad be had this bit of kit, he most likely would have not made it past toddlers without it.

We use the backpack ones, absolutely necessary for our wild toddler and we live on a main road

He is good for holding hands as well, though, if I don’t have it with me.

Childminder doesn’t use it, it’s hand hold or pushchair when he’s with her

@MigGril that’s the ones we have, also highly recommend

My DS is exactly like yours

2 of mine had reins at the kamikaze stage of toddlerhood.
Granddaughter had one of those little backpacks, which I assume are PC reins!

Honestly, the kind of people that judge others for using reins are just awful. Why?!

Sorry for wanting to keep my child safe, maybe your child doesn't like to dart out in front of traffic but mine would

Yes, we used both reins and a little rucksack with reins. Really practical and sensible way of keeping little one safe whilst on the move.

I used a harness and clip on reins for both my kids when they were little. We never went out without them. When we used a pushchair or high chair, they were clipped into that too. I remember wearing reins when I was little. Result? We all made it out of toddlerhood safely. Come to think of it, I remember my very well behaved 4 year old actually asking for his reins when we were travelling on the London underground. He felt safer with his reins rather than just holding my hand. Can't understand why reins have gone out of fashion.

I used them for my now 7 and 11 year olds. Absolute lifesaver. I’d use them again. Why wouldn’t you? Strap over your wrist, hold their hand but when they want to run off in front or be independent and explore, you can let them have that little bit of freedom without having to worry about them bolting into the road or getting lost on a busy place.
My children are more precious than any dog and had a lot less recall at 15 months so they were a must for me.

Reins are lifesavers. My children did have a choice when out and about - reins or pushchair. That was it. If they didn't want the reins on they were strapped firmly into the pushchair, all protests ignored. Then they accepted the reins, or tough luck if they didn't want to. That was the choice. No other alternatives were on offer.

I don't understand people who let toddlers and very young children run unrestrained along busy roads. They are so unpredictable and an accident looking for a place to happen.

Remember MrsPresley. A MNer from years ago. Her DH didn't put the reins on their twins and one of them was killed. It was literally a few seconds and he ran out into the road.
Reins are necessary for some children to keep them safe. It isn't the business of anyone else to judge or criticise.
I used reins for all my dc. Most of my friends did too. I remember James Bulger.

Yes I posted about her earlier. Honestly anyone who thinks reins are cruel or demeaning or unnecessary just needs to go and advance search her and read her truly harrowing posts.

If they still feel that way after reading them they are lacking both common sense and compassion.

I’m just shy of six foot one, our daughter has been walking since she was 10 months, she’s been walking out and about since she was 13 months. Hand holding would mean either me being bent over, or her being dangled in the air by an arm. She also has CP, so falls more than most children her age, so they’re good to help her keep her balance when shes struggling. You teach hand holding when they’re older, better able to listen and less likely to run off.

If the children weren’t wearing reins they’d spend a lot more time strapped into pushchairs.

I can’t stand the smug, ‘I just hold their hand’ brigade. Does it never occur to them that every parent does that? Parents who use reins on their DC have been through all the same steps that worked for you. There’s a percentage of children it doesn’t work for. Often one child will need to wear reins and their siblings won’t - it’s not about parenting it’s about the individual child.

Hell once I clipped an actual dog lead to my youngest nephew because he kept bolting off and refusing to hold my hand. Save my sanity (I had a broken foot so couldn't keep running after him) and kept him safe.

Do what you need to do to keep the kiddo safe and you sane!

My son walked confidently at 9 months and then wanted to walk all of the time. Yes, I tried to instill in him that he had to hold mummy's hand but he was 9 months so just holding mummy's hand was never going to work. He had reins and was delighted that he could walk " independently " it was super useful to scoop him up if he tripped too.
When he was about a year old I took him to a small petting zoo. There was an enclosed space where some baby goats were wondering around. I let go of the reins (having tied up the end do he wouldn't trip )so he could take his time looking at the goats. Suddenly I realised he appeared to be stuck. He was trying to walk and he couldn't move. The reason was one of the goats was nibbling on his reins. I turned to try and help him but he made me laugh by tapping the goat on its nose and saying NO really loudly. The goat opened its mouth in surprise and off he toddled.

Thick as pigshit too.

Go to Disney or any similar place - people use these without a thought.

We had a little dino backpack that had a rein attachment and sturdy handle on top of the backpack for grabbing them quickly if needed. Was useful for us and DS liked that he could walk without always holding hands as he loved to stop and investigate every twig, leaf and flower we came across. Always made hold hands for crossing roads but for other parts of the walk him feeling he was independent but me knowing he couldn't bolt was great for us.

My eldest is two, if we're walking anywhere with busy traffic or if we're by a river or something, he always has backpack reins on. I always hold his hand and he's generally pretty good, but occasionally he will wriggle his hand free. If he does, he bolts. And when he does, I always thank God I put his reins on.

My youngest is just beginning to walk and is much more naturally inclined to safely walk by my side. I still hold her hand, but I don't worry she will bolt in the same way my eldest does.

Different children require different approaches!!

I’ve never had to use them but my mother did. I was the bolter who was running around by 10 months and had no sense of danger. My siblings were hand holders.

Never understood the controversy around reins. Allows a baby to move around independently while still being safe. 1 year olds are notorious for bolting. It’s not a long phase but better to have a happy baby exploring safely with reins than strapped into a pushchair screaming because they want to walk but can’t be trusted not to run into a road. The whole baby’s aren’t dogs thing is ridiculous. They aren’t hamsters either but we put them in “cages” aka cots!! and nobody gets their knickers in a twist about it.

It's obvious, surely?

If you have a bolter who can whip their hand out of yours and be off like lightning, straight into the path of oncoming traffic or towards the edge of a cliff, then reins can literally be a lifesaver.

I'm using them for a lively 2 year old. Sometimes he will hold my hand but he can slip away, want to explore a bit more which is where the reins come in because he absolutely couldn't be trusted just to go off himself and behave sensibly. Ours are little life from jojo, the backpack ones aren't meant to be great as it changes their centre of gravity

I'm not a parent, but I'm old :) and they were very popular in the 70s, then became popular after the James Bulger case. If I'd had kids, I would've used them, definitely.

As for comparing them to a dog on a lead, so what? I've got a dog, and I use a lead to keep her safe and stop her from running off. Same reason I'd use reins :shrugs: