To ask how do you make your 3 year old walk nicely with you??

[lollipoppi]

Please tell me your secret!

I see mums strolling hand in hand with their toddlers, around town centres and supermarkets, the toddlers just happily walking besides their mums an dads whilst they look at clothes, or decide what loaf of bread to buy.
How the fook do you do that?

I'm the mum that is constantly running after my 3yo DS, whilst he runs riot around the shops, with disapproving looks from strangers in a "can't you keep control of your son" kind of look, and my honest answer is "no"

So please, please tell me your secrets!

I put across the attitude that walking was a privilege for big girls and naughty girls stayed in their push chairs.

DS is 26 months and we've just sold our buggy. He hates the it, it's a faff pushing the it was round, and he was never the type so sit back in it was nicely and play with a his own toys. He's a runnner, so reins and a back up ring sling for when you it all goes to shit. I have a freind who's going little boy sits nicely in his pram, chatting and I playing, so I know they do exist, but mine thinks the pushchair is torture and I have to karate chop him in the kitchen middle to get him in.

I have a carried him out of many of places, kicking and flailing underneath my arm. I am immune to the judgemental look and do my best best to always be sympathetic when I see you it happen to someone else.

Why does my phone add random words in to my posts?!

You have sold your pram? The one with carrycot etc?

Did yoi fix the dodgy wheel?

Don't tolerate any naughtiness, and eventually it'll become second nature. So walk nicely and hold hands next to roads, or reins go on, or they go in the buggy, or I would hold her arm if she refused to hold hands. She HATED this and I'd practically have to drag her home kicking and screaming, but she learnt pretty quickly. It's non negotiable, because while it's annoying in a shop, it's downright dangerous near roads/in a car park.

If he's wearing she wrist strap and he starts to take it if, hold his wrist yourself. He won't like it, but tough.

Sorry for typos, am on phone!

Yeah, they sent us a free replacement. We still on use the McLaren for the nursery run in the morning, but he walks back. Sold it to on eBay, has been used twice in the past six months, was just taking up space in the car!

I also got a little life backpack, which DS loves. DS is 3.6 and up until about a month ago he was a real horror and a bolter. I barely walked him anywhere, and it was a buggy. But then I used reins and insisted on holding his hand and just all of a sudden he has become really good at walking with me. But I do not yet dare to not hold his hand and he seems to have no road awareness.

But he went from refusing to hold my hand and being a menace to himself to being really good just all of a sudden.

I was very firm with dd when she first wanted to walk more than use buggy. She had to hold my hand or went back into buggy. She's now 2.4 and knows that she must hold my hand when I ask or the buggy comes out the car. Same with trolly, if she doesn't want to sit in, she must hold on

I've been strict about it but its hard going.

Engaging them in conversation works best for me. So constant distraction. 'Let me show you the xxx it's over her bla bla'

We appear to have cracked it this very weekend.

The buggy has been with us on every trip out for the last week or so just as a back up.

I've told dd (3 next week). That she either holds my hand and walks nicely or it's in the buggy.

It's been a battle of wills, I can tell you but yesterday she simply said "OK mummy" DP and I were very but the penny does seem to have finally dropped

I have a job getting 2.5-year-old DS to leave my side! As such, he is more than happy to hold my hand in supermarkets etc.

Little Life backpacks are great - you have the strap on your wrist and hold their hand as normal, so they don't know any different unless they try to leg it!

DC1 was ooookay and got it sorted by four. DC2 was a complete impossibility. Still is, even at five years old.. I often employ the "fishwife" method and wince as it is mortifying, but necessary with three DC especially when on crutches expecting DC4! DC3 (2) is really really good, walks nicely, such a good boy. People often comment on it. I laugh.

As another poster said - luck. Totally depends on the child's temperament. All hints and tips can do are improve things, and those who are lucky with a child (say, like my DC3) and not had any others may naively assume it's their superior parenting or a particular tactic, when they just got bloody lucky!!!!

I think some children are just runners, I have three two have been fine walk nicely with me never run off, the other could not be contained! I have raised them all the same, I think

Luck of the draw. I had a bolter and it was a nightmare. I always insisted on holding hands or backpack reins or buggy. Even at 5 I still hold his hand and he is quite good but I can't let him run ahead like many of his peers. He could only be let off the reins at 3.7.

at Bragmatic.