Do you think it's unfair to use reins on a 5 year old with ADHD?

[Bigdaddys]

Our son Jack slips our grip when holding hands at every opportunity possible. We are going on holiday in 3 weeks and are concerned that he will get lost. We have got a set of reins that I am considering using to keep him close by. His grandparents say that he is to old for reins but he needs to be kept safe. Can anyone advise us what they would do in this situation.

^Missunreasonable - which ones do you use on your son. I am using the boots ones at the moment but I am looking for something that will grow with him for the future.
Thanks for your comments!^

It's a crelling one. We have a crelling harness for the car too (essential when we do long journeys).

I'm reading this and taking lots of notes. DS is only 20m but has already proved himself to be a car seat escaper (on the motorway ) he has a rucksack harness and Houdini strap on the car seat but once he works out the clasps I'll need new tools!

'he'll come back when he's ready because children have their own inbuilt boundary'

I remember when DS2 went a-wandering on Woolacombe beach. I left DH with the other three and surreptitiously trailed him to see how far his 'inbuilt boundary' is. After half a mile, I realised there was no boundary, fetched him and brought him back.

He doesn't bolt, just gets easily distracted and has no awareness of where the rest of us are.

God, Woolacombe beach is massive, too. I've lost ds in the sand dunes there before now... He rarely bolts any more, thank god, but like yours, first, he gets really absorbed in doing his own thing.

www.crelling.com/walking-reins.html

That is the one that we have for out and about. We have the one without the shoulder straps but for a wriggler with slim hips the one with shoulder straps might be better.

www.crelling.com/model-31.html#ad-image-0

That is the one that we have in the car.
There is another company that makes a harness with magnetic fastenings that can only be released with a special tool so that might be better for children who can figure about the buckles but it does cost around £350. The crelling with the safety buckles has proved sufficient for us so far.

After a day out today with the reins on I am finally content that he will not get lost on holiday. We went to the zoo after shopping. Both of the kids had reins on and they enjoyed it more, we did not have to worry about losing them.

It helped because there was a child about age 10, his dad had a wrist strap on him and jack spotted it and said his daddy wants to keep him safe to. It helped as he didn't ask for the reins to be taken off after that.

Will have to see how the next few days of using them again goes!

Safety first. Practice your death stare if anyone dares to tut or comment.

I'm glad today went well. :)

As the mother of an highly impulsive ADHD son I say use them!

When my son was younger he was a bolter... On a speed level with Bolt himself!!!

My son wore reigns in airports after the famous trip when he made it not just alone through passport control but also had a run on the luggage conveyor belt.... Climbing on and running after him past check in desks is still a memory that makes me cringe!!!!

'he'll come back when he's ready because children have their own inbuilt boundary'. I also remember the look on their faces when he ran and kept running...).

Ha ha my DF tried that one with DS2 too - ended up chasing him over a mile, very fast, through muddy fields! Had to leave the other two DC he was meant to be looking after (aged about 5 and 6) to fend for themselves and find their own way home... No-one has tried that one on me since!

Not at all. DS2 used reins until he was 7. I wish he would still tolerate them, as he still has a tendency to step out or bolt (he has ASD)