Aibu to not want my dc being strapped into Walk o dile

[Castleheights]

Im prepared to be told I am being silly but, I feel uneasy about groups of children being strapped together.

At my dc nursery they have arranged a trip into town using a walk o dile. (Sorry don't know how to link). It's a so called safety device for keeping children safe when there are not enough adult hands available.

Aibu to think it looks unsafe because if one child falls so will others? Furthermore there are plenty of parents who would help if asked, nursery have said they don't want any parental help.

Chain gang You're a funny one estate

Nursery round here uses it, they have hand holds rather than them being tied in to the central bit. Brilliant idea.

To make a more serious point, when was this golden age of SAHM-ing that you speak of? I'm working class, women have always worked where I'm from. Not that long ago that meant going down a coal mine, with their DCs by the way... Now that was a chain gang. I'm reasonably sure my great-great grandmothers and grandfathers would have preferred a lovely walk in the Walkodile.

Double buggy is better than children walking? Better for whom exactly?

The difficulty with parental help at such young ages
A lot of people pay for nursery because they can't look after their kids because they are working, so how are they meant to help out at nursery??

To me you don't pay nursery fees to then help out there apart from once in a blue moon.

I think I might get one for my two
The oldest walks lovely. Youngest has started to learn if he holds hands he can walk but is still prone to legging it.

Reins cause him to throw himself on the floor and scream

This looks like more fun

Green children that age could be in buggies for a number of reasons, SN, disability, illness. You don't know. Before I had dd who has ASD, and learning difficulties, I thought the same as you, now its opened my eyes.

Yes, that's true of chain gangs.

Where the people are chained.

With heavy metal chains.

Where they are made to do rough, manual labour chained together.

Can you not see the difference?

That's such a sad way of looking at the world estate

My minders were my little gang and we all walked together with reins all 4 of them and me.

Why would you want to see kids lolling in buggies when you get them in waterproofs abs wellies and splash in puddles, pick up leaves, stomp in mud and look at nature and be healthy?

I'll tell you the problem with reins with two (or three in my case) on them. They tangle up. They twist around each other, trip up, wrap them round passions lamp posts, they're a pain. The walkodile means they don't/can't do that.

Estate you clearly have never tried going out and about with three tinies. I wish you triplets next go. Three big arsey bolters.

Threads like this make me so pleased I don't work in childcare anymore.
Which is a shame as I love the job but even after having my own children I can't understand why some people have so little respect for childcare workers.
Believe it or not most people who decide to go into the poorly paid childcare sector don't want children to be part of a chain gang?! They are doing their best to provide experiences for the children in their care and meet Ofsteds expectations whilst keeping them all safe.

I'm pretty sure there was/is a MNer that had twins, one of which was killed when they bolted into the road
Anything that stops that... All it takes is a child to pull and dart away from you and they're gone. Bad enough if it's yourself but you can't react as quickly if you're sorting all the other children out too. Maybe they're zipping a coat up or picking up a dropped glove

No, its not - it goes around their waists!
If you look at their website you can see that there are lots of different types of Walk-O-Diles.

I've just remembered when I used to go to a childminder (yes I have a long memory). She used to get the walkers to hold onto the pram when we went out bet she would have loved one of these. I think she must have made it into a game as none of us wanted to let go.

Oh yes toddlers need to walk. Drives me nuts seeing 3/4 year olds in buggies. Most can easily walk a few miles with drinks/food/stops

See, estate? Told you

Estate agent did you really do a sad face about s perfectly sensible safety harness for kids?
I pity you, even if you are a lovely sahm.
I'm a not very lovely working mum. But even when I wasn't working I sent my 2 year old to nursery because I thought it a good thing.
Back to the walkodile, it's a brilliant idea and would have been amazing for my friend who's autistic son was a bolter. Sorry not all children are as well behaved as your own, and dehumanised to boot

Estate so explain to me how I avoid using childcare?

Neither of us earns enough for one of us to stay at home. Luckily together we can cover childcare and household expenses by working.

You sound like you live in a perfect world. Not everyone has the choices you do.

This thread has cheered me up on a bleak day.

I love the thought of toddlers earning their keep in the fields. Picking strawberries perhaps. It would be glorious chaos!

Walkodile is a genius invention. As like others I sadly couldn't afford not to work for 5 years until my son is at school, I commend any initiative that allows the children to get outside of nursery. Thankfully DS isn't a habitual bolter, but if he unexpectedly breaks away, even with just one child it is less than ideal if you also have bags in your other hand.

To be fair the children do look miserable in those example photographs.

Aero I don't think green was trying to say that using a pram is bad parenting or anything, just that for toddlers who want to and are able to go for walks she thinks it's better for them than to be strapped in

So a Walkodile is "dehumanising" but reins ie having your child on a lead like a dog or a horse isn't?

I think they're a good idea

I would love Reins to be like those extendable dog leads. Then when you get to park with cafe you could just sip coffee and hold the lead and the kids could run miles . Then need a button that Reels them back when it's time to go like a hoover cord.

Artandco Patent it. I'll buy one!

I'm a horrible SAHM and I was considering getting a hound couple and lashing DS to the dog Definitely baby reins, anyway.

This is probably better though (although for some reason I found the bit in the video where they went through the bollards hilarious and I don't know why )

Wow, that actually looks brilliant! Kids are unpredictable, even ones that aren't classic bolters can suddenly decide it's the done thing. I'd have no qualms about my child being kept safe in this way.

The nursery local to us uses a giant buggy contraption for wrap around transport to/from school:

www.earlyyearsresources.co.uk/baby-room-c100/baby-transport-c112/winther-turtle-seater-kiddy-bus-4-or-6-seater-p27633

To be honest I'm less keen on this because I think it babies the children too much.

(Apologies don't know how to make clicky on my mobile if it hasn't done it automatically)

I think I'll make a killing selling the walkadile to the Inuit Tribes for then their dogs are ill

Estate so explain to me how I avoid using childcare? Neither of us earns enough for one of us to stay at home

Tsk, well that's easy. First you can simply give up on your expensive handbag habit and all those foreign 5-star holidays. Then you get a mumsnet chicken that feeds 5 people for a week. And of course you can also turn back time and go marry a wealthier man. Or win a lottery. See, easy.