Treating child on a harness, like a dog???

[Damnivy]

So keep my 2 year old on a child harness if we are out and about. She doesn't like using a pram anymore. And loves to run off, or finds something she likes the look of and just stops moving! I have 4dcs and only had to use them with my youngest.
I have a 3 year old too and makes it hard when the youngest runs off as have to grab the 3 year old before I can go after her, as can't leave either unattended.
So the harness is safe and practical. Dd walks brilliantly whilst on the harness with no complaint.
So today while in town, a lady starts smiling at dd and saying hello! Innocent enough! But then walks over and tells me what a sweet child dd is, but she can't help but feel sorry for her being 'tied up'. And I should stop treating her like a dog!!!! Iv had a few people say in the past that they wouldn't use a harness as they feel like they are walking a dog ect..
So AIBU in using this as a safety precaution while trying to teach my dd road safety and to stop running off, or do I look as though I should be walking a dog? Did you use them/won't use them, or have any ideas of how to stop my child running off?

Much easier to manage an Usain Bolt of a child with Houdini hands on reins than by trying to hold their eel like hands!

We were using them in Turkey when DS was 18m and in the depths of his sprinting headless chicken days, and the sight of him bemused a local man who looked rather perplexed about what we were doing with DS. We laughed, pointed at DS and said "Usain Bolt" and his expression changed to amused understanding

TooManyPaws Snobbery, that is what happened.

Theyre a safety precaution to stop toddlers from running into the road. Why on earth would anyone have a problem with that.

Yanbu. I hate that rubbish being spouted, I'd rather have a child 'tied up' than dead. I'm a childminder and they are non-negotiable in my house and with my mindees. There was a woman on here, years ago now, who lost her daughter after her DD ran out into the road, the DD was not usually a bolter. It's stuck with me since reading it. It is not worth the risk, children are impulsive, they may be the most perfectly behaved child but all it takes it one incident. I have been known to tell people not to be so ridiculous for those comments.

I couldn't get on with them with my dd, felt like they were always about to get tangled round a person or lampost.

I dont think badly of people who use them though. although there is a lady i see on the bus regularly who has 5 kids under about 6yrs old by the looks of it. 1 is in a pishchair, the rest are tied to the pushchair by reins and it does always look like theyre being dragged about. At least 2 of them are too old for it an d it just looks very uncomfortable.

I don't see a problem with them although I think the back pack ones look nicer. DS would literally refuse to walk in them though he would just sit down.

Reins are fantastic, I used them a lot with mine. Ignore the dog comments, people are just ignorant.

Better a live dog than a dead child anyway.

I used them. I held my children by the hand and treated them normally, it was just there around my wrist in case they bolted and I didn't react quickly enough. Last time I checked a dog doesn't walk on its hind legs holding its owners hand whilst discussing traffic lights. Next time someone says that to you reply 'I' m sorry that you feel the need to act like such a judgemental bitch.' yes, the pun it totally intended.

People in America made fun of me for wearing a seatbelt but I'm not going to put myself in danger because other people are idiots. Im definitely never going to do it to my child

I remember my reins when I was little. I loved them and used to gallop along like a horse when I had them on. Not sure that was the aim but can't have been that bad otherwise I think my Mum would have told me off like when I used to drag my feet on the ground in the pushchair and scrape my shoes. I found reins useful for my D.C. too.

DS, two last week, loves wearing his reins and regularly brings them to me in the house demanding to wear them! He likes to wander and look at things so he won’t take my hand all the time but I don’t want him unrestrained when we’re walking near traffic. I also don’t want folk tripping over him in Tesco and hurting him or themselves.

YANBU. Reins are an excellent way of keeping a toddler safe. Much safer than just holding their hand. It only takes a second once for a child to slip your hand and be in the road. Doesn’t matter if they are usually a bolter or not.

Keeping your kid safe is the priority. As long as you aren’t dragging them behind you or they are straining to get ahead and you are yanking them back!
I used them when a childminder to 3 toddlers ( so no way I could hold all their hands) and always got v positive comments.

She's not kept tied up at home and neither will she be on a lead at 25. At the moment she's prevented from running into traffic. I think reins/leads in public places should be as normal for toddlers as dogs. Safer for all parties.

I'm surprised they aren't more common tbh. I havent used one but can see why people do, safer near roads and gob forbid abducted!

YANBU
My DC all loved the relative freedom it gave them.

I use reins for my toddler and I don’t care if random strangers think I’m treating him like a dog.

My primary concern is keeping him safe. He doesn’t understand the dangers that might face him if he tugs his hand out of mine and runs off.

And he’d much rather be trotting around on reins than cooped up in the pushchair.

My DD is almost 2 and a certified bolter.

She's off like a rocket if you give her even half a chance and will not hold hands reliably. So we use reins. Because I'd rather have a kid on a lead than a dead one. Simple as. It's for her safety, which when it comes right down to it, is all I care about.

Both myself and my brother has reigns when we were little in the 80's and we've both turned out ok.

I wouldn’t tie her to a lamp post when you pop into the shops but other than that I think you’re grand
namelessinseattle 😂😂😂😂

I had to tackle this issue from as soon as my DS could walk. He refused the pram. I have a disability and, at times, use a wheelchair. I knew my mobility was deteriorating and I certainly couldn't run after him.

I absolutely would have used reins if I needed to. I took DS to walk along the tow paths of local canals. Not wide enough for us to walk next to each other. He walked ahead. We did swimming lessons and the canal is about 30cm deep at the sides. I was relaxed about the risk. DS learned very quickly to assess danger and walk sensibly. I was right the behind him. It worked for us and he has always been a sensible walker.

If it hadn't worked for us, I would have tried the hand loop before reins. It links your hand with theirs, so they can't suddenly let go and run for it. Less freedom but also prevents the whole 'walking them like a dog' comments and judgements from others.

Great piece of equipment - I think they should be compulsory near traffic

As a child I loved my reins, because I liked pretending I was a dog 😁
I don't see anything wrong with using them, in this case it's much better to be safe than sorry.

Better on reins than under a car.