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?

Have you thought about on of the back packs with a handle attached??

They'd sure judge you if your kid was ran over. Don't give it another thought.

If the choice is that or your child under a bus, I’ll pick the reins. Luckily ds wasn’t a runner but we did buy a backpack set to use.

Dead handy for tantrums. I carried Dd round many a supermarket by her reins. Nice distribution of weight.

I remember reading on here years ago that a mner had twins.

Her husband was getting them out of the car and one was involved in a fatal accident. In a split second.

I know I'm not doing it justice, but it was so bloody sad. I think the surviving twin is a teenager now?

I was absolutely smugly convinced that reins/harness were barbaric/treating a child like a dog/blah blah, before I had children. Then I had DC1, who was a classic bolter. I then invested in reins, and never looked back. Nobody who hasn't had a bolter knows what it's like (my other DC were all happy to walk nicely, hold on to the buggy etc). Reins/harness were literally a life-saver for my DC1.

Posted too soon. Anyway whenever I thought of judgers I thought of how easily an accident can happen

My dad's ex girlfriend made me promise to use them if I ever had kids (they broke up a decade ago). She lost her youngest child a couple of years before she met my dad when he slipped out of his grandma's grasp and ran across the road. He'd never done anything like it before. I kept my promise.

Toddlers and dogs are pretty similar, really.

Need regular walks, regular food, and regular toileting. Leaving their poo on the pavement is antisocial.

And, yes, putting them on a lead can help if they have poor recall.

Reins can be lifesavers.

Nope. Not BU.
My youngest was a bolter, and hated the stroller.
We also lived very rurally on a large property, so cars were exciting for him to see up close and moving ,and he had no concept of road safety.
We went to town, he'd try to run straight for the traffic.
We were ALWAYS tethered together via a wrist strap, reins set up.

My response was always " Better this than dead".

As well as roads I used them in other really crowded places since I saw a lady lose her child at the luggage counter at schiphol. Luckily he was found but it had happened very quickly while she put the bags on the weighing bit and she looked dreadful in panic.

I saw a little girl wrench her hand from her mother and run in front of a car. Thankfully it braked on time but the whole thing took literally less than a second.
Apparently I was in reins for a while at two and I think I'm unscathed from the experience.

“I’m sorry but I on,y have two hands and her safety is more important to me than what other people think.”

We used the little life bags. Like a backpack with a parent loop to hold. My dd was like Houdini and lightning fast, we used these until she understood not to run off. I don't give a monkeys what anyone thought of us. My ds on balance never moved from my side so never needed them.

I also remember the MNer with twins who lost one of them - she used to always strongly recommend reins

Ignore judgment of horrible lady

I've known 2 people who had strangers grab and run off with their small children right in front of them. One was in a bloody airport. Luckily both were recovered quickly.

There are lots of good reasons to use a safety harness.

Oh, and they love balls, playing 'fetch', and are obsessed with sticks.

I can't remember whether I'm walking the toddler or the dog most of the time.

A poster named MrsPresley used to post about reins and the importance of using them. I don't know if she's still around MN or not but I think of her and her DS now and again when I see kids out on reins. I've recently gotten out our old set for my littlest DD to use now that she wants to walk instead of going in the pushchair.

The sad story of MrsPresley and her DS can be found on this thread, at 19:48
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/parenting/2239765-Road-safety-for-toddlers

Please use reins. The alternative is unthinkable.

YANBU reins were invented for your dd, no disrespect. I used them for all 3 of ours, and nobody said anything.
you are keeping your child safe,

Wow thanks everyone!
They are quite uncommon where I live, don't often see kids on them. None of my friends use them. It was my nan's idea, when dd started escaping her pushchair harness. (Along with the huge tantrums to get her in the pushchair).
I won't stop using them yet, despite comments. She is so quick and I won't risk it.
Thanks for the reassurance. X

Ignore every negative comment you get! You are doing the right thing, in keeping your children safe!

I have an older child with sn who wears them. No one has ever commented and I'd think they were stupid if they did.

Also just googled these little rucksacks with the strap on them, they are so cute. Might have to get one!

I used them with my dc.
Ds1 however managed to figure out how to get them off which was fun

I think it's harness bit people seem to object to. I received a few comments when DS had reins but never when he was on a wrist strap for some reason.