My MIL just bought my baby a set of reigns and I am horrified. What to do?

[BumblBeee]

I think they are horrid?!

[nailpolish]

everyone is different tho

dd2 seems to like to run about in shopping centres, mind you. the other day she dissapeared and i had to search for her for w hole 5 mins beofre a man came out of the sofa shop and informed me my child was hiding behind the suites in the leather section

[yurt1]

DS3 walks musch better with ds2 - likes to hold his hand. It was the ds1/ds3 combination that was particularly hard. DS1 needs to be held onto the entire time he's outside the house, and ds3 had a habit of running off. I ran out of hands. So either or both would/do go on reins. DS3 is just 3 now and has some understanding of road safety but that's only recently. So He hasn't been on reins for a while. Would still use them with ds1 though.

[nappyaddict]

gosh i'm definitely planning on using the buggy til ds is 4 if he'll let me. i like the fact i don't have to carry my own shopping

[mrsruffallo]

{sigh} I didn't sat all children were like mine, I was giving my reasons for not needing/liking them

[nailpolish]

no of course not belgo

but i d ont walk at 70mph

i am not here to fight, i have my opinion and i know everyone is entitled to theirs too

[Teuch]

roffle @ Goat!!

[shoshe]

I know I ve posted this before, but here I go again.

My brother refused to use reins on his chldren, saying as the OP that they wernt dogs.

And said that nephews always held his hand so he didnt need them.

They went shopping in a very large shopping centre. And as he said nephew held his hand.

They went into a shop, brother had to let go of nephews hand to pay at the desk.

Nephew was missing a hour and a half.

He was 2.

It was two weeks after Jamie Bulger went missing.

It is not only along a busy road that reins keep a child safe.

AND believe it or not he still didnt use them and lost his second son at a busy market!!

Brother is a Policeman !!!

[nailpolish]

gawd i hate buggies. found them a right PITA

[belgo]

I like anything that keeps my children safe and make my life easier.

[mrsruffallo]

nailpolish, I agree- if i go at my ds's pace I find it easy to be on guard

[belgo]

yes it is relatively easy to keep 'guard' with just one child. With too small children it's near enough impossible to do that safely.

We have narrow pavements with busy cycle paths (also used by motorbikes) and of course the road adjacent.

Very hard to walk safely without reins.

[Lubyloo]

I posted at the beginning of the thread. Just read what has followed and I'm amazed..... I never realised that people had an issue with reins!

[moljam]

i was very againgst them.dd and ds1 were very good at holding hands so we didnt need them.but ds2 is hard work!he has one of those reins with bag on which he loves to wear as hes got his own backpack.
if you dont like them andhave no need for them-dont use them.

[belgo]

my point about the car seats is that they also restrain children, as well as keeping them safer during an accident. In some cases, it is appropiate to restrain a child.

[mrsruffallo]

I can see why you have them then Belgo. The part of London I live in doesn't seem particularly hazardous to me- even when I have both my dc with me, they usually walk

[YeahBut]

With dd1 and dd2, I did not need them. Now I have my lightning quick Houdini-esque ds, I use reins a lot! Depends on the child, I think.

[mrsruffallo]

belgo, is you point that everyone should use them?

[nappyaddict]

mrsruffalo - why don't you like them? do you really think they make you treat your child as if it were a dog?

[nailpolish]

i live in a city and i have 2 children 24mths apart - ive not really had a problem

i hate all stuff like this - playpens, bouncy chairs, highchairs, reins, buggies, dummies - but not car seats cos you are in a car at 70mph not ambling along the street at 0.4mph

but hey ho everyone is different and i certainly dont judge

[belgo]

no, my point is that everyone should do what they feel is necessary for their children without the judgements of others (having been on the recieving end of 'walking the dog comments).

[nappyaddict]

you hate highchairs? how did your babies eat?

[louii]

I personally don't like reins but i can see they have a use for some children or if you have more than one.

DS holds hands when we are out, if he refuses he gets put in buggy or taken home, doesnt refuse often as he knows the consequences.

[annoyingdevil]

Depends on the child. Ds seems quite happy to hold hands. DD was/is another matter! she held my hand for the first time at 2.5 and still does it very grudgingly

[nailpolish]

belgo comments like that are unfair and unkind
i would never say that to anyone

i friend of mine called my chidlren "feral" cos i let them walk unrestrained

[Blandmum]

ds would have been run over more times than I can think of without them.

If you have a quiet, bidable child, vount your blessings