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

[BumblBeee]

I think they are horrid?!

now ds is older he sits on my lap and i don't hold him but when he was 6 or 7 months no ... i had to hold him else he would fall off.

mmm i'm off to eat some cheese with cranerries. yum.

movement therapists use dance and movements to interact/analyse various different client groups to facilitate expression. Bit vague, sorry, but for example things i have done is work with mothers with post natal depression who find it difficult to play/attune/bond with their babies, or autistic children who are not sure how to interact with others or teenagers with eating disorders or victims of sexual abuse who have become completely detatched from their dbodies and often self harm etc. But mostly its just dancing about like a loon and seeing what happens

I wouldn't use them if I had kids, but I would probably accept the gift (Which you have already anyway) but then hide them.

Thing is, if you ever rely on yout MIL to look after your children it's likely she might ask where they are and you're going to have to have an answer for when that day comes.

cosima sounds lovely!i had pnd with first 2 children and when i had 3rd i was determined to fight it,we danced daily,walked daily,and i didnt get it!not saying it works for all but helpedc me bond with ds2 im sure!

I have no doubt that my 2 dss would not be here today had I not used reins. They would have been suashed under a bus. There are 2 years between them and it is impossible to pursue a running toddler successfully with a baby in a sling, or while pushing a buggy. Mine could run very fast, had absolutely no fear of heights and were extremely athletic. They still are - but are 19 and almost 17, so can take care of themselves.

Also, reins are good if you have to pull them out of the way suddenly. In my part of London cars are frequently to be seen driving on the pavement, and travelling on the wrong side of the road. If you have to pull a child out of the way of danger by the hand, you can dislocate shoulder, elbow or wrist quite easily.

dd on the other hand was an absolute angel, always held hands and walked nicely.

moljam- daily walking helped keep me sane after the birth of dd2. It gave me a sense of freedom.

I did that once when DS was a little baby and wouldn't settle. I ended up with my entire meal in my lap. But I have done it since succesfully where circumstances have required it.

I am also one who had buggy lovers. So they would have stayed in them quite happily and threatening them with it would not have worked. Personally I prefer a child walking on reins that sat in a buggy.

This thread has prompted me to order DS reins as he has just started walking. New shoes tomorrow and hopefully his 'Little Life' Turtle Daypack will arrive on Thursday.

ahhh that's lovely. how old is he?

I took DS (18 mo) out with reins for the first time today and he loved it (fell over a couple of times though!). He will not hold my hand and just runs off so if he wants to walk, which he does, there is no option other than reins - can't really understand why people think they are so awful.

Oh to have one of these children talked about on here that stay with mummy when walking - where do I get one of those from then?

Some child like reins, some hate them and for some they are an absilute necessity! At leats your mil is trying to help. It would be worse if she never bought anything for baby at all!

Nappyaddict, he has just passed 13 months. he's been walking for a couple of weeks in doors and I feel now is the time to get him some shoes and wellies for a trip to the park.

And the Little Life packs are so cute

Haven't read whole thread and it has probably moved on - but lol! ds1 (2.11) has just happily trotted home from school wearing reins and shouting "clip clop", with dd (5.5) holding the reins and shouting "giddyup" while I pushed ds2 in the pram. We got home from school quite quickly!

er you could, er, tell her

toddlers aren't dogs?

are you SURE?

ar$e, have been doing it ALL wrong...

i have reins for DD, only i dont seem to use them, i might drag them out now she is insisting on walking most of the time, but i imagine she may protest. If however i say she can be a "doggie" i imagine that would persuade her

i'm gonna get some soon...no qualms
the village we're moving to is on a main road
i think walking in reins is better than being stuck in a buggy for years
i wonder if this trend is a factor in rising childhood obesity
and no, if there's a physical/psychological prob, i don't mean to have a go...i used the word "trend"

With a toddler ds who legged it at every opportunity reigns were my saving grace.

You think they're horrid, I think they're useful.

You say potaytoes, I say potahters.

Don;t use them. There.

I hate cheese with fruit it in too

Oh yes, I'd much rather see a toddler on reins than strapped into a buggy.

Actually - I do think that toddlers are very like puppies - in the nicest possible way, of course.

I really don't think reins did my boys any harm. It kept them safe.

A friend of mine ran over a little boy who ran out from between 2 parked cars - he just slipped his hand out of his mum's. He was 2. She was doing less than 20 mph, but he was killed because he ran straight under the wheels. Terrible tragedy.

I didn't use them. Firstly because I felt as the OP did. But then, when I realised how helpful they might be with DS#1 when DD was a baby, I tried them. DS#1 refused to move when he had them on - rolled around on the floor trying to get them off. Or hung in them and refused to move his legs . So I still didn't use them.

Having said that I managed 3 DCs without any of them threatening to throw themselves into the path of car.

So I would simply tell her that your DC won't co-operate. Mine didn't.

I like cheese with fruit but also hate cheese in fruit