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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect a 13 mth walker to wear reins?

23 replies

ljhooray · 29/03/2008 13:05

I know there's been a number of threads on the pros and cons of reins but my question is a little different. My dd started walking at 11 mths and is now approaching 14 mths and is desperate to walk everywhere. What did others do? Not sure she's going to take to reins, have tried them briefly but she couldn't understand why mummy didn't always want to go where she wants!! Please help.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 29/03/2008 13:08

Put them on, she'll learn and get used to them. Mind you, it depends if she's a hand holder or not - BabyDragon wasn't/isn't so reins were essential, both DSs were fine so I only used them briefly with DS1 and not at all with DS2.

Original poster
ljhooray · 29/03/2008 13:18

Unfortunately SoupDragon, she is a hand holder until she sees something incredibly interesting which at 13 mths is just about everything!! So about 30 secs handholding is about as much as we can manage. So how long did it take in your experience? Was little dragon about the same age?

OP posts:
MsPontipine · 29/03/2008 13:26

I had reins with ds but like you say - they want to go where they want to go! We were once in a shop and I'd let his reins go he went to dart off and I stamped on the reins ds went face down on the floor complete with nose-bleed - how not to use reins!! In the early walking days I found a wrist link much easier. I insisted he could only come out of his buggy if he held my hand at all times - and the wrist link's a back up in case someone accidentally lets go. I recently saw a friend in town - baby in buggy, one young walker attached to her on each side with wrist links. I can't really see any other way she could have kept all three safe in a busy town. You do have to go out!!

fizzbuzz · 29/03/2008 13:27

Mine won't wear reins OR hold hands at 20mo. Screams and lies on the pavement, sometimes it takes 1/2 an hour to travel 10 yards.

Am pretty desperate tbh. She will hold her buggy, but then wants to push it ..........I feel exhausted just writing this

bozza · 29/03/2008 13:28

I would keep trying with the reins. Sometimes I would hold hands but have the reins looped around also. Or you could get one of those little back packs with integral reins that some children go for.

quint · 29/03/2008 13:29

Reins are a nightmare, DD1 hated them as did every other child I've looked after, however the back packs that you can get (litelife I think) are fab, DD1 loved hers and DD2 (I never bothered with reins) does too, it makes them feel more grown up, very easy to put on (unlike reins which are a complete nightmare)

Original poster
ljhooray · 29/03/2008 13:37

I actually have one of those little life packs, although she doesn't seem too keen on it. Is it worth perserving with the pack? (BTW they are very cute, she looks very sweet so would be both a safe and adorable solution!!)

OP posts:
quint · 29/03/2008 13:43

Yes definitely. Both mine love putting on their bag

quint · 29/03/2008 13:44

Maybe because when I'm in a hurry DD2 has to go in the pushchair but when I have time she walks (loves walking - hates pushchair) so when she see the bag coming out, she knows she get to walk!

cory · 29/03/2008 13:50

My kids were fine with the reins; they much preferred that to having to hold hands. And letting them go where they wanted was hardly an option...busy streets. I never found them difficult to put on either.

piximon · 29/03/2008 14:02

Mine were fine with reins and used to ask to have them put on before going out. It was a choice of reins or staying in the buggy. DD1 (3) now holds onto a rein strap I have tied onto the buggy as her arm aches if she holds onto the buggy when walking for long. She really likes her "strap" and pesters for it.

I'm waiting for the weather to pick up so I can introduce DT1 (15mths) to the joys of walking.

Just persevere with them, as far as I can remember they all go through a few days of dangling from them at first.

readytoswiggin · 29/03/2008 14:17

Mine wear reins or go in the pushchair as well.

As ds got older i started allowing him to walk without them, using them as a threat if he didn't stay close/hold hands

very handy as a handle for paddies, and in the playground. for my older 2 they were the only thingthat was effective at holding them in the pushchair.

Original poster
ljhooray · 30/03/2008 12:07

Thanks everyone, off to the zoo this afternoon with the backpack, will report back!

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 30/03/2008 12:29

so what's the verdict? Reins, wrist strap or backpack?
About to buy something for when DS is walking and I'd like to know what people think is best.

bran · 30/03/2008 12:35

My ds wasn't keen on reins, and when he started walking he was too little for us to hold hands comfortably, I had to bend over to reach his hand. My aunt bought us the monkey version of this and he loved wearing it. He also used it as a soft toy and liked to cuddle it when sitting in his pushchair.

Jacanne · 30/03/2008 13:12

We never used to reins - well we tried to with dd1 but she used to just lean forward and hang on them, making it impossible to go anywhere with her. We never tried with dd2.

serenity · 30/03/2008 13:42

We could never get on with reins. I'd end up with a small suspended, horizontal child or horribly tangled so we did hand/pushchair holding (and if they didn't hold on, they went straight back in the chair) However, I was pretty lucky in that they didn't throw tantrums (so could just put them back in) One thing we did do was do lots of walks in places where it didn't matter if they wandered, and teach them to 'walk to heel' as it were. That was pretty good with the DSs who might not have always held on, but never really strayed, but crap with DD who has the attention span of a gnat and still vanishes at 4 unless you hold her hand or make her walk in front

StealthPolarBear · 30/03/2008 14:58

thanks!

PeggySioux · 30/03/2008 15:01

I tried reigns when dd was too little. She walked early too and was a sturdy little thing but she didn't trot along next to me, she ambled randomly and it was a pain.

I put the reigns away for a few months. When I next tried them they were fine and worked well.

3andnomore · 30/03/2008 15:16

we tried first reins, then wriststrap then backpack with ms, who was a runner offer kind of child, and the backpack was the thing that he liked the best...! He always had his drinkingbottle in the backpack, and liked the responsibility of carrying it around, I think...

micegg · 30/03/2008 16:57

Haven't tried them myself but I ahve seen these little backpacks with a rein attached to the back.I had reins for DD as she was a runner and would have been dangerous to have her roaming free.

Chequers · 30/03/2008 18:12

Message withdrawn

madje2 · 30/03/2008 18:34

Just never gave mine the choice. ds1 has a disability that makes walking hard so had a buggy for years for him (he's a teenager now so wouldn't walk any where even if he could...it's a well known scientific fact that teenagers can't walk without complaining!!!!!)ds2 wore a strap as did dd.I never really had any problems because I didn't give them a choice

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