To think there’s nothing wrong with toddlers on leads?

[shhquietplease]

I’m not a parent so maybe I just don’t get it’s

But isn’t it the best of both worlds? Your child gets freedom walk and you can make sure they are safe.

Maybe not needed if you only have one child and they can have your full attention.

I don’t get the “I’m not treating my child like an animal” comments either.

Leads are for dogs, reins are for children

reins are a perfectly acceptable choice that work well for many situations - I don't get why anyone would object to others using them, even if they choose not to themselves

Both my children had the backpack type reins, the younger one would have probably been run over without them because she had form for stepping out onto roads resulting in us yanking her back.

Personally I don't see it any differently to strapping children into a pram, it's for their safety and others around them.

I assume you mean reins or a wrist strap.

Nothing wrong with either. My kids had reins at that age. They had a choice whenever we were out - pushchair (fully strapped in) or reins. That was it, no matter how hard or loudly they might have protested.

Better a protesting toddler than a lost, injured or dead one.

Reins are brilliant. As you say, it keeps hands free to explore while reducing the danger of running off. I don't understand why people have a problem with them.

Try putting them on my DC - out of 3 of them they have all had absolutely no truck with tolerating reins 😁I just keep a really close watch on my toddler or occasionally he's happy to wear a rucksack with a rein attached as long as I don't restrain him too obviously with it !

I used a backpack with reins for DS, he was a bolter and had never heard this expectation that children will only go so far before freaking out and coming back, he would just run and run and never even glance back.

DD on the other hand I would actively try to make leave me, she stayed attached to a parents leg until the age of about 3. So no need for reins.

I always presume that those people dead against them had children more like DD than DS.

I used the backpack type with DTs, don't see the issue at all.

One day when my mum was looking after them she couldn't find them. She actually did clip dog leads on to their belt loops. They thought it was hilarious.

When my youngest stepson was tiny, he had a habit of getting distracted and wandering off from his dad when they were out.
After a couple of minor panics in shops (it was just a few years after the James Bulger case), dad bought one of those 'curly wire' things (like an old style telephone cable) with one end that attached to dad's wrist, the other to the little un's.
Little un was not happy about it at all. Until dad told him "Daddy's scared we lose each other when we're outside or in a shop, and daddy would be really upset if you couldn't find him again, and he wouldn't know how to get home without you."
Not a murmur after that. The little un even started tugging on the cable if it stretched a bit, to pull his dad back to him.
I'd rather use one and have peace of mind. It's not a dog lead, it's keeping your child safe.

My SIL used reins with her DS. Once when I dropped them he picked them up and gave them back to me. Strapping 15 year old now.

They have exactly the same purpose as a dog lead: keep your small creature safe. They're great. I've never had a negative comment using them though, so I'm not sure there's really all this hate for them that people seem to expect.

Yeah I think they're fine, some kids are much more likely to run off than others and not as likely to tolerate the pram.

However I once saw a mum using one with her toddler (must have been around 2), in the playground where it's perfectly safe, and the kid way having no opportunity for exploration, independence, bodily atonomy etc. and was just being yanked around. In that case I don't agree with it.

They’re not for me personally and I don’t use them with my DC, but I have no issue with others using them if they want to.

Used them for mine. Older son was so interested in things he'd just dash off. Younger one didn't need them for as long - he was much more risk aware. Very sensible idea. Only takes a moment for a child to run off. Mine are now mid-late 40s.

Its illogical. You put a lead on a dog to keep them safe, as they are precious to you.
And to many people, their toddler is even more precious than their dog. So why wouldn't they want to keep them safe?

Yanbu.

Reins are good, but the child can be more aware of them. Leads attached to back pack are great for older toddlers who are steady on feet but dont always want to hold your hand and risk of wandering/running off. You are attached without them feeling attached.

Like both and don't know why people judge anyone for using either. Generally only for a short period of time when walking/independent but not fully trusted to follow instructions.

My partner was really against them pre baby, I was all for them 😂

Fast forward to now and we’ve got an 18 month old that loves to bolt away in the direction of traffic, cyclists, big dogs, ponds he’s all for the reins.

I never used them, but that's because my DC weren't bolters, and we have plenty of traffic free paths for them to walk on when they were tiny and then they could be scooped up into the buggy in riskier spots.

I would absolutely have used them with a bolter or if we were mostly walking on footpaths by the road. I don't understand the judgement towards them (and in fairness, have never encountered it in real life).

I was born in the '60s. My mum used reins on me. Her first comment when the news of the Bulger case broke was "If only they still used reins..."

I think they'd fallen out of use at that time.

I think sometimes people forget that things like reins can also be there to help the parents. I used them as I have several different health issues and badly controlled pain when mine were toddlers. There was no way I could have sprinted after a runaway toddler and pain stopped my reactions being quick enough. The reins were a great compromise, freedom for kids but also saftey that I couldn't provide.
But I "looked alright" so people still did the rude comments, not realising how crap it made me feel. Chances were that if my toddlers were walking I was having a goodish day and had probably had to take a lot of painrelief to be walking without the pram to lean on. Mine also spent the whole time pretending to be horses.

Maybe people need to be a bit less judgmental.

Not so much the leads, but putting them in kennels is a bit of a no-no!

(Not a serious comment btw!)

Not sure why you referred to Reins as leads . FYI leads are used on dogs .
Reins are a game changer for many parents.They keep their children safe.

I don't like them and haven't used them. I don't judge people that do.

DT’s didn’t get a choice - if we were leaving the house, they wore reins. Non negotiable.

My son loved his leads because nanas dogs have them too 😆 that’s always what I’ve called them!