3yo DS running off all the time...

[Tamashii]

I know this is probably really familiar to many of you but my DS has recently started to run off when he feels like it. It is just out of the blue and I am 5 months PG so finding it increasingly difficult to chase after him.

Today was the worst because he ran off DURING playgroup when everyone was sat round in a circle singing songs and playing music. He ran across the hall, out of the door and by the time I had got up (as fast as I could with the bump n cramp in my legs) and got to the door, he was nowhere to be seen. There is a corridor outside the hall that goes 3 different directions and upstairs. I had no idea which way he had gone so decided to try running towards the exit shouting his name as I thought if he was heading outside onto the main road that would be the most dangerous. No answer to my calling his name and sure enough he was trying to get out of the main doors (which are sometimes propped open as it is a community building). I was terrified that he could have escaped out into the carpark/main road which is REALLY busy.

Any advice? Do I just have to be extra, extra vigilant at the moment? I also am not sure how to "punish" him for this behaviour and ended up putting him in the buggy since he had run off which he hates as he loves to walk everywhere now unless he is really tired out and we live a long walk from the community centre so thankfully had the buggy.

Keep going with the buggy thing.

He will probably scream hysterically but I would also recommend getting some toddler reins on him. He won't like it at all but you can calmly explain that when he stops running off then he can be a big boy without reins. And you are right to be concerned about the roads etc

Can you enlist the help of the other parents - surely they can see that you are struggling to get up and run after him?

Good luck - hope things get much easier for you soon

Talk to him about it and how dangerous it is. And you could tell him beforehand he will lose such and such priviledge if he is not well behaved like you've asked. I know it's hard for a 3 yr old to take it in but sometimes just reminding them constantly might help. Scary and hopefully this is only a quick phase for you.

Thanks for the replies. I don't think any of the other parents today actually thought he was going to run out of the room as all the kids wander about a bit n come back. He just took off full speed ahead. I still have his reins from when he was younger so I bet that would really do the trick if I dig them back out because we made such a fuss of him walking so well without the reins that bringing them back out and putting them on until he can stop running off might just work.

Thanks again. It is really scary. I try to explain things to him but he seems to forget unless you keep asking him over and over but I will persevere as it will probably make sense to him one day soon.

I sympathise. DD ran right across the road the other day - scared the life out of me She doesn't seem to have any need to stay near mummy and I envy the other mums whose kids walk sedately at their side!

I've found it helpful teaching her about traffic safety. There are some good videos on youtube and on the cbeebies site (search for Nuzzle and Scratch). And now whenever we are in a car park or near a road she ALWAYS has to hold my hand and we always follow the green cross code when crossing the road. She hasn't entirely got it, but it has helped a bit.

Absolutely stick with the buggy, and you could tell him that big boys stay close to mummy and only babies run off...