So, how DO you get a 2yr old to walk nicely?

[museumum]

DS age 2 has been able to walk from 11mo. He can walk far. If he wants. But I cannot get him to hold hands, walk beside me, not sit down while crossing the road....

Any trip where I let him walk at all starts with gentle coaxing in my direction, loads of patience and discussing whatever catches his eye but despite this it always ends with warnings then him being bundled home under my arm or into the buggy. It's horrible

I also have twins, now nearly 4. Tbh I just didn't take any shit, they held my hand even if they were crying about it, if they refused to go my way then they went back in the pram. I had reins on them as well as holding hands (and at first only let one out of pram at once). They were allowed to run free where safe to do so (eg park) but not on pavements near any roads. Also used to try and make it fun eg looking at things around us, talking about colours of cars etc, singing songs (Hokey Cokey worked well as could swing them as well)

if you don't hold my hand, you go in the pushchair/sling. And follow through when you need to, they will learn very quickly

Nope. Not with mine. He's extremely highly spirited, extremely high energy, extremely strong willed. And he gets bored EXTREMELY quickly. Because of all that, I've never been able to just walk with him like normal people do with their toddlers, or just take him anywhere, it's always been a case of having to end the walk because he screams and tantrums that I won't let him run in thw road and he's never cared about the whole ultimatum thing. It's an effing never ending nightmare. I'm just looking forward to when he's older and can communicate better, because life is pretty shite right now.

I should add that although hes only 2.2, he's big enough and strong enough to get out of EVERY pushchair we've tried to get him to stay in, so just "making him stay in the pushchair" doesn't even happen. It's so soul destroying.