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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Has anybody used a harness or a wriststrap? Or any other ideas for keeping a buggy-fobic 15-month-old alive...

59 replies

justaphase · 02/01/2007 16:14

My 15-month-old has only been walking for a month but loves it. He now has a major tantrum every time I try to strap him in the buggy.

I am happy to give him the freedom to practice his new skill but while he is reasonably good at holding my hand most of the time he does on occasion let go and run off - a favourite being to step off the curb and than back up again... or try to touch the cars .

Has anybody used a wriststrap or a harness? Which one is better? It is one of the things I thought I would never use but hey...

Or is there any other way to deal with this?

OP posts:

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Pitchounette · 03/01/2007 10:01

Message withdrawn

Pitchounette · 03/01/2007 10:06

Message withdrawn

Seansgirl · 03/01/2007 12:26

Used reins for a bit though DD used sort of lunge on them so she'd be swinging or on the floor. Didnt use them for long found them more of a pain. Used to put her in buggy when naughty and used it as a threat alot. Did also try a blackmail approach with "if you stay in buggy for X time whilst mummy goes her shopping you can walk blah blah bit and go on postman pat ride/have a biscuit etc."Also tried holding hands with DH or Granny and do one two three swing as an alternative, gets you places a bit faster......

PartridgeinaRustyBearTree · 03/01/2007 12:35

I got a double buggy when DD was born (DS was just over 2) but the wheels kept breaking & it had to go in for repairs a lot & in the end I gave it up & just used a single - so DS did a lot of walking. I found reins a bit of a pain because the straps weer too short & DS hated the wrist strap, so I put the one end of the wrist strap on the harness and the other on the buggy - so he got used to walking along beside the buggy

alexw · 03/01/2007 12:36

We use little life back pac with long lead thing on. (looks exactly like a dog lead, but dd loves being able to carry rabbit in bag with her).

TheBlonde · 03/01/2007 12:37

I use reins but mostly when we are out and I need to fold the buggy and keep hold of DS in the other hand

If we are walking he'll have reins on which I'll have hold of but I'll have him hold my hand. That way I can still catch him if he makes a dash for it

grouchyoscar · 03/01/2007 15:08

DS is 3.5, very boisterous and difficult to control. I use a wrist link but he gets it off quick.

Last week he stepped into the park lake

Any advice on suitable restraint would be appreciated (please)

shosha · 03/01/2007 17:04

Message withdrawn

applepie31 · 03/01/2007 22:12

My ds has used the Little Life back pack with strap since he has been able to walk. The pack is big enough to hold a nappy,wet wipes and there is a pocket for drink. DS thought he was being very grown up in packing the bag and it has been an absolute godsend. He has never put up a fight abs
out wearing it. I am totally with other posters - I would rather have him on a "lead" and know where he is and that he is safe rather than worrying myself sick looking for him in busy shopping mall etc. Tried tradition reigns to begin with and neither of us got on with them.

ThePrisoner · 03/01/2007 22:21

I would use reins on a 15 month old. They need to be told about road safety/not running off the pavement etc., but have no concept of what you are really talking about. I know children don't always like to feel that they are being restrained in any way, but they aren't necessarily aware that you are holding onto them (until they fall and you prevent the scuffed knees).

As a childminder, we have to be able to show Ofsted how we keep children safe when out and about, and reins/wrist straps are part and parcel of that. Even if I've had only one child, I still tend to use them if I am somewhere that has the potential to be dangerous (near main roads!)

I have always used reins on younger minded children with no problem, although they often won't accept them with their parents! I usually move onto wrist straps with the more capable older children if I have more than just that one child.

I think this just makes it sound as though I am herding sheep, but I am a bit of a safety fanatic.

katelyle · 03/01/2007 22:29

Sorry - I'm going to join the minority. With mine, it was "let go of my hand or the pushchair without being told it's OK and you go straight in the pushchair and are strapped in, no arguments" I think the wrist straps look awful! If there's dangerous traffic about, then they hold your hand, if there isn't then it doesn't matter if they meander about a bit. If you're in a hurry, bung them in the pushchair and close your ears to the bellowing!

AitchTwoOhOhSeven · 03/01/2007 22:31

i've been worrying about this too, ever since dd has started to toddle about the house. we live on a road that is used as a rat run by lots of drivers, with parked cars and there are a lot of steps down to the pavement. i found myself awake last night, haunted by the image of her running out between the cars... i'm not usually much of a worrier but i live at the point in the road where people seem to hit the accelerator...

if i put her in reins am i really making it less likely that i'll teach her road sense?

hotandbothered · 03/01/2007 22:32

Loved our reins! Fantastic when dd tripped and nearly fell in a puddle - just swung on reins perilously close to the ground! crisis averted But agree with katelyle - if dd acted up on reins she went straight back in the buggy. Didn't care if the screams emptied the street - she WAS going in her buggy... We rarely had problems when she realised we meant it!

TwoIfBySea · 03/01/2007 22:56

I used reigns for dts, whenever I saw anyone give a disapproving look I would give the straps a little flick and go "mush."

I wouldn't have felt comfortable with the strap. But I did wrap the reigns round my wrist most times to teach dts to hold my hands when out in those situations and it worked. I only needed to use them for a few weeks.

Wordsmith · 03/01/2007 23:04

My 2.9 yr old refuses to hold my hand when we walk so if he comes out of the pushchair when we're in a traffic situation then it' the wriststrap. he's a persistent little b*er and quickly learned to 'play dead' when the reins were on. With the wriststrap, he complains but with a bit of cajoling he will wear it as he still gets a lot of freedom and thinks he is walking on his own. But as soon as he has a tantrum he's back in the buggy - evne though he's quite an escapologist and can easily undo the straps and get out.

Would love to know how some little darlings just hold mummy's hand or onto the buggy, mine simply refuses (and I'm not soft on him, believe me - but how do you force them to when they're heavily into the terrible two's?)

honeybunny · 04/01/2007 09:03

I've used neither, so far. ds1+2 are 6 and 4 so skipped it with them. Dithering over it with dd now 25mo but find talking to her is enough to get through the importance of road safety. She liked being given the job of pushimg the pram which kept her mind off running ahead when she was younger. If she had a paddy she ended up back in the pram like it or not. She got the message v quickly not to mess with the Boss!

Pitchounette · 04/01/2007 09:09

Message withdrawn

stevie74 · 04/01/2007 10:10

I bought some winnie the pooh reigns from boots for my DD1 (2.5yrs) & she loves wearing "winnie on her belly" when we go shopping & I know she is safe! Tried a wrist strap but the bracelet idea didnt wash!

Monkeytrousers · 04/01/2007 10:19

I use a harness - it hasn't hindered his development and it makes me much less stressed

Monkeytrousers · 04/01/2007 10:19

Ours are winnie the pooh too!

Monkeytrousers · 04/01/2007 10:20

LOL TwoIfBySea

mummyhill · 04/01/2007 11:13

DD is nearly 5 and will now stay close and hold the pushchair to cross roads. She wore reins till she was 3.

Paddlechick666 · 04/01/2007 11:31

sorry haven't read whole thread - am supposed to be working LOL.

my dd is 14 months and started walking a few days before 1st birthday.

I started her on reigns about a month ago. Took a while for her to get the hang of it - ie: me being behind her and out of sight.

we had an awful lot of stumbling and random directions and just stopping and dh started lifting her up and re-positioning her.

Big Mistake! She now loves to be swished back and forth and squeals! DH has been banned from this activity!

We went to the park yesterday and she was on the reigns for first time since Xmas and she's really sussed it out now.

I think at 14 months she's too small for a wrist strap and am happy with her adjusting to the reigns. Luckily tho, she's happy to go back into the buggy for the busy road walk home.

Your ds might be grateful for his buggy when he's tired himself out on his reigns too

hth

Ripeberry · 04/01/2007 14:15

My dd is now 2yrs old and when we go out near roads i still put on the reigns and hold her hand.
I don't care what other people think about a child being on reigns, its none of their business.
I also use the reigns when we go for walks in the countryside, very usefull for avoiding belly-flops in the mud!
What i find really disturbing are 5/6yr olds who are still in pushchairs as they are too lazy to walk far.
My first dd who is now almost 5yrs old was on reigns from the age of 15months until 3yrs old and now walks long distances up to 3 miles without complaining (too much)

Kelly1978 · 04/01/2007 14:22

my dts thing the sole purpose of reins is so that they can surf around a store on their tummies while I pull them. They are useless. They are 21mnths and cant be trusted to walk safely neither, so they have no choice but to sit in the buggy unless we are at a park or something. We have tantrums but at least they are safe.

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