mummy and toddlers wrist bands

[mummy2aisha]

I have one of those wrists bands that goes around my wrist and around my daughter so she cant run off. My daughter is 22 months so it great because she can walk anywhere which she couldnt if she wasnt wearing it. I am wondering what do people think of them because I had 2 people say she looks like a dog and a other thinks its cruel and others what to know were to buy them.

I think reins are better because there have been reports about wrist dislocations with those wrist-straps.

I don't care if anyone thinks I treated my DS like a dog - I cared far more that I kept him safe from suddenly darting off into the traffic. He holds my hand 95% of the time now - he doesn't need reins at all and hasn't for some time - but I still have them in my bag just in case he plays up in a dangerous situation, as he did last summer when walking alongside the Thames, for e.g.; and when he was mucking around in the airport a few weeks ago - I didn't want him legging it onto the plane ahead of me, taking advantage of my hands being full with other luggage, and getting lost finding his own choice of seat again.

And another thing - my Mum was on the Under 5s Safety committee of her local Council and she always used to say to people "so you care more about the safety of your dog than your child" when they made the comparison with dogs on leads. Usually shut them up.

I don't understand the debate over wrist bands, reins, Little Lites (backpack with lead). I have a Little Life bag but keep wrist straps in my handbag just in case I forget. If my toddler wants to jump out of the pram and walk I put the bag or wrist reins on him even if he's being taught to hold onto the pram, and even if he knows to wait for the beeps. It's isn't cruel. It's being responsible and keeping them safe. Yes, the Little Lite is basically a rucksack with a lead on it like a dog's, but dog leads are used to keep your safe from cars, which is why I put the rucksack on DS. I've never had negative comments, but the rucksacks are quite commonplace in my city. I'm usually asked where I bought it.

Little LIFE, not Little Lite. My mum thinks it's called a Little Lite. Highly recommend them.

thumbwitch thats a brillant line Ill remember that "so you care more about the safety of your dog than your child"

here is some info about different types of toddler "restraints" - I don't like that word but it's the one they use!

Yes, Mum had a pithy turn of phrase over stuff that she was involved in!

Actually I found the reins were fabulous because they not only kept DS safe by me, they saved him from many a fall on his nose and saved my back from being wrecked by trying to hold his hand (he was walking at 10.5mo)

Ime the children of the parents who were most vociferous against reins seemed to spend a suspiciously long time in their buggies... As if that were kinder or more likely to foster independence.

I saw a mum in my town running around in a state because she'd lost her little boy. Luckily, he was found safely. Then I saw her again about a week later, running around upset because her little boy had wandered off in the town again. I think that reins and the backpacks with reins are a really good idea. Never tried the wrist straps before so not sure about them. I'd rather my DS resembled a dog on a lead, rather than getting run over or lost.

Speaking of wrist straps being compared to dog leads, my 22 month old looked like a puppy on a lead for the first time when I put the wrist strap on her for the first time, she bucked and sat down and refused to move and tried to pull it off and cried and yelled.........not fun! But she also won't hold my hand or pulls away from me after 2 mins, so I have to be very careful where I let her out of the buggy, how do I get her used to the wrist strap???

swap it for full harness with reins instead - then she will have both hands free but you will still have control of her. Ditto the backpack, which has the added advantage of being able to put stuff in it (just little things, of course!) and being a soft cuddly toy as well.

The other advantage of reins and harness is that if your child does just sit down and refuse to move, you can pick them up and carry them - I have done this with DS before. Just lift their legs clear of the floor and there's nothing they can do - DS just used to give in and start walking again (but I realise there are more stubborn children out there who wouldn't do that!)