Reins - yay or nay?

[ApplesTheHare]

Do/did reins help you?

DD is 12 months and a full on bolter. She can walk, run and climb stairs, but is too small to hold our hands or learn road safety. Would reins help?

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MNHQ

Yes. I don't understand why you wouldn't.

As tall parents we relied on reins for DD because we couldn't hold her hand comfortably without bending down. Also, little hands can wriggle free when you least want them to, and you would hurt them by holding on too tightly.

We use them as a last resort when safety concerns override concerns about being judged. EG like when walking round the harbor on holiday.

We only paid a fiver for ours and they were great for those early toddling months. We only used them from walking until DD was about 23 months as she decided she hated them but by then she was more controllable and able to hold hands so didn't really need them.

I would always say, if you need them, use them. Sod what anyone else says, if it keeps your child safe it's worth it. Mine weren't bolters, so I never used them, but I definitely would have if they had been.

Yes. Definitely yes.

I got ours in Poundland. Well worth the £1

You have to do what is best for you and your family. We used them, but only for certain circumstances. I had three quite close together and in situations where I knew I would need my hands for other things, or be quite stressed, for example in airports, I would use the reins for peace of mind rather than anything else. For everyday, we left the reins and just reinforced the whole hand holding thing. If you are consistent, your children will adapt to whichever method you chose.

My DS hated the conventional reigns so we got him one of those rucksacks. It's really useful although the I do recommend weighing it down with some wipes but he uses it all the time with no complaints :)
Try what's best for you

In use ours all the time. dd is 2 this month but I expect we will be using them for a while. She is very fast and doesn't like holding hands and will happily walk on reins. I don't care what anyone thinks to be honest

Yes - at least try them.

Yes. I don't understand why anyone would judge. I used them with both my DC, it kept them safe and kept me sane!

If I try to hold my 18 month old's hand he will try to wriggle free and I normally end up with him on the floor crying. If he has his reins on he's quite happy to toddle along next to me!

Reins are great. Ds liked to walk, I didn't take a pushchair, and reins meant he was under control when I was paying in a shop, and that he didn't have to have his hand held tightly all the time

I didn't know people did judge reins to be honest!

I couldn't give a shiny shite if people want to judge my toddler having a backpack with a lead attached. He doesn't understand roads and thinks it's ok to run off occasionally. Lease on a rein he isn't dead, which is my main objective.

Oo Lexie I'm glad you said that, I was at anyone judging?
I had reins as a child, and I'd happily give DD (not yet walking) reins, in fact I love the little life bags so much I'm hoping she's a bolter thinking about getting one!
Out of interest what is the judgy side to reins? Saying you haven't taught them to walk 'to heel'?!

Where I live reins are tutted at because people think you're treating your child like a dog. They think it's lazy parenting and is some sort of infringement on the child's human rights. I think they're bonkers but I'm not strong enough deal with the looks unless I really have to.

From what I have read the judgey pants issue is that it is like treating them like a dog.. However I consider them a great teaching tool for little ones. Esp the runners...Mine was a runner.. I didn't care if he liked them or not it was reigns or pushchair.

Can I also add from a safety aspect they are really useful if they drop your instinct is to pull then up.. They are been pulled up by the whole torso rather than one arm.

If you are concerned about peoples opinions ( though no reason to be..) try the backpack ones

I had to order reins from the UK as I couldn't find any here.

Anyone who is surprised that people judge reins can't have been on MN long - the judging about reins crops up repeatedly.

yes - for the bolters!

I used them with ds when dd was a baby. He didn't want to/couldn't walk too far and the double buggy wasn't always an option. I used to strap the reins to dd's pram so I knew he was safe and I had both hands free to steer.
I never even have it a thought as to what others might think of it; my child's safety was my only concern.

oh yes, btw, justsoyouknow, on MN it's cruel to put a child in reins

"when safety concerns override concerns about being judged."

Only people who are incredibly stupid would judge

There used to be a poster on here who lost a child because it bolted off and ended up under a car.

I had bolter dts and reins made me feel so much better. I would rather have a child walking on reins than strapped in a pushchair. You could always hold hands but have the loop the around your wrist as a back up?

They got a lot of stares in France, though - 'le petit chein' was heard more than once!

I've been on here three years and haven't seen a judges thread on reins where the hell have I been!!!?

I loved the reins DS had. We went through two sets! Little blue leather ones with Winnie The Pooh on them - they were so sweet, and it meant DS wasn't flattened by a bus when he tried to bolt into the heavy traffic around here.