Do you let your toddler run

[LizMyles]

I have a question. Do those of you with toddlers allow them to run on hard surfaces such as decking and concrete or do you prevent this in case of falls?

Not had the experience of decking yet but concrete yes.

I'm not sure that I could have stopped mine from running without actually strapping him down.

I let my toddler mindees run, yes. You've got to let them take some risks. Only time I stop them is when we're out near traffic.

I've never stopped dd from running, unless it's dangerous like near a busy a road.

Generally yes I just let my toddlers run. There's a park near us that has a very un even path and is a fairly steep hill so I don't let them run down that because they will fall but apart from that I just let them crack on.

Wet decking, no, as that can get slippery when wet IME, but I do let them run on dry decking and concrete.

Provided it’s not near additional hazards like roads or drops.

I'm glad when she runs cos usually she walks so slowly and stops to look at things it takes ages to get anywhere! She falls sometimes but most times just picks herself back up and carries on.

Yes, stop them running near a road or in a particularly dangerous spot but don't stop them running completely!

Toddlers will fall, they will hurt themselves. If it's your pfb then no doubt your heart is in your mouth when they are likely to fall, but this is part of life. If not ever on hard surfaces then where, only on grass? Like a horse?

Ok thanks for your replies. And if your child fell and hurt themselves on their face, say their lip and it looked like it may scar, would you then prevent them running on hard surfaces?

Em, how exactly do you stop them from running?

I live in a house full of tiles etc, my DD runs around. we can’t wrap them up in cotton wool

If they had an existing facial scar would I stop them from running on hard surfaces?

Or would I stop them from running on hard surfaces to prevent the possible risk of facial scarring? That's just...quite a leap of thinking. Are you generally very anxious?

no i wouldnt stop them from running. Children do fall, but they only learn to be sure footed by practice.

I’m asking because my OH has anxiety and phobias over our child hurting himself. He has a scar from a fall when he was 10 months old. Last week he fell and busted his lip and it looks like it may have scared slightly.. in my opinion the scar won’t last into adulthood. My OH now doesn’t want our son running on any hard surfaces. I just wanted other parents opinions in a non bias view.

Scarred**

I used to let my toddlers run.
We lived in a tiled floor house, near a beach and near a walking/ bike track, they ran.
If they fell, they picked themselves up and carried on running, either further away or back to me for a quick cwtch and back to running.
Hardy little tackers they are.

" My OH now doesn’t want our son running on any hard surfaces. "

what does he propose you do to prevent him from running ?

My toddler doesnt have a "walk" button

How old is the toddler?

My toddler falls over multiple times a day. I don’t think you should stop your child running because he’s previously hurt himself or because of your oh’s childhood experience. Everything carries risk and there is also a risk from not allowing your child to do anything.

I have read previously though that if a cut to the lip is across the lip line (between the skin on the face and the lip) that it ought be seen by a medical professional because it can be particularly prone to scarring badly.

How do they learn to keep safe if they aren’t allowed to run?

Tell him to ‘Be careful and go slowly’

Of course. They have to learn.

He’s 27 months old.

And does a toddler understand “be careful”?

Yes. We spend most of our time outside and it would be pretty difficult to stop them running even if I wanted to.
DD1 did fracture her leg at 19 months old (on laminate floor indoors) but that wouldn’t stop me letting them run. Toddlers need to be active.