Conventional reins v Little Life backpacks

[PinkPussyCat]

If you've used both, which do you prefer? I was looking at the LL backpacks online and they instantly got my back up with the phrase
"Do you like the idea behind reins but hate the fact that most are frankly demeaning to both parent and child?" Look no further blah blah etc
Er, no, I actually don't consider a product which might keep my child from under the wheels of a lorry demeaning. So their marketing alone has put me off and I'm wondering if ordinary reins are the way to go... Surely ds is too young for a Manbag anyway?

Never mind the marketing spiel - the main advantage of the backpacks is that you can stuff two nappies, spare trousers and a beaker in it and carry a normal-sized handbag yourself for the first time in two years...

Hey now I never thought of that MrsB...!

we love the backpacks! my son would not wear reins or hold our hands (and i'm talking, at 1 year old!) but he loved putting on his backpack, and went to get it when he wanted to go out. he also uses it as a hiding place for his fave things, and he loves the control aspect of packing it himself (although i normally add in mini wipes and a snack)

I do like the backpack, and making DS carry his own stuff is great, but as I don't use the rein bit all the time, and carry him part of the time too, the bag can be a pain. So I have normal reins too (which he loves wearing as he can be a horse - actually asks to wear them in the house) which stuff easily in my pocket when not in use.

I don't feel the LL is quite as secure in actual hanging onto them moments either (like over the seal pool at the zoo) as I can't get such a good fit as with the reins which adjust at 4 points

Ah this is what I was wondering about with the backpacks - the secure-ness bit. Lol at the seal pool - I trust all was well in the end?

it depends how tall you are, i think. i loathed reins becasue you had to bend over and hold onto them. whereas the backpack think you slip over your arm and forget about, until they try to leg it and then you remember you've got it on. you should be holding their hand anyway, really, and again the backpack is better for that.

we carry crayons and a drawing pad ad some dinosaurs in ours, btw. no issues with the secutiry aspect either, but that may depend on age of child. dd's had the backpack since about a year and a half.

My DS1 wouldn't move his legs once I put his backpack on. He refuses to move. Am going to get DTs used to reins or backpacks before they can walk...

Dh + I are both tall (and have dodgy backs as a result) so the backpack might be better then...

in that case, backpack your only option imo.

Ta Aitch.

JL reins must be long then - DH is 6'3" and I'm 5'10" and no bending for either of us with them. Have been tempted to attach a horse leading rein to the backpack though.

Yes - no loss of small child into the seals (much to his dismay). He's just so transfixed by trying to be close to them its hard to keep hold, so reins etc are a real boon. I also find them invaluble when in car parks and trying to get our stuff together - he wants to be off and swimming/whatever, and although he knows very well that he should be waiting, just can't

maybe they are... i'm trying to remember the brand i got. had a mothercare set and another one, something like kiddicare but not that. anyway, length of lead is something to look out for, deffo.

lol or maybe your baby is also preternaturally tall, cmot..?

Those are dh + my respective heights too cmot!

Are you me?

If you are, can you do the dishwasher please ? And fix the printer

Do you have the thing where you mentally adjust everyones heights to your normality ? I described a bloke (6') as short recently, cos to me he is

Oh, and yes, he is on 95th percentile for height or somesuch.

I went to the picnic in Birmingham with Tinkerbellesmum yesterday, and we admired our toddlers scarfing down food, and discussed the merits of Wagamama for noodle hurling BLW. There were two gorgeous 6 month olds just starting to feed themselves. We were normal!

Done it already!

Yes you do get caught up in your own parameters.... my poor wee mum can't see in our bathroom mirror bless her... she's the only titchy one in the family

Oh yes huge ds here too...

We don't have Wagamama up here

oh you do need a wagamama...

sounds like fun, cmot. we're trying to make the forum look fancy right now, it was all a bit more panicked than we'd hoped when it came to changing it.

there's a photos/no photos debate at the moment... please join in (especially if you favour no photos )

When we moved, it was a matter of great lamentation that there was no Wagamama within an hours drive - nearly a deal breaker in fact. We have just discovered a fab noodle place in Cheltenham who are serene to toddlers intent on eating their own body weight in noodles, and just keep divvying up the prawn toast on demand. Sometimes I regret the approach DS has regarding all food is his...

Haven't been on the forum in a while - the whole weaning thing sometimes seems very distant - especially since DS now has full control of knife,fork,spoon and chopsticks and wishes to cook his own meals.

Do you mean photos in posts ?

i do indeed...

Will you have tickers?

fuck no. it's just that we changed the software and thougth we'd switched all that stuff off, but it turns out we had left the photos bit on. [eejit]