Day out today and DS kept running off !!

[genieinabottle]

So really fed up with this. DS is getting worse as he gets older, he is 4 (mild asd), and he has developed a liking for legging it at every opportunity when we are out.

This afternoon, we went to a neighbouring town for a bit of sight-seing, DS was ok outside to start with, then we went to the shopping centre he was being a right pain, refusing to hold hands, kept running wildy and laying on the floor under the clothes racks, at one point he disappeared, and after a few minutes of calling him (to which he never answers!!) i managed to find him sitting down on the stairs between the 2 floors. I think he goes totally bananas on sensory overload, and becomes hyper and challenging.

So we decided to come home, back to the car park, whislt DH was paying and i was looking for more change in my bag, i took my eyes of DS for 20 seconds...that was enough for him to leg it again (and boy does he runs fast!). We couldn't find him anywhere and were starting to seriously panic. Eventually we found him at the other side of car park pressing the buttons on a vending machine.

DH and i had a big row!!
We need to find a way to keep DS near us at all times ...DS is too big for a buggy and i highly doubt he will agree to sit in one anyway.
Anyone knows where i could buy a wrist child-parent strap that he couldn't undo? (DH feels awkward with the idea of a harness)
Thanks.

is this my son you are talking about, well we got a maj mac buggy last year, and i have to take it everywhere with me now, because it was ruining ever day going out without it, i tried to give him independance and dont want him tto be in a buggy at his age (4 next week) but for his owen safety and my sanity, when he starts getting hyper when we are out i put him in it, and try to say (ds lang delay so pro dont uderstnd what i say but i think he does) that he needs 10 mins in buggy to calm down, when i let him out its starting all over again, i too am sick of losing him.

Have you tried creling harness, ds liked it at first but then managed t get out of it. the one we had just oes around the waist not the arms. I know you might not want him in a buggy but it might be safest for him, you could ask paed to refer to get major maclaren.

I just use the wrist strap, but usually when i say to my ds if he doesnt the strap is going on, i always keep it in my pocket and he knows it so, he will then hold hands give it go

I meant if he doesnt hold hands....

My DS is exactly the same especially in crowded shopping areas. We tend to avoid these however when this is not practical, I find putting a baseball cap on him helps block out the strip lights and seems to help. Also, I take a bag of crisps as it takes him ages to eat. If all else fails, I stick him in a shopping trolley with a copy of a Thomas magazine. Hope some of this helps!

Hi,
Sorry you are having a hard time, I have a dd (2.7) who does not like to hold hands and for a long while I did not dare take a walk with here alone, it always ended in tantrums...

I have purchased something that might be helpful for your dc. It is a backpack that has a cord attached to it. The one my dd has is a monkey, very cute. I have seen other child using it, especially in shopping center.

I have purchased it at Wal-Mart. I know there is a big debate in the NT community about the use of a restreint system, but I have chosen to use it regardless of the opinion of certain close-minded person. When they are in our shoes then they can talk...

Good luck!