Reining in my child ? To do or not to do ?

Spendless

I find people just moan about kids full stop! (LOL)

jellyhead

true, you just can't win, whatever you do you're criticised. if the child's in a buggy you're told they're lazy and need to walk (this frequently happens to parents with big babies who are assumed to be older than they are). if they are walking and aren't glued to your side they're in danger of being kidnapped and it's your fault, if they don't want to hold your hand and you try to make them do it you're being violent, if you use sweets to bribe them into staying with you and behaving you're rotting their teeth and making them obese/diabetic, if they're on reins well i'm not quite sure what people have against that, really the only answer is to make sure your child is mature and sensible enough to hold your hand without protest - but if they don't then what are you supposed to do - give them back? these are children too young to be reasoned with, some have glue ear and don't hear traffic or warnings from mum, some are just 'a challenge' - of all the solutions for a child who won't hold your hand i think reins are the nicest.

Jay-Jay_4

Well said jellyhead!

I really think it depends on the child and the parent. I used to take my eldest out to the Trafford Centre in a pushchair when she was 4 years old as it's 'miles' to walk up and down there. I don't give a stuff if anyone objected to a 4 year old in a pushchair...to be honest...I needed a pushchair myself after 7 circuits of shops .

I took my youngest to school this afternoon with her reins on and 'YES' if she was falling over I 'caught' her with the reins so she was 'swinging' a bit but it's better than letting her fall over and get grazed hands and knees.

I'd rather have my child on reins or in a pushchair than running riot or getting lost.

Murphy_The_Cat

advice, advice, advice. Thanks a lot folks.

the concensus seems to be buy reins.
use them if you need to
if you do need to you'll be grateful you've got them
if you can manage with your tot holding your hand, you're lucky
better safe than sorry
and enjoy every moment of bringing him up

once again, thanks for your help / advice

MTC

jellyhead

oh i forgot, if a child falls over and is left dangling near the floor the reins are preventing their hands from getting covered in the dog muck on the floor. or is that only in my area? lol!

Glad

there's only 15 mnths between my 2, to begin with I had baby in back pack and toddler in buggy, then when he got too heavy he went in buggy and she walked, I used a wrist strap all the times though, so she could never run off.


Yesterday I was in queue at tesco and noticed a lady with a baby in buggy and twin girls who looked between 2 1/2 and 3 yrs, the twins were running off inbetween the tills and she was leaving the babby in the queue while she retrieved them, after reading this earlier I did wonder what she would do if they split up and ran off, who she would look after, we were quite near the door, she could've been chasing one through shop while one ran out of door and baby left by itself.
Later as I got back to car I noticed her walking across the large carpark one twin each side holding onto the buggy, she needed to stop at each minor rd to let traffic pass, if one of those girls let go and darted forward there is no way she could have grabbed them before they were in the road.

So really it doesn't matter what looks or remarks you get if your child is on reins/wrist strap, or if you decide they are better off in a buggy that day, your child is the most important thing and prevention is better than cure.

kazbabe

i have two children 5 and 6 and i used reins on both of them. at least its easier to move them away from something.lift the reins and their feet are off the ground.i dont like the ones that go on their hands, i feel then they are like a dog.
i wouldnt of been without the two sets of reins i had they were brilliant and dont do the children harm.
i used to have fun carrying them across the road with them, they were laughing all the time.

silverbirch_3

Laughing as i read this thread, it reminds me of when my eldest son and daughter were 1 and 3 and my stepson 2 and we had to go to a very busy furniture shop. We attached a wrist strap to each of them but unfortunately the straps were elasticated and the kids just went wild in the shop, they all ran in opposite directions with me in the middle hanging on to the straps, i couldn't let go else they would have gone flying, I ended up wrapped up like a maypole and couldn't move me legs as by this time they were tied together and 2 other shoppers ended up on the floor tied to me, lol, needless to say the straps weren't used again. But then again, the kids weren't taken to a furniture shop again until they were much older, they got dropped off at nanny's on the way instead.

I did find reins very helpful when you also have a child in a pushchair as you need both hands to push and when your by a busy road you can't take a chance on them remembering to hold on if they see something they want to investigate.

magoogy

i couldnt have survived without my twins having reigns on - then, as they got a bit older i used the wrist bands......you try chasing after two little uns - each going in different directions - no, it was definitely safer with these......

hilstep2000

Yes, Yes and Yes!!! My children are now 18 and 14, but I always used reins, in the high chair and buggy, so they were used to wearing them.
My son is the age Jamie Bulger would have been if he'd been on reins, after that incident the sale of reins shot up, then they lost appeal again, but I for one would never want to take a tiny child out without them.