Rein/harnesses for children

dizziblonde

I have utterly no objection to reins whatsoever - I think that you do whatever's required to get them through that period when their ability to run away gets very far ahead of their ability to think sensibly and avoid danger in one piece... be it reins, or wristbands or backpacks or whatever. I don't like the wrist links as much as I think that a quick bolt with all the force going through the wrist isn't as nice or as safe as the forces going through the torso with the traditional reins and harness or backpack combo.

mozzyc

He does look cute Ro!

I have them too, also very aware of the James Bulger case. He's safe, and looks adorable too

fluffnutter

valk_scot wrote: »

I was told it was because it looked similar to tying up an animal and that children weren't dogs.

Yeah, I guess I was being a bit disingenuous. It's fairly obvious what people's objections are. But you're not tying your kid up like a dog are you; you're keeping them from running off into the traffic.

I wonder if the people who are alarmed at reins are the same ones who think it's perfectly acceptable to wallop your kid when it runs into the road...

Personally I think they look cute

dibuzz

My kids are grown up now but I always used reins until I could trust them to do as they were told.
What really bothers me is when you have a small child walking along a busy road or in a busy shopping centre behind his/her parent who is too engrossed in their phone to keep an eye on the child :mad:
Uventually they turn round to see the child is yards back and shout at them to hurry up

Pthree

I'm not a mum, but took a friend's 3 1/2 yr old into town for the first time yesterday we were there 20 mins, I returned him home telling her I would take him nowhere again "UNLESS HE WAS ON A LEAD!!!!" (:o)

His mother is always going on about what a little s*d he is, but he is usually is normally an angel when I look after him, couldn't see why she was so stressed all the time.

After loosing him twice and then cringing with embarrassment as he pulled half a shelf of towels onto the floor in Wilkos I was could have cried.

Not going anywhere with him again until he is at least 24!

gingin_2

Pthree wrote: »

I'm not a mum, but took a friend's 3 1/2 yr old into town for the first time yesterday we were there 20 mins, I returned him home telling her I would take him nowhere again "UNLESS HE WAS ON A LEAD!!!!" (:o)

His mother is always going on about what a little s*d he is, but he is usually is normally an angel when I look after him, couldn't see why she was so stressed all the time.

After loosing him twice and then cringing with embarrassment as he pulled half a shelf of towels onto the floor in Wilkos I was could have cried.

Not going anywhere with him again until he is at least 24!

Sorry, that made me smile in a "been there, done it" kind of way!

fluffnutter

Pthree wrote: »

I'm not a mum, but took a friend's 3 1/2 yr old into town for the first time yesterday we were there 20 mins, I returned him home telling her I would take him nowhere again "UNLESS HE WAS ON A LEAD!!!!" (:o)

His mother is always going on about what a little s*d he is, but he is usually is normally an angel when I look after him, couldn't see why she was so stressed all the time.

After loosing him twice and then cringing with embarrassment as he pulled half a shelf of towels onto the floor in Wilkos I was could have cried.

Not going anywhere with him again until he is at least 24!

You had the perfect excuse... just stand there shouting 'HE'S NOT MY CHILD!'.

elisebutt65

When I was pregnant with DS2, I was on crutches due to split pelvis (SPD) and used to have to catch 3 buses to get DS1 to prep school and then on to work. Major busy roads & DS1 had just been diagnosed with ADHD. He was manic then and would just run without a care in the world. Reins weren't enough so I attached a retractable dog lead to them.

Meant he could race off and then I could reel him back in when he'd gone too far. He loved it & tbh, I didn't give a stuff what anyone else thought as it meant I could hobble along and he'd be safe, as the crutches meant I couldn't use a buggy( + he was 4 so didn't need one anyway). But he had no roadsense whatsoever and his co-ordination was completely up the spout.

Pthree

fluffnutter wrote: »

You had the perfect excuse... just stand there shouting 'HE'S NOT MY CHILD!'.

Oh I didn't have to, at one point he was screaming "gerroff you're not my mam" cue lots of concerned looks from other shoppers.

I swear kidnappers would have given his mother a ransom to take him back!!

I am also very ashamed to admit that after constantly berating his mum for bribery, I went for it full favourite Aunt styley :cool:

He is now the proud owner of a new power ranger action figure
(The terror did hold my hand all the way home though lol, and I am still having thoughts of sterilization)

P3

koalamummy

Pthree wrote: »

Oh I didn't have to, at one point he was screaming "gerroff you're not my mam" cue lots of concerned looks from other shoppers.

I swear kidnappers would have given his mother a ransom to take him back!!

I am also very ashamed to admit that after constantly berating his mum for bribery, I went for it full favourite Aunt styley :cool:

He is now the proud owner of a new power ranger action figure
(The terror did hold my hand all the way home though lol, and I am still having thoughts of sterilization)

P3

My younger son does that too when he is not getting his own way. I never understand why everybody just looks vaguely concerned but nobody ever actually approaches to check. In our case it is particularly concerning as our appearance/colouring is so radically different.