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I would use this app perhaps with an older child who might be inclined to answer when you call his name. A toddler could be out of site/reach by the time a phone rings.

I had one for my daughter, it wore like a backpack and had Elmo on it. I did get some dirty looks.

I felt like this: glare at me if you will, but you're not the one with a kid who likes to run in the street and get herself killed!

We used a harness one ('reins') for my oldest when he was small (about 1 1/2-3 yo). We started when he would run off unpredictably. We were in the UK at the time, and many people there used them so we didn't have to deal with the dirty looks until we got back to the US. In fact, at the time we were there it was a sign of BETTER parenting that you were taking that kind of precaution with your child.

DS very readily accepted it, we 'sold' it as him being a 'big boy' walking with dad (or mum). We kept the reins on the doorknob and when he wanted to go for a walk he would grab them off the door knob and hand them to us to put them on.

Fuck those assholes who give you weird looks. I'd much rather have people looking at me disdainfully than have my kid splattered all over the middle of the street.

I never used one but as long as you're not dragging him around and interacting with him, I don't see a problem

The problem I have is when parents use it as another way to ignore their kids.

DD was a runner. I used squeaky shoes like these:

http://www.hidensqueak.com/category_12/Boys-SQUEAKY-Shoes.htm

Yeah, they could get annoying but when you're in a crowded place, everyone know where the kid went.

I also had jingle anklets like these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-NIckle-Silver-Jingle-Anklet-Ankle-Bracelet-9-25-x-10-25-/111148130720

Not as loud, but still gave me an idea of what direction she was headed.

I used traditional baby carriers like slings and wraps...those can be comfortably used as long as you're strong enough to carry their weight. I would wear then-4yo DS while I was 8mos pregnant and we went hiking. By the time DD got to the running stage, she wanted her freedom but sometimes it wasn't safe so I just strapped her on my back.

You can get info at www.thebabywearer.com

I have used the slings as a leash in crowded places when the kids wanted to explore.

Just throwing other ideas out to help make you feel more secure about your little runner.

Thanks for all the responses everyone... I guess I'm guilty of being a little bit judgmental about "leash kids" in the past - I sure am eating my words now!

I think I'll probably end up getting both the wrist strap and the backpack and seeing which one works better with DS.

Thanks again for all your input!

Oh honey, get a wrist strap or backpack harness! :-) no one would say that you are a bad parent for wanting to keep your kid safe!! :-) :-)

Have a great vacation!

My Mom used to tell about when my oldest sister was a toddler and she was a runner. They put her in a harness and actually "tied" her up in the snack area of the theater and let the ushers watch her when they went to the movies. Of course this was in the early 1940s.

That would not fly today.

I think they are a wonderful device. It allows you to keep track of the child and keep them from harm. I never had to worry about my boys because I made sure they were either in the stroller, a cart, or a wagon. No wandering about for them! I was a pretty paranoid Mama.

NL

Beemer, I used to be judgy about leashed kids as well and distinctly remember being so smug in my ridicule - my DS was school aged at the time, so I was a parent and felt like I had it pretty figured out. Then I met my current DH and his then-3 year old daughter who could be docilely walking along holding an adult's hand one minute, then leaping off a curb, or a boat dock, or an embankment, or into a crowd the next minute! I couldn't believe how fast and seemingly random the impulsive jump or run would happen! DH had two or three hair raising stories of jumping into water to get her, and they taught her to swim as a younger toddler just because of this. So when her Mom sent along a backpack leash one weekend it was such a stress reliever and the perfect safety net. That tether was the difference between safety and harm or even death! Fuck anyone (including my formerly smug self) that thought this was somehow inhibiting her childhood freedom to fall headfirst into water or a drainage ditch or something. I have completely eaten my earlier ridicule on the subject.

I think you should definitely do it, and find one that's cute like the teddy or backpack so it'll be fun for him as well.

circe.....never too late to change your thought pattern. Unless you've had a child, especially one who "bolts" you cannot understand the level of safety a tether or harness offers.

I loved the harness for the youngest years...and the tether once they were older. With a tether alone, they can still stretch far enough for them to get into traffic. The tether I used specifically when out somewhere crowded, where I could loose sight of them if they wandered (but they were old enough to know not to walk into the road). Also good for making sure nobody grabbed them away from me (not that this happens much...but!!!). It was fantastic at DisneyWorld.

I used one for Teslet when he was 2 - 3 years old at places like the zoo, airport, or places I was unfamiliar with. He liked it. I felt more at ease in those places. Screw what other people think.

I used the harness for when I had one in the car seat and one barely walking cause it is sooo hard to bend down to hold a little hand and carry a car seat while worrying about the little walker wiggling free. I always held their hands if possible even when they were harnessed because I was trying to "train" them to hold my hand, stay close, etc, looking back now, I see they trained me way better than I them

Yes, I had many people give derogatory comments about the harness/leash, but I did not care, they were not responsible for my childs safety, I was.

BTW, speaking about the "old days" my MIL used to leash my H to the clothes line when he was little so she could get house work done while he was "playing outside".

Grace

Remembering how I used to hide under the clothing racks in stores (among many other things that reduced my mother to tears), every time I see someone with a kid leash, I want to put my hand up in the air and give 'em a high five. They're awesome! For every dirty look, I bet there are 10 more people silently cheering.

[This message edited by carnelian at 7:25 PM, August 21st (Wednesday)]

Just yesterday in our area a young child ran out of a grocery store and into the path of a car in the parking lot and was killed!!

So I'd say YES, use a strap or harness or whatever you need to keep your child safe!

Rollercoaster, that is awful.

I had the backpack harnesses for my kids. I loved them. I got one comment " you're walking your children like a dog!" My response was that I was willing to do this so I wouldn't see my kids picture on the side of the milk carton. Shut her right up. About a week later she approached me again, this time she wanted to know where to get one. Apparently her grandson ran onto a very busy street , and mama was lamenting that she needed one and couldn't find it.

Safety first, hugs

K

Yes it was really sad. It was a young female driver who hit the 3 year old child and she (the driver) was hysterical. There was nothing she could have done and she's not being held responsible. Just tragic.

Oh that's awful

My almost 3 year old got a chair, slid it over to the door that was latched up high so that he couldn't reach, and unlatched it while I was getting ready for work once. We lived on a very busy street and he wandered right out. A woman brought him into me screaming at me to watch my kid. I was in the next room putting on make up with the door open and he was watching cartoons in the living room.

I was horrified and I will never ever forget how awful and frightened and ashamed I was. I never thought he would do that and I still carry guilt and "What could have happened" to this day.

Consequently I am an absolute nightmare about locks/gates and safety in my home, which I suppose isn't a bad thing.

Something horrible can happen so quickly and it would change your life.

The same people judging you for a harness would have no problem screaming at you that you were negligent if something bad happened. So do what YOU think is safe and pay them no mind.

I think it's one of those things that I had a stronger opionion about before I became a parent. You know, one of those know it alls that are just going to be the world's most perfect parent because they're NEVER going to do X, Y, or Z. I confess that was me!

Since I became a parent, and reality has set in... well I've done a lot that I said I wouldn't.

I digress. Having a rambunctious toddler now - I'm for sure going to use one of those animal backpacks on my next trip. Better be safe than sorry.