Aaron is now 20 months old and walking full time. However, he does not like to hold my hand or stay close to me. He is fearless to the point where he will wander off, away from view.
Next month, we make our semi-regular pilgrimage to Texas. We can’t get a non-stop to San Antonio from Harrisburg, so I’ve got to schlep Aaron through Cincinnati on the way there and Atlanta on the way home. I still need the stroller, because it can be quite a long walk. I am considering the harness and leash so he can walk around while we wait and not feel so cooped up in his stroller.
I am looking for people who have used these for some suggestions. (Also, anyone with suggestions on how to get Aaron to hold my hand are welcome, too!)
sorry, i have never used one of these (and I know you asked for them people)…but
I can’t see how it would hurt to have one just in case. I am lucky, my son is one who has no qualms holding my hand (no, he is not a mama’s boy) and who stays still when he is instructed to.
Of course, he is typical; he runs around in the store when we go, but never farther than a few feet. I’m the one who gets paranoid and watches him. The minute he turns a corner I am after him (not necessarily scolding him, but keeping him in sight).
IANAParent, but I have seen people using those toddler “leashes” here in Vegas. I think they seem like a pretty good idea. It lets the kid feel like they are “independant” as far as walking along with mom/dad, yet still under parental control (aka, no wandering off).
I just got one myself, though I haven’t used it yet.
My daughter is 19 months old and we recently flew from SF to the east coast for an extended stay. The airport was a bit of a nightmare - Liddle Twiddle wanted to explore and wander around, and generally ran away from me constantly. I found myself wishing for a leash.
I’ve polled my friends who have older children and they all recommended a leash highly. They might not be for every day use, but for certain circumstances - especially those involving crowds, like airports or amusement parks it is a must-have.
I’ll post again after I’ve used it during my return journey in mid-April, to say how it went.
IANAP, but I believe it would be a good idea. And to counter those who might give you nasty looks, get Aaron a T-shirt that says, “I’m too precious to lose.”
That’s not my idea. Someone wrote that in to Dear Abby eons ago. It’s interesting what tidbits your mind hangs on to.
My parents had my sister on a harness when she was little. She HATED her stroller, but loved the harness, because she could walk around. They had to use the torso harness, because she could get out of the wrist one in 2 seconds flat. My family traveled all over the world when we were little, and my mom would tell anyone the harness was a lifesaver.
Or one that says " You’d rather I ran off and got kidnapped?"
IMO they look silly, but silly is far better than an unaccompanied toddler wandering around, which I’ve seen far too often. One kept tying to get out of a book store I was in, and nice people kept blocking his escape. What if they didn’t? He could get the door open…
I will be watching this thread with great interest. I, too, have a fearless little one (age 27 months), and despite scoldings and “time-outs” in a buggy/stroller/playpen, he will make an immediate beeline to any busy street he can see. He has no fear of Momma being out of his sight and no sense of danger. I have often wished for the toddler harness leash.
I second Obsidian’s recommendation for the torso harness vs. the wrist type. It’s not only much more secure, it’s also less restrictive in many ways, since you can’t end up yanking the child’s arm by mistake. I used the harness one on both my toddlers, although the second one needed it far more (and if they’d made one that went up to size 6X, I’d have used it that long). I don’t know that I’d have been able to enjoy one minute of any vacation without the thing, since we took the kids to Chicago, LA, and San Francisco and we used public transit everywhere.
The best thing we did to get each child on board for the harness and leash idea, btw, was to fashion one for her favorite teddy bear. This also had the happy effect of making it much less likely she’d leave her essential toy on an airplane or the El.
We have the torso harness/leash thing. Ours has elmo on it and is bright red.
It isn’t something I use all the time but I am thankful for it! The harness fits in the diaper bag easily when not in use and like others have said - people want to complain to you that’s their problem! I’m not losing my kids!
Kids that age are quick and stealthy and easy to lose track of in a crowded place with just the smallest distractions. They also want some independance at the worst times. And now with the baby to keep track of sometimes I just don’t have enough eyes or hands. This helps.
I don’t have kids of my own, but keep my sister’s kids when I can. I think I’m more paranoid about losing them simply because they’re not mine. So, I’m on top of them ALL the time, but would absolutly LOVE the harness as well.
My sister is VERY anti-harness. Her reasoning is that the adult will get somehow complacent, and they are easy to get out of (this is the 1st time I’d heard of the torso harness–thumbs up).
I argued that
if the kid got (was taken) out the harness, theadult would feel the slack immediatly,
and 2) I wouldn’t by any means ignore the kid simply because I was using a safety device.
I’ve thought about using one while she’s not around, but her kids would squeal.
On a side note: When I was 5 yrs old my family and I went to Chicago to visit my grandparents (who were virtual strangers to me). I got separated from my Grandmother somewhere in a crowd of people–not because I had run off. I was taking in the sites, turned around and saw about 20 sets of thighs–with no idea which pair to follow. My Grandmother found me within probably 15 seconds, but it was terrifying all the same. In fact, it’s the #1 memory I have of the entire week.
I’d say use the harness for everyone’s sake. Sorry for rambling. ~S
We used them when our kids were 2 and 3 at DisneyWorld.
Got a few, but not many dirty looks. Usually the dirty looks would stop when my husband handed me the SECOND harness so he could grab lunch or something. More often I got “Where did you get that!” (Target). But the dirty looks are nothing to worry about, a lost child is (been there, too. Longest 45 minutes of my life).
Used the harness kind. The kids loved them. Played doggie. There are other ones out there, including ones that have little fanny packs. I kind of figure any kid old enough for his own fanny pack is old enough to stay by mom, but what do I know. The fanny pack might be OK if Aaron uses zippers himself and wants to carry his own fruit snacks.
We didn’t need them for the whole trip, a few days into it they’d figured out that they needed to stay close.
Wrist loops are doubly dangerous: they can come off more easily, defeating the purpose of having them;
when they don’t come off, they can potentially wrench the kid’s arm pretty badly. (I have not heard of a dislocated shoulder, but I have heard of torn muscles.)
She’s just jealous she had not thought to use one when you were a toddler. I think a harness is a lot more dignified than confining a kid to a stroller for long periods.
My parents bought the harness after my sister wiggled out of her stroller and climbed out while in a crowded street in Copenhagen. Losing your child in a country where you don’t speak the language was not an experience she wished to repeat.
I used the wrist leash with Blake when he was about 18 months through 3 years old while traveling from Denver to Chicago. If anyone has a problem with it, who cares? You are just trying to keep Aaron safe, which is most important!
I’m not a parent (maybe I shouldn’t respond then) but, I keep my dogs on a leash, not for the safety of others, but for their safety. If I was somewhere where my kid could wander off a few feet, and disappear in a crowd, I would have a lease on them for sure, and I wouldn’t care what anyone thought.