How do you keep your toddler from running away in the shops?

[Gigi]

i hated the idea of harnesses, UNTIL i had a toddler who was running off in public, esp car parks. Then i changed my mind VERY quickly.

we had a monkey harness that lived in mummy's car and a koala harness that lived in daddy's car, so no matter where we went, there would be a harness. My child liked them so much, she was excited to put on her "pak pak" as she called them. It was like putting on a plush toy on her back.

i had the harness on her, would gather up the long bit, put the loop thru my wrist, and we would walk hand in hand. So she was not being "pulled" on the leash, cos we walked together. And then on the times she really did want to run off, i had notice it was happening. i have RSI, so her running, pulling on the full length - no way i could physically cope with that.

So i mitigated the leash (to myself), by making sure i didn't yank it, or have it out "long", most of the time. if it awas out long, that meant i needed to drop whatever i was doing, and manage her behaviour. i have no idea how to manage with more than one child, i have one child, so my only experience is using the leash with one child.

developmentally, we used the leash until she could understand and go along with the "we don't run off" stuff. we stopped using the leash when she no longer needed it. it was only a short time in the scheme of things (say, a year) but if made going out in public so much safer.

i don't like seat belts either, but they save lives, so we wear them. For the greater good etc etc.

[cheekyfrog]

Hahaha, Mum2Romone, you crack me up! Chokerchain

Today, if you'd been at Target in Queanbeyan you may have seen a mummy with a little boy who was staging a "sit in" in the dvd aisle while the overhead announcements were coming about the shop closing in 10 minutes, in 5 minutes, closed. The mummy tried calmly telling him it was time to go, bribing him, ordering him, walking off without him and nothing worked. She tried taking him by the hand and gave up when it meant she would have had to drag him along the ground. Then the mummy decided to abandon the things she wanted to buy on the floor and carry the screaming crying child out of the shop... It was at this point that a staff member took pity and asked if the mummy needed help and then picked up the items off the floor and carried them to the checkout, followed by the embarrassed upset mummy with the wailing, crying boy on her hip.

I wish it had been another mummy but it was me.

I will be trying the panda harness next time we're out and that doesn't work, then I just won't be shopping with him ever, ever, ever again. Well, that's how I'm feeling at the moment!

[~Lashes~]

I will be trying the panda harness next time we're out and that doesn't work, then I just won't be shopping with him ever, ever, ever again. Well, that's how I'm feeling at the moment!

this is my exact thoughts after my last trip out with all 4! i vowed to only be takeing the girls out and leaveing the boys at home!

im sure anyone watching would be more than sympathetic.

[Marlene]

If I am out shopping on my own with the baby and toddler I have a harness on the toddler. It is a little blue backpack that is actually big enough to hold his drink or favourite "toy of the day". He loves it and actually asks to wear it. He puts it on and sings the backpack song from Dora and tells everyone it's his Diego Rescue pack, lol.
I couldn't care less what anyone thinks about him having a harness on. He is happy to wear it, and safe, that's all that matters to me

Oh, and I DO set boundaries for my child...but it only takes one time of those boundaries being pushed or tested for my child to get lost/stolen/run over. I would rather use the harness than take that chance.

[ezymay]

Hahaha, Mum2Romone, you crack me up! Chokerchain

Today, if you'd been at Target in Queanbeyan you may have seen a mummy with a little boy who was staging a "sit in" in the dvd aisle while the overhead announcements were coming about the shop closing in 10 minutes, in 5 minutes, closed. The mummy tried calmly telling him it was time to go, bribing him, ordering him, walking off without him and nothing worked. She tried taking him by the hand and gave up when it meant she would have had to drag him along the ground. Then the mummy decided to abandon the things she wanted to buy on the floor and carry the screaming crying child out of the shop... It was at this point that a staff member took pity and asked if the mummy needed help and then picked up the items off the floor and carried them to the checkout, followed by the embarrassed upset mummy with the wailing, crying boy on her hip.

I wish it had been another mummy but it was me.

Oh hun sounds terrible! Big hugs!

We have a harness but Dd is generally good at staying in the pram, supplied with snacks tho she cracked it really badly yesterday and DH took her back to the car while I finished off the shopping.

I think this thread has been an eye opener, when you see someone struggling in the shops or a child running off, or a child in a harness we just never know and it's not anyone's place to judge. You have to do what works for you and every mother is doing their best.

[sas85]

I used a harness with DD1 too, she calls it her seatbelt - "so we can be safe" like Dora and loves it. I've heard people comment it's like having a leash like an animal, pfft, DD1 is very well behaved, is disciplined and has boundaries, but I was NOT going to risk her getting away from me the one time in a carpark at the local shopping centre and getting run over by a car because of that opinion. This way she didn't have to hold my hand or the pram if she didn't want to, but could walk next to me while I pushed the pram or carried DD2 without my having to worry about her running away. Having said that, if the kid is anti-hand-holding, anti-everything, it might not work anyway, my nephew just threw himself on the ground and screamed, my parents just stopped taking him to the shops as they were too old to run after him, couldn't keep hold of his hand, and he'd chuck a tanty in the harness (which they gave to me, yay for us). Each to there own.