Toddlers and shopping centres??

[Indadhanu]

We've only just started, and only then because she see's others running around and gets all antsy. I'm too nervous to do it at any time other than first thing or at the end of the day near closing time (so, when the shop is near empty), but I notice todddlers Jazzy's age walking around all the time? Even some who aren't steady on their feet yet

When did your toddler start walking in the shops? When did you let your little one walk in the shopping centre? Do you use a strap/leash/harness or let them run free?

[Olive]

age jaz's age DD was still in the pram!
she started walking at the shops when DD2 came along, until then for your reasons, the pram was easier for me

[Liz]

Kayla still goes in the pram majority of the time. If it's a trip to the local shops, she's recently started walking (Tallon holds her other hand.. too cute) ... but shopping centres and extended shopping trips are definitely still in the pram.

We are doing more & more trips now without the pram now tho, like to the bank or post office.. and she's just learning to hold my hand. She's pretty good. And if Tallon wanders too far off or runs too far ahead she yells out "stop! wait!" LOL. I just drill into them they need to stay near me or they'll lose me haha.. We've never used harnesses or anything.

[Indadhanu]

Ah phew! I was starting to wonder if we were too overprotective!!! It's usually only 5 minutes at a time LOL then back in the pram, or sling if she cries about the pram. I'm just so scared someone will come along and grab her, or hit her with a trolley or something Plus she's really s.l.o.w.

Yesterday I almost ran over a little toddler who just plonked down right in the middle of the shopping centre! I'm scared of that happening to Jazz!

[mrsmac]

I kept mine in the pram until they were about 2 and even now i will put Riley in it for a while just to keep him out of mischief!

[kawazuki]

Dd would walk for short periods say 10 min or so holding onto my hand or DS's hand when we went shopping or sitting in teh trolley.
now i hardly take the pram, she walks.
never used a harness or lead, i personally feel they look silly and i think lead adn harnesses like that are only for animals. taylah was always taught hold a hand or you get in teh pram, if she really wantedto walk she would hold onto someones hand.
she has been walked into a few times when she has tried to run away but doesnt anymore as they scared her and taught ehr its safest near mummy

[Lolli]

We stopped using the pram when dd came along. Ds has gotten really good at holding my hand and not running off. My pet hate is kids running madly around a shop. I don't know why, it just bugs me

[~MummaBear~]

My DD is 2 next month and i can honestly count on one hand the amount of times she has been allowed to walk in a shopping centre!! And the boys only walked when they got too big for the trolley! lol

[The[cookie]Doctor]

DS walks a fair bit. We bought one of the animal harnesses (the smiling face of oppression) but he hated it. He soon learnt that if he couldn't stick with us it was back in the pram or trolley.

I feel sorry for him, if we're driving to Canberra for a shopping trip he's cramped up in the car for an hour, im not about to make him sit bored in his pram. He is learning so much now so I wouldn much prefer him walk. He's good at helping pick out vegetables and yesterday he chose his own special deco for the christmas tree.

[tellytubby]

We barely used our pram, only because it was soo big and at the time i was driving a Getz... lol... yep a getz! hehe! We still mainly use a trolley, let her stand up in it. But with that said she's now a 'big girl' (or so she thinks) and wants to walk everywhere. I let her walk, but she has to either hold my hand, or hold the trolley with one hand.
At first it was hell, and i really was contemplating getting a 'lead', haha, but i agree with kawazuki - i think they're really only for animals (personal thought). So we never got one. Now she's really good, she knows she has to hold my hand, stay close, no running away etc.. but like i said - it took a while.

[ShootingStar]

DS was around 2 i think. It was definately after DD came along and only on short trips. He started out on a leash. Then when i knew he wasnt going to run off, probably 6 months ago, he now just walks and holds the pram. But doing it that way with DS also meant he never faught me to get into the pram. He knew thats where he sat. DD is way too young for me to let her walk.. also in saying that, if she was out walking it would take us all day to get from one end of the shops to the other.

[murraysmum]

muz has a gold bug lead thingo the teddy bear one but if im at the shops he stays in the pram why cause he wont walk he will litrelly make u carry him the whole time

if no pram he goes in a trolley