A VERY active 2.5 year old/Harness question

[Iheoma]

Hi everyone,

I'm about 2.5 months away from our vacation and I'm starting to get a little nervous about how my DD is going to act at WDW. She is very active and for some reason has decided that she wants to only run, skip and hop and often refuses my frequent requests to "just walk" or "slow down". I'm a little nervous because we took her to the Children's Museum this past week and nearly lost her when she drop dh's hand and ran ahead to an exhibit. Now I never thought I would be a parent to put a child in one of those kid harness or the wrist teethers (sp?) but I'm really worried about her bolting away from us. Does anyone have any advice for a good one at a reasonable cost? (Wrist or harness)

Also, does anyone have any ideas about how to keep kids occupied while waiting in line. We're going the 1st week in May so I hope the park won't be super busy. BUT this will really be the first time dd will have had to wait in line for long stretches of time. She's a classic two year old- inpatient and impulsive Gotta love her

 

[goofy4tink]

Oh, I've been there, done that!!! Yep, it's gonna be some fun for you. What I did with my ds, now 30, was to clip a tether (or a leash) onto his belt. For some reason he really couldn't stand a harness. And the wrist tether really hindered him. So, we used the tether on the back of his pants. If you don't use a belt, then maybe one of the belt loops. Don't feel like a bad parent. You are not going to be seeing these people again. A child can get disoriented in a blink of an eye in WDW. So, either use a stroller and a tether while in line or spend your whole trip worrying.

 

[stacy6552]

Ive had mine for years (two kids), so I dont know where youd find it, but its been to disney several times and been awesome! its called the hands-free tether. its two belts attached by a tether, so your hands are free and it is lower on your center of gravity so when she pulls and tries to bolt, you dont get jerked around so much.

 

[riggins]

Your child's safety is #1, so if that means using a harness, by all means, you should. You'll find lots of parents using them at WDW.

When DD was 18 months, we used one of these:
http://baby-safety-products.babycatalog.com/baby-safety/tag-along-20025
It's basically a little fanny pack with a leash strap on the back. At 18 months, she really liked her "little pocket" and it worked well. Now, at 2 1/2, she just twists it around her waist and unhooks it. So, it might not be the best for your DD if you think she'll do the same.

I've seen lots of people use a larger harness- something like this:
http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.js...t=117&iSubCat=27180&iProductID=333&change=117
I think they are a lot more difficult for a toddler to get out of. I'm sure someone will reply who has actually used one.

I've also read about people not liking the wrist teather because its also very easy for their child to unhook.

Good Luck and enjoy your trip.
Leslie

 

[CEDmom]

We used one for a short period when DD was that age, she's now 4. I got the harness type at Babies R Us for about $5. Your DD's at a tough age to understand the danger/consequences of running so don't worry about using one. I liked the harness type because DD would usually forget she had it on until she tried to take off. I'd put it over her undershirt and then put a t-shirt over it so only the "leash" part was visible out the back of her shirt.

As far as keeping her occupied in line, I got a great leak proof bubble container at Target. It has a clip on it so you can put it on a bag on a belt loop. I have entertained DD and many other children with it while waiting in all kinds of lines.

 

[Naisy68]

I am soo glad that this topic came up, I have been wondering what I was going to do with our DD. She's a real independent young lady and I'm not sure she would like it. As a matter of fact, I know she won't at first but, I think we'll use something like this and make her wear it when she's not in her stroller. I am so afraid of losing her. It's just not worth it to take the chance.

Are there any other great ideas for keeping 2 -3 year olds safe? I'd love to hear from some experienced toddler experts. By expert,I mean anyone who has successfully taken theirs to Disney without a hitch. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Selket]

I have no qualms about using a harness to keep a child from getting lost however I'll relate my experience. I bought one when we went to WDW with my 1st son who was 2.5 yrs old (exactly!) at the time. He thought it was great fun and would spend all his time going out to the "end of his leash" so to speak, and then putting all his weight forward - so that I'd have to hold him up with it (if I had let go, in other words, he'd have fallen right on his face). This was the type that goes around the waist. You might want to get the leash and try it out in a local mall first to see how your child reacts. It was useless for us! He was good about letting me hold his hand and staying with us fortunately, while we were at WDW!

 

[NikiM20]

we had one for DD when she was about 2, it was the type that went on your wrist and theirs. I purchased it at babies r us for $3.00 I agree with the putting it on the back belt loop also one thing I did learn was that put it on the wrist of what hand they are (e.g. DD is left handed so we put it on her left hand) She is opposite of me and DH so one day we wernt thinking and put it on her right hand and off it came. GL

 

[Barb D]

My DD actually liked being on the harness when she was a toddler. It gave her much more freedom than having to sit in a stroller or hold someone's hand. I got many positive comments about it at WDW.

My funny story: I had my DS (now 5'10"!) on one when he was two-ish, and a school-age boy came up to him and said, "Hi, Doggy!" I was just about to rebuke the boy when DS ruined it by barking!

And I second the bubbles idea. Just be sure to point them low (and blow gently) so the bubbles don't get in your fellow line-standers eyes.

 

[babygarrettsmom]

I have a now 3-yr-old ds who has been many times to WDW. He's very active as well, so it can be a pain sometimes. What we do is make him ride in a stroller between all attractions. After he's had to either walk from the hotel to the bus or the car to the tram, etc. he really doesn't argue too much about it. At the attractions, or when you are stopped, it's pretty easy to keep track of them. But, when walking or especially in crowds, it's much easier to keep a handle on them while they are in the stroller. But, please either strap them in or hold their hands in extremely crowded situations. They can get away without you ever noticing.

We actually had a problem last year sometime with another kid. After a parade, very crowded, DH and I (ds must have been with grandparents) were starting to head from Main Street to Liberty Square. Crowds were terrible and DH was a ways ahead of me. I suddenly noticed this little girl (probably about 2) looking up at him and following him like he was her Daddy. I screamed and screamed at him and when I finally got his attention, I said "STOP!!" He was like "What?" (he NEVER saw her). I caught up and showed him the girl, and he, being the tall one started looking around for freaked out parents. We kept her right there with us until the crowds thinned out. We were looking for a CM to give her to when her Mom finally showed up. Boy was she scared/mad!! Never bothered to thank us or anything. Oh well. The kid was safe!

Just keep an eye on her and you'll both be just fine. They do tend to wander off/bolt. My son can say "Buzz!" and be about a block away in 3 seconds flat. If you would feel better with the leash-go for it! Whatever makes you feel safer is best for you.

 

[Iheoma]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for the responses. I will begin looking for a harness soon and will practice before we go to WDW. We'll definately be holding her hand, but it will really help to have the additional harness "help". I really appreciate people sharing their experiences with this situation.

 

[Kate-n-sam]

Hi,
It looks by your countdown calendar you will be there in early May, so the good news is, hopefully it won't be mobbed! We let DS walk with us when the crowds were light, in heavier crowds we used the stroller. I had used a harness on him from about 14 months to 2 years. After that he wanted nothing to do with it. I'll never forget the obviously first time mom with her 4 month old little angel, giving me the 'your the worst mother in the world look', I just laughed to myself....walk a mile in my shoes, and you'll understand. Do what you need to do to keep your kids safe.

 

[Schmeck]

Just please don't let your child get too far away with the harness on - we saw a little one get knocked down after someone came between the parent and child, and tripped over the harness cord.

 

[BevS97]

the harness strap should be very short, so there is no way someone could get between use. I've seen people use improvised things that are too long.

we have a full harness which we used when dd was younger (here in the UK we also use the same harness to keep our kids safe in highchairs, they have clips which attach to the chair, but that's by the by)

when she got a bit older, (3 1/2) we used a wrist harness on her belt loo - wrist harnesses on the wrist are awful for the child to wear because it interfere with them moving their hands freely, and who would like that? but on the belt, she never seemed to mind. I used to leave it on all the time, but loop the loose end over the handle of the stroller when she was in the stroller, so if you decided to get out of the stroller, she couldn't get too far.

 

[trola2]

WE had this when my older DD's were little and then I couldn't find one for my youngest. It's a fanny pack on a leash. Nice thing is you have better control than ones that just attach to a wrist, and you can put something in the poucho f the fanny pack for the child that makes them want to wear it. For us, it was the "jewelry" pocket. A simple string of Mardi Gras beads that could only be worn when the girls wore their "pocket". Worked like a charm and didn't look quite as much like a leash as the one we had for our youngest daughter. Her's was a true harness but she hated that so we cut off the straps that went over the shoulders and so she just had the band around her waist and liked that fine. Whatever you do, you have to have comfort in keeping your kids safe!

Here's the link but you may have to click on detail views to see the picture:

http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.js...t=117&iSubCat=27180&iProductID=126&change=117

 

[tiggercrazy]

It's a good thing to practice before you get there. We were there last spring and our DD was a month away from turning 2. We had never used a harness before, but our first day in the park she did not want to stay in the stroller or hold our hands. We bought a harness at the Wal-mart there. Every time we put it on her she would plop herself on the ground and sit there. She was so mad she just wouldn't move. We were unable to use it at all.

 

[NotUrsula]

We used reins with DS from the moment he started to crawl. By the time he was 2, we had reduced the issue to the fact that the reins were in Mom's pocket, and that if he could not control the urge to bolt, we would have no choice but to put them on him.
It worked 98% of the time, even at Disney.

BTW, the best reins on the market are those from the British firm Clippasafe. Unfortunately, there are no major US retailers that carry them, but you can order them from UK "nursery stockists."

 

[undertheradar]

Put on the harness and got to the mall, zoo,museum, etc. You will feel secure and you will know where your child is at ALL times.

 

[chager]

This has brought back some memories When my brother was about 3 he "escaped" from mom. This caused Sears to scramble workers to all doors and start a search for him. He was found not 3 feet from where mom had been hiding in the clothing racks. He simply moved so people couldn't find him. He was found out because he started giggling. After this mom attached a "leash" to him. This caused MANY comments and glares. (Not a real popular thing to do 30 years ago) Some lady told her she shouldn't abuse her child by treating him like a dog!! Mom simply looked at her and told her at least he was safe. (my brother was very hyper and hard to control.)
I vote use something that is difficult to unhook for the child. My son could undo most of the harness' out there. I could not use the wrist ones because he would just unfasten them. Sometimes I wish they had had them for 9yr olds now.

 

[Schmeck]

More than a body width of space between a child and adult, and someone will try to get through, especially at the end of an event. So if you can find a harness with a 6 inch cord, that's the one I'd use!

Schmeck