A VERY active 2.5 year old/Harness question

[tublady]

We took our now 2.5 DD in September last year, she is very independent and does not like to hold hands. We used the harness, the way we got her to wear it was by putting Disney trading pins on the shoulder and leash part. She always wanted to put on her pretty pins, everytime we would leave the hotel she would get upset if she didn't have it on. At AK a CM saw her and exclaimed she was the youngest pin trader she had ever seen and gave her one of her pins. She still talks about it and keeps her Pin harness in the car to look at.

 

[treesinger]

Been there done that! My only recommendation is to get one that has an elastic tether. That way, if they try to bolt, it isn't such a sudden jolt.

 

[mommyflower]

I used a Baby Buddy harness on my DS when he was 18 months in WDW. He was very active and always wanting to walk at the time. I don't know where I got it, but I did a search for it and a bunch of online stores popped up. I liked this one because it uses plastic clips instead of velcro. For those of you thinking about this I suggest not to get velcro. Especially if you have a DD with long hair. The velco can be very uncomfortable for some little ones. Also I wouldn't use it in crowded areas because people will run your child down. I like them because I hold my DS's hand so tight I wonder if I hurt him and after a while my hand gets tired. He liked it because he thought he had freedom. I also used it during parades. I let him stand in front of me with the harness on. I wrapped the strap around my hand until there was just enough space for him to move around a little bit. I always carry the harness with me just incase DS, now 3, wants to walk without holding hands. He does a lot more riding in the stroller now, so we don't use it too often. Good luck with whatever you decide!

Oh and don't let those funny looks you may get bother you. I actually had a lot more parents ask me where I got it and say they wished they had one!

 

[deb305]

Thats a tough one. When we took DD at 3 to WDW no problem. She would stay in the rental stroller like some sort of princess (held court by deciding which cousin could ride with her and when) and would want to be picked up in line. She'll be 6.5 on Oct trip. The problem is DS, now 2, is a master of escape. Husband lost him in the Magic House in St.Louis - in a two room section. DS runs off to whatever gets his attention. Took him to Cinn Children Museum, and between DD 5.5 and myself, we only lost him once (also in one large room). DD has even lost him in the McDonalds playground. I am afraid that if we get him a leash he will either immediately figure out how to undo it (he's yet to meet a child safety latch he can't undo) or use the leash to tie up another child.
I like the idea of wrist to wrist restraints, anyone else have a brand/source they would recommend. ( With my luck the little houdini would attach his end to a hapless character walking by, not a bad idea if it is Aladdin, but it would probably be Genie).

 

[ErinInCT]

You mentioned things to occupy kids - My DD (now almost 4) loved having her own backpack at age 2 & you can put stuff inside to keep her occupied. My DD LOVES stickers - we got 2500 from Costco! You can probably find Disney ones too. That keeps her occupied for hours just sticking them everywhere!! She can do this while you wait in lines or while riding in the stroller. Also there are little mini magnadoodles that hook like a key chain onto things. DD loves drawing or we can draw stuff & she guesses what it is. Also, we made cheerios necklaces (on dental floss) for her to wear which kept her occupied as she would eat them. You can use froot loops for a special treat. Just bring wipes in case they get sticky on her neck!!
Hope this helps!!

 

[K & D Mickey]

oh boy!!!
sure glade your all talking about this........
going in 16 hrs need to get one, never really thought about it
thanks

 

[NotUrsula]

Deb, British reins are the best in terms of keeping a child from escaping the harness or tying the rein to something other than themselves (the rein hooks to a chest harness in two places, on the back about 2 inches behind each armpit.)

You can pretty much forget about any sort of wrist link; he'll have you hooked to a total stranger before you can blink.

In a pinch, you can try using a dog leash and a fanny pack; it helps to know how to sew at least a little to do this right. You will need a pack of nylon d-rings from a fabric store or climbing supply. Get the sort of dog leash that has a flat slip-spring in the clip, one that is hard to press down. (These are easy to clip on, but much harder to slip off the ring.) Either braid or knot it so that the length is reduced to 3 ft or less. Then get a cheap fanny pack and remove the buckle, replacing it with *three* d-rings securely sewn into the short end of the strap. Fasten the pack on by means of the d-rings, which are much harder to undo than a buckle, especially if you've added another ring for a second backloop. Then when necessary, clip the leash to the d-rings to form a simple rein.

Most young children cannot get out of a triple d-ring closure to save their lives. The more they pull on it, the more securely the rings will hold. They have real trouble with the concept of pushing the rings together to slack the tension so that the end can be pushed backward through the rings.

 

[deb305]

Thanks again NotUrsula. While I was trying to be funny the problem is very real for us, 2 yr old tried escaping the house last night. Thank goodness for security alarms and understanding 911 operators. The backpack idea is great, I'll save your instructions.

 

[NotUrsula]

I was Houdini, Jr. when i was little, my kid's got nothing on me.
When my parents put netting over my crib so I couldn't climb out, I went through the bottom instead, by removing a couple of the metal cross-supports. Mom came in to get me and freaked out; the mattress had fallen back down after I crawled through, and she thought I was gone when I was sleeping on the floor underneath.

We solved the door problem with a couple of little metal flip-locks, set about 6ft. off the floor. When they are open, you can't open the door from the inside, but an adult can just flip them over to open the door. We have one on the pantry door, too. He can still get them open if he drags over a chair or stool, but we'll hear him if he does that.

Go rent Please Don't Eat the Daisies if you want to see the ultimate in child containment comedy. Really funny movie, and the escape artist baby is adorable.

 

[peanutzmom]

I agree with testing a harness before you go. We got one for DS when he was two, and the minute we'd put it on him, he'd plop down, scream his head off, and refuse to move! We actually found that the rental strollers were the best way to go for us. They are low to the ground,so our kids could jump out and explore when they wanted to, but at least we had some warning because it took them a while to crawl out of them! The kids thought they had "freedom" since they weren't strapped into a conventional stroller, but we still felt like we had good control of the situation. As far as keeping them busy in lines, I second the bubbles. My kids LOVED them as toddlers!

 

[Movie Chick]

We have both kinds for our daughter. She will be 3 when we go to Disney next. The wrist harness works best, attached to a belt loop on her pants. The only problem we run into with her is pretending to be a dog.....

 

[Iheoma]

Hi,

I can't believe how helpful people have been about this topic Thanks so much for the insight/suggestions!!!

Moviechick-- I got a big laugh about your dd acting like a dog. That would definately be my dd - who wants a puppy so much that she acts like one sometimes

Thanks everyone

Iheoma