How to keep toddlers from wandering away & more??

[moopdog]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]This occurred to me two days ago while I was in toysRus and then the mall with me little angels (term used lightly). My DD is 2.5 and will be almost 3 when we go... please someone tell me it will not be like this by then!! My DS is 4 and will be almost 5 at that time, he's not so bad, but he still doesn't stick like glue to me.

My DD will literally RUN from me, throw her body on floor in a fit, and scream "NO" at us occasionally. This has actually just come about recently and my DH were in SHOCK at her behavior at first, then we were embarrassed, now we're mad and a little nervous that this is her personality. Anyway, maybe it's a girl thing (please??) and an age thing (PLEASE?!) and she'll grow out of it soon. She definitely is headstrong, which I'm happy for since my DS is a little too easy-going, but this is ridiculous lately. That's another reason we're so clueless about my DD's behavior, my DS never really did this too much - although he's always "run" from us too.

So... are we setting ourselves up for disaster bringing these monsters to Disney? I have too much invested into the trip now, so we ARE going, so I guess I'm asking how to cope. And more importantly... how to keep our children safe.

BTW - the harness things are not an option for us. We do plan on using the double stroller (or two seperate if that's what you suggest) most days but some times it's probably nice just to be without it, right?

Thanks again - [/FONT] I actually DO love them more than life, even my DD, ha ha. She has a mind of her own and make sure everyone knows what she's thinking, that's all!!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Use the stroller all the time. It will not be nice to be without it if you're chasing you dd. Plus it makes everything easier.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

DisneyMom is right on. Use the double stroller ALL the time. Get them out only when you're ready to be "on duty." We rented a stroller for two 5 year olds at Disney. They NEVER used a stroller at home at that age. When the crowds got a little intense, I could only relax when our two kids were safely riding in their stroller.

BTW, we saw many really big kids riding in their little sibling's double stroller. It's a lot of walking. We even saw a couple of petite mothers in them If I were petite, I'd have been in there myself.

As to how to handle your daughter's phase (yes, it's only a phase), my advice is to not reward it in any way. If your daughter is in a safe environment, just remain calm and ignore her. She will get tired of it. It may take awhile.

One time I was checking out at Marshall's and my DD2 was having a screaming fit on the floor by the checkout line. I could feel everyone's eyes upon me. I just stayed calm and paid for my stuff, then I picked up my screaming child and left. So embarassing!!! She fell asleep in the car on the way home, after screaming for 10 minutes.

We have two DD and they are SO different. I don't think it's always a boy vs girl thing. Sometimes, I think birth order has an even bigger impact. But, everybody comes with a certain personality. It can be molded and such, but not completely changed. Isn't parenting fun???

You will have so much fun with those dear ones at Disney. Just remember, NAPS, STROLLER, SNACKIES!!!
Jackie

 

[dtsaos]

right there with ya! My kids will be exactly the same age as yours when we go in september, plus we'll have our baby who will be 8 months old by then. My daughter is like the tazmanian devil (bugs bunny). She's always in a good mood, but can destroy an entire house in 5 minutes. We were at disney when she was 20 months old and literally had to hold her down whenever a character was around because she was so excited to see them that she'd cut in front of all the other kids waiting in line and cry hysterically to get to them. Very funny, but also very frustrating! We did use a harness and it worked okay, but this time there's no way she'll keep it on. I feel that by September, (she turns 3 in July) she'll respond to threats alot better than she does now so I feel that we'll have more control. I seriously think that a lot can change between now and then. My son was pretty head strong at 2.5 and as he got older to reason with he became easier to handle, basically if he threw a fit in a store or restaurant etc. we would leave and take away a toy or not let him watch tv or something like that and he got scolded of course. If we were at disney and the kids acted up, we'd probably say something like "if you continue to behave that way we won't be able to go on any more rides today". I know some people don't agree with that style but it works 99.9% of the time! as long as you follow through when they refuse to listen so that they know you mean business! Anyway, all kids are different of course so you just have to try different things and see what works best for you guys I guess. Good Luck

 

[ErinInCT]

Unfortunately we found that whatever discipline problems we had at home just seemed to be magnified 10 times over on vacation. In fact we had to leave MGM after less then an hour (all we saw was VotLM where you leave thru a gift shop & dd4 threw a tantrum over an Ariel Barbie). DD4 was totally kicking & screaming as dh carried her out. I even videotaped it so I could remind myself NEVER to plan another vacation until the kids are adults. (Of course we'll be going back in 2006!) Anyway, I thought the pixie dust & Disney magic would take over but no such luck.
DD was very happy to have the double stroller (we had a 1 yr old too, she was a BREEZE!) since there was a lot of walking. Try to buy some really bright colored shirts so if they try to run away they can be easily spotted. We made a necklace for dd with my cell phone number on the beads in case she got lost. There are other id tags you can do as well in case you think they may run. I also recommend trying a local trip (zoo or amusement park) b4 Disney to get them used to it. Or even just taking walks, etc.
I really hope everything goes ok for you!

 

[SandrainNC]

Our first trip with my son I was worried about him wandering off as well (he was 3). I actually purchased a leash/fanny strap thing just to keep him from wandering off. That lasted about 20 minutes at the most as he was pulling me all over SeaWorld. So, my son quickly learned that he had to hold our hands or be in the stroller. There are so many places you can't take the stroller (like any lines, shows, etc.) so in those cases, he just had to hold our hands. He actually did better than I expected. He learned the holding my parents hands and swinging thing so he pretty much swung all over WDW.

I hope you have a great trip! Sandra

 

[G&J's Mom]

Don't think it is a girl thing. Not in my case anyhow. My DS will be 3 next week and he sounds alot like your DD. Loves to run from me, etc., mostly at home. I also have a DD who will be 5 when we go back for her birthday in May. This will be our 3rd trip. Although, he does not have a patient bone in his little body, he was great this last trip, last weekend, and I expect him to be even better the next trip. I hope anyhow

Do get the double stroller. I have a side by side I take with me, and they both will ride with no argument. There is so much visual and mental stimulation, they both will sit there in awe just taking it all in. You might be surprised how different they act when they are at Disney. I was.

Good luck and have a nice trip!

Denise

 

[Disney Fans]

I went last year and are going again this year. My kids are 2 and 5 this year.
A) We used a double stroller. One of those side by side that only cost $50. We used it at the airport- WDW- disney cruise-...we used it everywhere!
B) We used the toddler type leash.-it works well.
C) We did buy matching shirts for them, which 1)looked cute and 2)easlier to spot if they did get a few too many feet away. They didn't have matching clothes all of the time.
D) My husband and I aways have this rule-Never assume that each one of us has their eye on both kids. That way you wont think that its ok to just walk away for a sec to look at something - always ask each another and let each another know what you want to do next.
C) Even though WDW has 1st aid, I always bring a little 1st aid kit anyway just to be on the safe said.
Because WDW said that usually the main reason kids get lost from parents is because each parent thinks the other parent is looking after the kids and before you know it the child could be missing.
But just work together and all will be fun at Mickey Land.

 

[crisi]

We've had better luck on vacation with my tantrum prone daughter (I'm sure boys do this as well, but mine was my daughter). However, she is a dwaddler. My son, however, was a darter - I've lost him many times, I think the Target staff got used to me yelling his name through their aisles. With one dwaddler and one darter (13 months apart) our toddler trip involved harnesses. The darter could extract himself from a stroller in 45 seconds well before the age of two (landing flat on his face climbing out, I really don't like traditional strollers for that reason) and outrun me so strollers weren't confining enough.

The other thing you may want to do is tag your kids. Inside their shoes, in their pockets, on their laces -- someplace list your name and a cell phone number. If the do escape, chances are very good that they will be in the hands of a cast member in just a few minutes and with a tag, the CM can call you.

As to the tantrums, they have gotten much better, but we still have them (she is five). And yes, its partly her personality - headstrong, bossy, and stubborn, she'll make a lovely Fortune 500 executive someday.

 

[Disneyonmymind]

If you're interested, I know of a kind of sneaky, but effective, trick to whip those kiddoes into shape before the trip. Plan some "fun activities, trips, what-have-you" that you are not really invested in, but that you would be willing to do, or not. Then get your kid excited about it. Example, "Tomorrow we are going to the park, zoo, Grandmas, etc." Then, prior to the activity, when ANY bad behavior begins, tell the child, "If you don't stop that right now, we will NOT go to the _____." If you have no credibility with your child, he/she will not believe you and will continue with the bad behavior. Then, whammo, this time Mom/Dad mean business. The trip is cancelled and all *** breaks loose. Stick to your guns (you didn't really want to go that much in the first place, right?)

Repeat this scenario a few times and you will (hopefully) have a different child. Remember, though, only say it if you are willing to follow through. Otherwise, it will negate the good effect and leave the child confused.

We have always followed through on threats (even when we didn't want to) with our DD8 and it does really work. When I threaten something, she knows I mean it. My best friend and I cooked up the above method to use on her DD when she was about 2 after she had lost her credibility by making idle threats. It was amazing how quickly it worked for her. I know everyone is different.

Also, one last word - NAPS. It's amazing how unbelievably frustrating little ones can be when they are tired. Its like Dr Jeckel and Mr Hyde, don't you agree?

Sheesh, I bet this post sounds like I think I'm a real know-it-all. I hope not - I apologize if so. I'm really just a big-time analyzer...

Jackie