use a harness for extremely active toddler? What do you think

[Ros4]

I have always hated seeing toddlers wearing a leash. So I can not believe this would even cross my mind . I have an extremely active toddler. He likes to walk but will ride in the carrage for a short time. I am so afraid we will loose him because he also enjoys running. It could only take a split second to loose him if Disney is crowded. We are traveling in January.
Any advice?

 

[Nanu57v]

I felt the same way. We brought one with us (the kind that looks like a teddy bear with a long tail), but used it only once. If we were walking I just made sure I had her hand tight. If she didn't cooperate, she went in the stroller.

 

[tacomaranch]

I have a SN childs. He mostly loves to ride in the stroller but God forbid he gets it in his head to run. He is lightening fast and I would never catch him.

We have a dog leash. Yes, a real leash that goes in and out. He loves it and loves that we can make it big or little. I can clip it on his belt loop or he can hold the end.

You are the parent and responsible for your child's safety. All the stare, comments, etc are from people who don't have a clue. You won't see them ever again. Love your child and keep them safe.

April

 

[all4fun]

I found one extremely useful both in the parks and at the airport. It was especially nice when ds was in his ultra clumbsy phase (he actually had motor skill delays so this phase lasted longer than most) because it was safer to "catch" him when he was falling with the safety harness than by pulling his arm out of his socket while holding his hand. Not that I didn't hold hand or teach him to hold my hand. But with the harness on he was just much calmer and more willing to stay by my side. I think that the leash provides a physical boundary that the child can see which helps little ones a lot. Oh, and I've seen many people using them at the parks so you won't be alone if your child has one on. Hth.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I think the safety of your child is the #1 thing, and if you think a harness would enhance it then go for it!

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[maxtomsmom]

DH and I have thought about this as well. I think you should do what you feel is best for your family and who cares what other people think or say (I am specifically talking about a child harness.) How many people want to hear about a missing toddler. I would be so upset to hear this because I would feel so badly for that family. Again, I wouldn't complain nor stare. If your child was 7 that would be one thing, but a 2yr old, well there is simply no reasoning with them.

 

[meeskamouska]

We use a braclet type with our daughter. We call it her "Buddy Bracelet" and she gets to choose who will be her buddy, Mommy or Daddy. SHe thinks it is great and has the freedom to move about!!!

 

[megan4777]

I think it Totally depends on when you're going. If it's not a peak time, take your time...have fun, there are no big crowds.
When we went at the end of Oct, I was sooo prepared to buy one for DD#1 (she was 2 and VERY active....), and we didn't use one.

Basically we asked her to walk like a big girl and hold a hand, or ride....
It's good for them to make a choice and think they're "in charge" (hahaha...silly kids ).

Over a year later, she still answers me and will ride in the stroller (if she chooses...at almost 3.5 yrs), or hold a hand. 99.99% of the time, she chooses the hand.

 

[Crazy4Disney43611]

I will start by apologizing to anyone that I may offend but I think the leash is not needed IF you are a good parent. When we go anywhere with my toddler son, he has the freedom to walk where he wants, when he wants...it is MY job to watch him, which is what I do. I may not be the best person to talk to while out and about because I may find that I need to walk away from a conversation in order to gain a better view of my son, but I am not there for myself, I am there for him. Just my .02, and I do not frown upon parents that choose the leash method, I know that there are different strokes for different folks.

 

[SusanMomOf2]

I think the safety of your child is the #1 thing, and if you think a harness would enhance it then go for it!

Have a wonderful trip!

AMEN! I don't think leashes are for everyday use, but as a backup JUST IN CASE, heck yeah! In fact, I'm bringing mine. I mean, WHAT IF a mistake were to happen, and my little Kirsten went walking off! I'd much rather look stupid to some than to lose my precious baby! And besides, whooooooooo cares if others think it's ok or not? That's something we used to do in high school. If someone comes on here telling you that your kid or anyone else's kid who is "leashed" is like a "dog," well, they can do so cuz this is a free web, but don't you let that affect you. If you think it's ok, then it IS ok. Harnessing a child is certainly not a bad thing, and at least we're doing it out of concern. Debating this is like debating other child related issues like breastfeeding or circumcision or immunizations. Some people have very different opintions and live by them. But when it comes to things like this, on all the topics I've mentioned, neither choice is wrong but we all think our opinion is the right one. Just do your motherly instinct thing.

And here are some things to look out for: make sure your child doesn't get tangled around people or things. And if your child is walking, treat them with respect and not like a pet (no tugging, ignoring, etc.). These things I've seen people complain about before on this board, and they're valid complaints. Keep that in check (as will I) and you should be good to go.

Have a fun and safe trip!

Susan

 

[fakereadhed]

When we go anywhere with my toddler son, he has the freedom to walk where he wants, when he wants...it is MY job to watch him, which is what I do. Just my .02, and I do not frown upon parents that choose the leash method, I know that there are different strokes for different folks.

There are also different kids, not just different parents.

If you have a really active, strong toddler like mine(2yo) it may not work for you. We tried the monkey backpack, but at 40#, for those who love to point out the dog comparison, it was like walking a great dane...he was pulling me around and it made him mad not to be free and he pulled harder than he does when I try to hold his hand. Hey, maybe Cesar the dog whisperer could help!

Our solution was to point out on his favorite TV program(I not only leashed my child I also let him watch PBS )Caillou when he held his mom and dad's hand. Then when we were out we would say hold our hand like Caillou and you won't have to ride in the stroller like Rosie(Caillou's little sister). He would hold our hand and proudly say "Caillou" and was happy to be like his hero.

Now he is a little better, but I'm not sure how this will work at Disney with the crowds, because if he does decide to make a run for it it's not a matter of "watching" him, it's a matter of catching him before he gets hurt.

 

[Madsofa]

I felt the same way. We brought one with us (the kind that looks like a teddy bear with a long tail), but used it only once. If we were walking I just made sure I had her hand tight. If she didn't cooperate, she went in the stroller.

I completely agree. I've never used one for my children, but I am considering buying one to take with us on our trip. My 3yo is usually pretty good, but all it takes is 1 second for something to happen and quite frankly my childrens safety is more important than what other people think. Go for it!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

I would like to just add that make sure the lease is short I have seen a few to many toddlers get dragged to the ground from someone cutting between the kid and parent and by the time they realise it it's to late and the kid if being dragged.

The character backpacks (dog and monkey types ) seem to be the best as the tails are generally short enough to not allow a big separation.

 

[malnikki]

We are going next week, and we have the sesame street elmo harness for our ds2. This harness has the traditional style and the wrist style in one. We looked at the backpack ones but did not find the storage space sufficient for our needs.

Last year, I had a sling for the little guy, but he wants to run now- so it is going to be harness city.

Get what works for you!

 

[katerkat]

I have a very active toddler, but he tends to wander, not bolt, so he's fairly easy to control. I've made a big deal of him "helping" Mommy walk through parking lots by holding her hand and "protecting" her, so he absolutely loves to hold hands. He also knows, from DL at 18 months, that the options are "hold hands," "sit in stroller" or "be strapped to mommy." Since he prefers to walk unless he's tired, he holds our hands. He also learned pretty quickly that doing the "dead weight drop" to make us let go will get him stuck back in the stroller.

 

[bellarella]

I will start by apologizing to anyone that I may offend but I think the leash is not needed IF you are a good parent. When we go anywhere with my toddler son, he has the freedom to walk where he wants, when he wants...it is MY job to watch him, which is what I do. I may not be the best person to talk to while out and about because I may find that I need to walk away from a conversation in order to gain a better view of my son, but I am not there for myself, I am there for him. Just my .02, and I do not frown upon parents that choose the leash method, I know that there are different strokes for different folks.

You don't frown on people who use them, but you think they are not good parents?

To the leashes, I have nothing against them. I found though, that at Disney they are really only good for a "back up" in case they wriggle out of you holding their hand. Aren't good for allowing any freedom as, with all of the crowds and objects around, you wind up getting tangled up around things.

 

[jtdl]

I will start by apologizing to anyone that I may offend but I think the leash is not needed IF you are a good parent. When we go anywhere with my toddler son, he has the freedom to walk where he wants, when he wants...it is MY job to watch him, which is what I do. I may not be the best person to talk to while out and about because I may find that I need to walk away from a conversation in order to gain a better view of my son, but I am not there for myself, I am there for him. Just my .02, and I do not frown upon parents that choose the leash method, I know that there are different strokes for different folks.

In crowds such as can be at WDW it can take a fraction of a second for a child to get out of your site. If you do not take your eyes off of your child, as you state, then I guess you are like a bulldozer crashing through the crowds causing other children to become separated from their parents, knocking people down, etc. because your eyes would be on your son and nowhere else! Otherwise, no matter how perfect your parenting skills are, your eyes could be looking at something else for that fraction of a second!

I have a very active son also. We went to WDW when he was 3. To my complete surprise and enjoyment he was content to sit in the stroller most of the time and look around. When he did get out to walk he made absolutely no attempt to go off on his own. I had purchased a wrist strap "leash" to use but it wasn't necessary. I would take one along just in case.

 

[freckles and boo]

I will start by apologizing to anyone that I may offend but I think the leash is not needed IF you are a good parent. When we go anywhere with my toddler son, he has the freedom to walk where he wants, when he wants...it is MY job to watch him, which is what I do. I may not be the best person to talk to while out and about because I may find that I need to walk away from a conversation in order to gain a better view of my son, but I am not there for myself, I am there for him. Just my .02, and I do not frown upon parents that choose the leash method, I know that there are different strokes for different folks.

I tried really hard to ignore this comment, but here I am responding....

Before I became a parent, I felt this way as well. What kind of parent would put a leash on a child? Leashes are for dogs, the parents are lazy, it will damage the child, my child will deserve better, I will be a better parent than that, blah, blah, blah. Even with my first child I felt that it wasn't the best idea, but I started backing off with the judgments. Now that I am the parent of a busy child with autism who can run like a little cheetah, I completely understand why someone would make the choice to put a safety harness on a child. I personally haven't used a harness (or leash, if you prefer), but I have put a tall fence around my yard. I have safety latches on all my cabinets and my exterior doors. I use child safety seats, smoke detectors, life jackets, outlet plugs, and any number of other devices and gadgets to hopefully provide my children with a safer existence. I don't believe any of these things reduce or replace my responsibilities as a parent - they are simply tools that help me raise my kids. If you feel a harness is something that will help you keep your child safe, give it a try. It may or may not work out, but nobody else's opinion really matters.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

AMEN! I don't think leashes are for everyday use, but as a backup JUST IN CASE, heck yeah!

 

[dr&momto2boys]

I tried really hard to ignore this comment, but here I am responding....

Before I became a parent, I felt this way as well. What kind of parent would put a leash on a child? Leashes are for dogs, the parents are lazy, it will damage the child, my child will deserve better, I will be a better parent than that, blah, blah, blah. Even with my first child I felt that it wasn't the best idea, but I started backing off with the judgments. Now that I am the parent of a busy child with autism who can run like a little cheetah, I completely understand why someone would make the choice to put a safety harness on a child. I personally haven't used a harness (or leash, if you prefer), but I have put a tall fence around my yard. I have safety latches on all my cabinets and my exterior doors. I use child safety seats, smoke detectors, life jackets, outlet plugs, and any number of other devices and gadgets to hopefully provide my children with a safer existence. I don't believe any of these things reduce or replace my responsibilities as a parent - they are simply tools that help me raise my kids. If you feel a harness is something that will help you keep your child safe, give it a try. It may or may work out, but nobody else's opinion really matters.

I couldn't agree more! And I couldn't have said it better!