I was watching a television programme were a woman had sextuplets( 6 siblings) and she used restraints to keep hold of them all. The mother actually received some verbal comments from a passer-by who told her “Those are children , not dogs, only dogs should be on a leash!”
This got me thinking; I used walking reins on my children when they started walking and on the younger children I was caring for as a registered child minder.
As a child minder I found reins really beneficial as I could loop my arm inside the strap and still push the double buggy with ease, the child would also hold onto the buggy as we walked but having him on reins was an extra way of keeping the child safe. Road safety here
Once when we were out a particular child decided it would be funny to hide from me: I had seen her go behind a bush from the corner of my eye, as I never took my eyes off them.
However when I called her she pretended she wasn’t there. To prevent this from happening again and to both teach her a lesson and keep her safe I put reins on her and said that she would have to sit by me rather than play in the park with the other children ( I only did this for a few minutes, enough time to make her think and it worked as she never tried this prank again.
Another outing to a local dinosaur park which was steep in places. I put reins on a child who had been sitting in the buggy, I told him he could walk for a while until he felt he needed to get back in. An older child asked if he could hold onto the reins, the pair of them spent the afternoon running around on the grass playing horses while I watched them pushing a much lighter buggyup the hill.
There is another type of restraint on the market for children which consists of a wrist strap attached to a line ( now this does seem similar to a dog on a collar and lead) I have also heard of children undoing the wrist strap using their free hand.
As long as children are kept safe from harm does it matter that they may be compared to dogs? I kept my dogs safe too.
Please share any thoughts and experiences with me.
Until next time.
Karen
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In my opinion it is far safer for the child to be on a rein that to be allowed to run around . It’s also better for other people especially in a busy shopping center where elderly people who struggle to walk could be knocked over by a running child .
thanks for sharing your thoughts,Pearl
I’ve just started using them on one particular minded child I’m a child minder but personally they do look bad to everyone else but I’m sorry I’d rather hand a whole child back at the end of a shift than a hospital report given the child in question is a very boysterious child. Safety first children first .
Absolutely, Annemarie, thanks for taking the time to share your
Love this. I hate it when people make judgemental comments about children looking like they are on a lead as if the parent or childminder is taking away the child’s civil liberties. All three of my children have been saved from running into the road or face planting the pavement on unsteady feet because they have been on reins . They have loved the ‘civil liberty’ of being safe but having a sense of freedom 💕
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences, I appreciate it
I’ve used them for safety when needed. Normally the children walk beside me, or hold my hand/buggy. If I’m by a lake/road/etc with a child who is likely to run, then I use reins. I’ve only had to use them for about 2 children.
That’s similar to the way I , I used reins on children,I appreciate you stopping by and sharing Sandy
Great Post, I have always used reins and restraints when letting toddlers have a walk with us. Handy too especially when you have 3 or 4 other young children with you. I’ll be searching for some new ones for the youngest as she’s starting to become more independent with wanting to walk.
Thanks Eddie for stopping by and sharing your thoughts
Thanks, Eddie for stopping by and sharing your experience
I use reins when needed.
I remember years ago being interviewed for a nanny job and they said I must not use them because they are like leads for dogs. I asked would you put a dog on a lead. They said yes. So I asked them why. They informed me it was because a dog did not understand about traffic or may run off and get lost. So to keep it safe. I explained that a boisterous young child, excited to be out in the world and experiencing the great outdoors might also forget about road safety at first and my also run off. They said it would be my job to teach him. I agreed but said there would be a time between that first walk and the child understanding where the child needs to be kept safe just the same as a much loved dog. Both need help to stay safe.
That’s spot on , Elaine, thanks for taking the time to share your experiences
I was one of those judgemental lookers until I had a runner – we never used a lead but it would have been sensible, especially if I had a younger baby to contend with at the time. Whatever keeps them safe, I say… #StayClassMama
It’s great that you have changed your way of thinking ,thanks for sharing, Laura
I never needed one for my eldest son. His younger brother was always disappearing on us. A wrist strap solved the problem.
It’s strange how siblings can be so different, isn’t it, Lisa?
Thanks for sharing
I used reins for all of my children. We all enjoyed the sense of freedom but also the security of knowing they were safe. Thanks for linking up with #globalblogging
We had to rein our youngest or he’d be running all over the place and was very good at disappearing. My eldest had reins because it was what you did at the time, he’s now 28, I found they were helpful when their walking wasn’t perfect as you could save them from a fall.
Thanks for joining in with PoCoLo and hope to see you back later this week
Thanks for the reminder that reins can prevent a child from falling over, I had forgotten about
We made this into a game called stop start to teach the kids to stop when asked whilst keeping the reins slack but having the ability to tighten if necessary. Thanks for linking up with #stayclassymama
That’s a great idea, Laura, thanks for sharing it with me
That’s a great idea, Laura, thanks for sharing
My son was a runner. He had no road awareness and hearing issues. Reigns were a life saver. I think if used sensibly, they are a useful safety aid for parents.
#stayclassymama
Couldn’t agree more, Lydia, thanks for sharing your experience
I’ve used reins on all three of my children when they were toddlers as it helped give them a little more freedom to walk ahead of me while being able to keep hold of them and keep them safe. #adventurecalling
Just as I did, Louise thanks for your comments
I’ve never understood some people’s negative attitude towards reins. Surely keeping a child safe is better than then coming to harm? I used a bag with a strap and I felt much better and more in control. It’s such a short time in a child’s life, and it’s great to give them the freedom to explore without getting hurt. thank you so much for sharing another great post #AdventureCalling
Its strange what some people think, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing your experience, Lauren