Running into the street

[Fly Girl]

My almost 2 year old DD is starting to push her limits more lately. I have always had a rule that she has to hold my hand when we cross the street or in parking lots. We talk about it when we are taking our walks, how we cross the street, why its dangerous, and that she needs to hold mom's hand. I don't make her hold my hand when we are walking on the side walk in our neighborhood and I let her run ahead a little if she wants to because she has never run into the street and always stopped when I asked her to.

But in the last couple of weeks she has been purposely running into the street. It's happening when we are taking a walk around the block or playing in the park. I tell her to stop, I yell to her to stop. I tell her to get back on the side walk but nothing I do or say works. Today she almost ran out in front of a car. This absolutely scares me to death and I don't know how to change the behavior. After I get her back on the side walk I get down on her level and tell her she can't go in the street and why but its just not working. How can I get her to understand that running in the street is dangerous and one of those not allowed?

[handsandfeet]

subbing... same problem here. He laughs and thinks it's a game.

[physmom]

DD tries this too. Basically, we just make her hold our hands or hold onto the stroller (if we have it with us) at all times. On some rare occasions if we're on a very, very empty street I'll let her run along side of me without holding on but that's only for a short period of time and normallly only when DH is there too so we have two people to catch her. We live in a very major city and so holding our hand is very important.

It's cute and she gets it. If she doesn't she's either picked up and carried or goes in the stroller not ifs ands or buts. If she's trying to play (and it's a busy street or we're in a hurry) the same thing goes. We don't have a car so we walk everyone and sometimes we don't have time to stop and look at every fire hydrant. However, we do also try and take her on exploring walks too where she does have more of a chance to stop and smell the flowers, while holding our hand.

[redvlagrl]

For us we do holding hands or be carried near roads even if the road or parking lot is quiet.

To me, a toddler cannot understand that some roads (busy ones) are dangerous and others less so. I also worry about cars backing out of driveways if DD was a little ahead of me.

If she doesn't want to hold hands I say "ok, I'll carry you then". She inevitably says "hand?" and walks nicely.

When she is a bit older I will let her hold the stroller if we are using it for DS. Otherwise it will be holding hands until she's old enough to really understand and obey road safety.

[Fly Girl]

I do hold her hand as much as possible but I also have a 4 month old that I have to take everywhere with us. So DD1 is holding my hand, riding on her step on the back of the stroller or in the stroller. But its those times that I have to let go of her to unlock the car or transfer her from the stroller to the car that DD1 is running away. It also happens at the park near our house. There is a big grassy area with lots of trees where she likes to run. Obviously I'm not going to hold her hand when she runs. I try and keep near her but she's fast and once in a while just takes off for the street.

I can't carry her everywhere, I can't hold her hand at ALL times and she also just laughs and thinks its a game. I'm sure she thinks its fun because she gets a reaction from me, but running into the street is big deal and I can't redirect or just let it go.

Help?

[pbjmama]

If you run away from mom you leave the park or whatever fun activity you are doing. If you run out of the field you must leave immediately. One reminder as you get to the park, immediate follow through if it happens. And in your case when walking I would consider a toddler 'leash'. This could be life and death.

[lilith1]

Toddler backpack aka leash. Works great.