Bolting!

[CanBoo]

Anyone has tricks to share to control a bolter?

And how long did YOUR child did it for?

DD2 is 28 months. I know it will pass, but for now, she is not safe so I'd like it if any of you had tips with a toddler who keeps running away.

We tried to play the red light/green light game, but no success, same for playing stop and go. Once she's gone, she's gone...

So right now, we

- sling as much as possible to keep her contained

- Sometimes just have to grab the arm and hold tight. It beats getting her hit by a car in a parking lot :(

- Praise her when she doesn't bolt

- Always have good footwear on the parents feet to be able to catch her if need is.

- Put her in squeaky shoes to locate her, or rain boots, since she tends not to be able to run as fast in them...

Despite all this, she managed to take off in parking lots 3 times over the last week. Scary.

She loves her balance bike, but we also learned that we cannot use it at all until this phase is over.

I know it will pass... But it can't hurt to repeat it to me...

[chel]

I use a stroller a lot for public outings. Very tempted to get one of those leash backpacks

[CanBoo]

Originally Posted by chel 

I use a stroller a lot for public outings. Very tempted to get one of those leash backpacks

Got one of those. Not nice with car outings, because they cannot go in the seat with it. I am very tempted to buy a simple harness one.

Same with stroller. So really it is just one more thing to fiddle with.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I have a runner.  Our hard and fast RULE (rules in my house are non-negotiable - there aren't many of them), is that he MUST hold my hand when walking on the sidewalk, or in parking lots.  I cannot let go of him AT ALL in parking lots.  He's the first thing into the car (say, at the grocery store, the groceries sit on the ground while I buckle him in), and last thing out of the car.  I don't use a stroller anymore, but when I was still using it, he had one chance to walk - if he tried bolting, he went in the stroller.  Didn't matter if he didn't want to, he went in after one chance.

I also used a leash ALOT.  I'm sure it looked awful, but when I was trying to fold the stroller and he was trying to run into the street while we were at the bus stop, well, the leash was a better alternative than him getting hit by a car. 

Now, my ds is getting MUCH better (he'll turn 3yo in Jan, I have no idea how many months he is now), but I still insist on handholding, which he doesn't protest very much any more, and I'm super vigilant whenever we're out and about.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by CanBoo 

Got one of those. Not nice with car outings, because they cannot go in the seat with it. I am very tempted to buy a simple harness one.

Same with stroller. So really it is just one more thing to fiddle with.

The stroller isn't one more thing to fiddle with.  You get the stroller out of the car first, and get it completely set up, and then baby goes straight from carseat to stroller.  Use the wheel brakes if you have to.  The baby shouldn't even touch the ground.

With a leash, you get the leash completely ready, undo the carseat, and then immediately put the leash on - before baby is out of the car.  Its harder, and takes a little more planning, but it makes life alot easier.

[CanBoo]

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 

The stroller isn't one more thing to fiddle with.  You get the stroller out of the car first, and get it completely set up, and then baby goes straight from carseat to stroller.  Use the wheel brakes if you have to.  The baby shouldn't even touch the ground.

With a leash, you get the leash completely ready, undo the carseat, and then immediately put the leash on - before baby is out of the car.  Its harder, and takes a little more planning, but it makes life alot easier.

I think I was misunderstood. The backpack is one more thing to fiddle with not the stroller, I meant that you have to put it on every time the kid gets out of the stroller. I wanted to advise the previous mama of its drawbacks as opposed to a simple harness without added bulk at the back...

I am thinking about getting a leash with a harness that stays on the kid from the moment you leave the house, to the moment we come back... I prefer carriers to the stroller though never been too fond of strollers... But the use is the same as you describe.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Originally Posted by CanBoo 

I think I was misunderstood. The backpack is one more thing to fiddle with not the stroller, I meant that you have to put it on every time the kid gets out of the stroller. I wanted to advise the previous mama of its drawbacks as opposed to a simple harness without added bulk at the back...

Oh, my ds never leans back in the stroller, so the backpack never caused problems (obviously, he can't wear that in the carseat cause its not safe - but we hardly drive cause I don't own a car I have to borrow if I need to drive).

I'm jealous that your dd is light enough to still carry, my ds is way to heavy for me to wear him anymore, otherwise I would.

[CanBoo]

Originally Posted by Super~Single~Mama 

Oh, my ds never leans back in the stroller, so the backpack never caused problems (obviously, he can't wear that in the carseat cause its not safe - but we hardly drive cause I don't own a car I have to borrow if I need to drive).

I'm jealous that your dd is light enough to still carry, my ds is way to heavy for me to wear him anymore, otherwise I would.

Bummer.

I love carrying. My kids are lightweight, but I still carry my almost 5 years old. She is about 35 lbs, which is light for her age I know, but still a good weight for mama.

I used to backpack a lot and carrying a kid or a heavy pack seem quite the same to me.

[Peony]

Stroller here. I have 4 kids, my current bolter is the 3rd child. I don't have a free hand to wrangle him often. He gets his butt strapped just like single mama described. I can't trust him to hold him hand and not rip away and run while we are around traffic. I didn't even own a stroller with my first but now I am never without one in the back of my car!

[tjjazzy]

i have a sit and stand double stroller and a backpack leash for our 3 yo before the baby, he was pretty much always in the jogging stroller.) i never allow my kids to get out of the carts when shopping until they are old enough to stay with us. when we have the sit and stand, i tell him where to go before leaving a store/restaurant and luckily, he really likes his seat in the stroller and goes right to it and sits down. i was terrified he was going to bolt into the street instead of listening to me the first time we went out with it.

[tjjazzy]

i'm just laughing to myself trying to picture me carrying my 3yo in a carrier or however. lol he weighed 42 pounds the last time we weighed him and that was months ago. i'd wager him to be about 45 now. he's almost as tall as his 5.5 yo brother. ugh. so hard to control an out of control very big 3 yo.