Toddler harnesses ('leashes') - Page 4

[lalaland42]

Originally Posted by smilla653

I just can't seem to overcome my negative reaction when I see one. The point about the harnesses not being all that different from strollers is a good one, though. You've definitely got me thinking!

On the other hand, I live in a busy urban neighborhood with LOTS of small children. Most mothers don't seem to use leashes, therefore, somehow most Moms/babies seem to do OK without them.

My feeling is usually the less gadgets, the better.

I used to live in a busy, urban neighborhood (and visit there periodically) and I can live without one. But my daughter (with me) is not too much of a runner. She will take off if DH is in charge because clearly, I am the muscle. I will buy one before we go to the state fair though. We have an Ergo and a stroller but DD will want to walk and explore and really, that is why we will take her.

[wonderwahine]

I was just looking through the new sensational beginnings catalog, and in there they have these little radio frequency devices that clip to kids shoes and the parent has a remote, so you can locate them if they run off. I think they would be cool for an older child, but for ultimate safety for a toddler, I would use a leash.

[JeDeeLenae]

I hate that people are calling them leashes... seriously disturbs me. I prefer to call them safety harnesses. Maybe calling them leashes helps with the negative perception.

[wonderwahine]

I know for myself its a cultural thing, I'm from new zealand and they are marketed as leashes, so its hard for me to call it a harness....

[georgia]

For me, harness doesn't have any better connotation than leash ITA with Yooper about the child needing to be okay with it and being used gently. I would think this would be a given though

Thanks, everyone for a civil discussion

[singlemomto3]

I love putting ours on my 1 year old while going shopping, garage saling, once he's done being held, i can set him down and instead of being done looking, we can both look but with in a short distance of each other. Ours is a monkey backpack and he loves it and carries it even when he's not wearing it.

[smilla653]

By the way, the monkey backpack sounds kind of neato, in a stealth-harness kind of way. Can anyone post a link or pic?

[TripMom]

Originally Posted by heartmama

I see no reason for this issue to be divisive.

I think we can all agree that keeping our child safe is of utmost importance.

I personally did not use a harness. Other approaches worked for us.

But, I can easily admit that if other approaches did not work, and we had to go near potential dangers (water, traffic, crowded airport), I would do what I had to do in order to keep ds safe.

: Totally.

And - from the mothering higher order multiples tribe - I'd say that it is something that many of my peers use once the kiddos hit a certain age. I haven't tried it yet - but this is the first I've heard of the "back packs" - my kids love backpacks - so maybe this would work for us? They are starting to really struggle and fight the stroller - and I can't handle them alone on an outing . . .

[georgia]

So, is this the type of backpack y'all mean? Does the parent hold a child by the "tail"? That's much cuter than anything I've seen used around here

[JeDeeLenae]

THIS is the one we have. The actual backpack part isn't useful for more than a bouncy ball or the tail itself.

[2bluefish]

I have a toddler and a newborn, and I bought one of these backpacks for my toddler, so I don't have to be yanking on her arm all the time. I don't use the stroller much. We usually just walk into a store and then use the cart. (Most other outtings we have daddy to help carry babies.) The only problem I have had is teaching her not to run away from me. If I try to "rein her in", then sometimes it will cause her to fall. She seems to love the perceived freedom of not having to hold my hand. Any advice on how you actually use it/how the child gets use to the restraint?

[BennyPai]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

I bought a harness-style one for dd when I was pregnant with ds2. She's very active, and I was having a really hard time chasing her for about the last 5-6 weeks. I figured it was worth a try, if she liked it. She loved it. After having been bullied into another c-section, I also used it for the first month or so postpartum. Since then, she occasionally finds it and insists that I put it on her, then she usually holds her own "tail". I do'nt know why she decided it was a tail - it's not an animal harness or anything.

She loves it, and it certainly enabled me to do a lot more with her when ds2 was a newborn.

My dd also refers to it as a "tail." She loves her teddy & doggy backpack harnesses. I carry my 11mos dd in a sling. 2 & 3/4 yo dd holds my hand. I slip the handle to her harness over my wrist - just in case she decides to wriggle away. I don't hold it like a leash.
Whenever we're out without the harness, she runs. Dd's favorite game to play in stores is hide-and-seek.
I haven't heard this safety gadget is controversial... Many AP folks I've met have actually used slings for this purpose.

[moonfirefaery]

I'm going to get the monkey when my son is a few months older. Right now we just use a leash that attachs to his wrist and then to my hand. I think he'd be more distracted by the harness than he is by the little leash. He doesn't really mind it. He stops to kind of pick at it sometimes, like he does ANYTHING he ends up wearing, but mostly he just ignores it and keeps walking, feeling all free and independant lol

[boongirl]

Originally Posted by georgia

So, is this the type of backpack y'all mean? Does the parent hold a child by the "tail"? That's much cuter than anything I've seen used around here

Scroll down that link and check out the puppy. I saw one today. It is the same one in the walmart link. I've never seen that before. It was kinda cute. I don't like harnesses/leashes/whatever, but I do understand that some mamas need them. It seemed like this mama had several children and the little one was hard to keep track of, a bolter. That would scare me. If I had several kids and one was prone to bolting, I might try one of these things or never leave the house with more than one kid. I dunno, I have only one, it is hard to judge. But, I will say that the little guy in the harness was miserable and whiny the whole time his family were in the children's museum. Makes me wonder if he is in the harness because he bolts or does he try to bolt because he is in the harness? His mom was irritated with him a lot. Again, hard to judge since I have only one.

[2bluefish]

Originally Posted by BennyPai

My dd also refers to it as a "tail." She loves her teddy & doggy backpack harnesses. I carry my 11mos dd in a sling. 2 & 3/4 yo dd holds my hand. I slip the handle to her harness over my wrist - just in case she decides to wriggle away. I don't hold it like a leash.

Ah, I see, so if you need to direct the child, you still need to hold her hand. But you could let go if you were just going to follow wherever she wanted to go. The few times we tried it, she always tried to go the opposite direction I wanted to go. Tried it in a store once - big mistake, she was grabbing everything off the shelves. I'm glad she's willing to ride in the cart! Plus her little legs got tired after awhile, and when I had an emergency run to the bathroom, I was practically dragging her.

[jackaroosmom]

I can see both sides of this, but personally, I wouldn't use one. If they were more widely used and socially acceptable, I would perhaps consider one. I live in Los Angeles, and I never really see people use them. Maybe a few times at the zoo or at Disneyland. Everyone has their child in strollers everywhere.

It just reminds me of a dog on a leash or bondage or something, but I have seen a few kids running from parents who probably wished they had a harness!

I am not comfortable bf my toddler in public either, so I guess I worry too much about public opinion!

[TripMom]

Got 3 monkeys on order today. With toddler triplets who prefer to walk rather than stroll - and an active 4 year old in tow -- I hope this is a good solution for us. One that will give the babies the freedom that they want - while also keeping them safe.

[heartmama]

Hmmm....3 monkey backpacks? I hope you ordered an extra arm to hold all the tails!

[dharmama]

My DD loves her moneky backpack although I always have to chuckle about the "monkey on her back" every time she wears it!

[katallen]

I hate children leashes and I am sorry if that word offends some people, but that is what they are whether they are attached to a nice backpack or a leash on a wrist that you hold onto, even my three year old knows that much and I have never pointed it out to her for fear that she would tactlessly point out children in them (which she now does anyways). They are also only good for keeping children from running away. They don't do anything that holding a child's hand or carrying them doesn't do. A child can still get into a lot of trouble with them in a store because they leave several feet of slack and if there is something very tantalizing to the child (like clothes on a hanger that need to be pulled off, a jar that looks cool, etc...) they will still have ample opportunity to do a lot of damage. The only thing they are good for is not letting the child run off but they couldn't do that in your arms or holding your hand and you are more aware of them when they are tugging your hand to get something then when they can reach something without tugging the leash.