Interested in your thoughts - leash/harness for child

For anyone looking to get the little life backpack ones, check Amazon.co.uk.  They had the best price when we got Jean's.

I find the argument equating child harnesses with dog leashes to be ridiculous.  My child (from the age of about 18 months until very recently at 3 and a half) was with a harness to protect him from others...more to the point careless pedestrians, cars, etc, in the city centre, during times when a pushchair just wasn't practical.

Calling it lazy parenting is a bit of an insult to those of us parents who try to do everything they can to keep their child safe. Sometimes, packing it up and heading home when a child doesn't listen isn't an option.

If one hasn't seen the necessity for a harness from time to time while out with a child then they have been blessed enough to not have a true BOLTER of a child, or a child with special needs who is overwhelmed by large crowds, or any amount of scenarios that make parenting *that* much harder. I don't think any of us who have used harnesses have neglected teaching the lesson of holding hands (I made my child do that as well while wearing his harness)

And fwiw, I've had far more "looks" for pushing my big 3.5 year old around in a pushchair in this country than I ever have for making him wear his monkey harness.

I went out with friends yesterday and their adorable wee boy had one of those 'monkey harnesses' - wow, those harness things are so clever and cute and we kept laughing at the 'monkey on his back'
 
He's nearly 2, and at the age of being extremely quick and fast at disappearing around the corner and taking off into the street and those things are brilliant!
Their son is the light of their life and they are doing an amazing job raising him.  

I think when I become a parent, I would definitely be happy to use them- such a good way to keep a kid close to you and safe, but they get to walk and feel their independence too.  

I didn't use reins for my children but I would have if they'd worked as the best solution.  Give it a try and see what you think!

Some people will always feel compelled to voice annoying opinions on your parenting no matter what you do or don't do.  They don't know your child.  You do.  If you end up using reins and anybody gives you negative feedback, just remember that for every person who makes a bad comment probably 1000 people will have walked by thinking nothing of it and therefore saying nothing at all. 

such a good way to keep a kid close to you and safe, but they get to walk and feel their independence too.  

Exactly!

. I don't think any of us who have used harnesses have neglected teaching the lesson of holding hands (I made my child do that as well while wearing his harness)

My concern would be how you are teaching a child to stay where he or she belongs without any type of physical restraint, whether hand-holding or harness, in preparation for pre-school/nursery school when he or she will have to obey a teacher who will be responsible for handling a number of children.

I am not suggesting that parents don't do that, or that anyone posting here doesn't do that,  just that getting your child to internalize proper behavior is more important in the long run than just using physical restraint to keep them out of trouble.

My concern would be how you are teaching a child to stay where he or she belongs without any type of physical restraint, whether hand-holding or harness, in preparation for pre-school/nursery school when he or she will have to obey a teacher who will be responsible for handling a number of children.

I am not suggesting that parents don't do that, or that anyone posting here doesn't do that,  just that getting your child to internalize proper behavior is more important in the long run than just using physical restraint to keep them out of trouble.

I can assure you that as the parent of both a preschooler and a Kindergartener, teachers are fully expecting to have to teach the kids to stay in line, not dart off, etc. Both my boys's classes had intensive 'training' in this when they started school. As a matter of fact, my younger son's class wasn't even allowed outside on the playground the first day of school because they were still learning the rules.

I know what you are getting at in your post, because yes, there *are* some kids who won't get any rules enforced at home before they start school. Those kids will have a whole host of other issues, too, unfortunately. But to imply (deliberately or not) that a child should be 'ready' to obey the teacher when they start school in terms of staying in line or in their place is a bit off the mark. At that age, it's still a hugely mixed bag of abilities and comprehension and that's why teachers of young children, are to me, amazing.

Gave me palpitations....first because that is a horrifying situation....but also because I am imagining the exchange between you and husband. But now you can never lose an argument - "oh you say I spent too much shopping huh? How about the time you lost the effing kid!"

LOL, I think you must be a fly on the wall at my house!