Reins

[silly moo]

I was wondering what the modern viewpoint on safety reins for toddlers and young children is.
Comments please.

[andy hughes]

Having had just one baby girl who was never keen to run off, holding hands (continuously) when out was enough to keep her safe. If she had been more adventurous, I would have used reins to keep her under control. i know 'modern' parents think they look old-fashioned, but I'd rather be thought of as a fuddy-duddy that watch my child run under a car. That said, i think wrist straps look dreadful - as child is either young enough for reigns, or old enough to be told to hild hands.

[kick3m0n]

my wee guy is 18 months old, only been walking on his own for about 3 months.   When we take him out without his pram/buggy, we always put the reigns on him, tho often he's happy to hold our hand.  I've never thought about it as old fashioned. Reigns give him a bit of freedom to move about and explore, but we can still keep him safe and, importantly, take the weight on the reigns should he stumble (which he tends to do quite a bit!).  I do dislike the wrist straps, tho I guess if you have a wee one who's prone to great escapes, they might be useful.

[silly moo]

I asked the question because you very rarely see them.
Interesting that the 1st 2 replies are pro reins.
Did you realise that both wrist straps (which remind me of a dog lead) and simply holding hands have 1 drawback. If the child stumbles they can so easily end up with a 'pulled elbow'.
As young childrens' joints are not fully developed they cannot actually dislocate their elbows, but the term used to describe the child equivalent is a pulled elbow. The harness on reins protects the joints when they trip.

[kick3m0n]

do you know silly moo that's oen fo the reasons I am not keen on the wrist strap.  Particularly at the moment, because Charlie is still egttignt o grips with walkign tou doors.  There's so much to see, touch and do, that he oftens stumbles as he's not paying attention to where he puts his feet.  The reigns work so well, as they take his weight around his chest, and it's very easy to prevent a fall.  A friend of ours actually did give his first son a pulled elbow, trying to stop a fall when he was walking holding his dads hand.  The hospital staff said it is such a common injury in babies/toddlers and can happen even if you pull a baby into a sitting position by it's hands. Of course, poor dad felt awful.

[nrmatth]

I have some i've never used but if I was to go in a busy shopping center or had to go to an airport or any other busy public place that's dangerous I would say they are a must. As for any where else my personal viewpoint is to let children explore, take bumbs and bruises as they come, and be taught how to hold hands and how to cross streets. I consider this preventitive maintenence. Even though it would be great not to have walk 10 blocks before my toddler learns to stop at an insection, it also makes me feel a little more comfertable knowing she'll do it when I can't be there (hope the occasion never arises but you never know). Plus I think it's important even for new walkers to learn how to fall properly, and of course how to hold your hand in any parking area or street. and I work at a store so I've been particularly strict about good behavior in them. If they're not in the cart, they need to stay close and keep their hands to themselves. And if they pick up something, they need to put it back immediatly where they found it. The reins (leashes they call them in the states) are great for busy places where proximity is a must and even the best parent could lose track of a small or rambuctious child, but for other reasons I think that it's either overprotective with the falls or doesn't help them learn good manners or safe instruction around places cars goes. Just my opinion, though. I'm not completely against them for convenience reason, considering sometimes we can use all we can get.

[Top totty]

Used them with all 3 of my children. Both boys were not really bothered about running off and stayed close by but my daughter (2) is a different story and I do not feel happy unless she has her reigns on when we are out. Never used the wrist things but would not be without reigns.

[Hgrove]

I used the reins with my daughter (now 6); she was always trying to shoot off, usually into the road in the path of an oncoming car, and I have no doubt that she would not have survived long had I relied on holding hands.  I have a friend who commented that it was treating children like horses, but better on reins than dead I think.  I also had friends who said if they put reins on their toddlers, they would throw themselves on the ground and refuse to walk but I did not have that problem.  The type of injury kick3m0n mentions is, I think,  quite common. I am sure it happened to one of my friends too.

[farleyqueen]

My daughter isnt old enough for either a wrist strap or reigns but I WILL use reigns especially after what happened to Jamie Bulger I would want my child wandering off in a Busy shop!. Im not bothered if they look old fashioned (I dont think they do) it is better to be safe than sorry!

[Greenbhoy]

We have two pairs.
First to keep our wee monkey in his highchair and the other to keep from form running off. As per the above posts, it is much easier (and I feel, safer) to keep the reins that support the body as opposed to "jarring" their arms with the possibility of them twisting round and scraping one, if not both, knees.

[cullum]

People are probably not going to agree, but I have two lads - one aged 10 and the other 14.  I never used reins on either of them.  You see people with those horrid wrist strap reins - if you wanted a dog, go get a dog, don't put a child on a lead.  I don't like reins of any description and I never will - my lads are fine and were perfectly safe for not having had them.

[FP]

I used reins for my son when he was a toddler and if I was travelling alone with him by train, tube or bus.  It was so difficult to manipulate a pushchair, suitcase and a lively toddler and the reins meant peace of mind for me.  They do have a place.  I would not use them all the time, but in situations where there is danger then I would rather be safe than sorry.

I think wrist straps are dreadful for all the reasons given by others on this thread.