Baby Harness

I was wondering what peoples views are on baby harnesses? I have an 18 month old boy who constantly runs off. When we go shopping, I leave him in his stroller but he wants to get out. If I do let him walk, he runs off and wont stop. If I try to hold his hand he sits down and has a tantrum. Before I was pregnant I hated baby harnesses but now I'm afraid he will get hurt. :~

i have that same problem my daughter is 2 and just wont sit in a pram she will hold my hand but as soon as she sees something she wants she gone like a rocket.i hated the idea of the harness but my daughter loves it she wants me to put it on her.give it a try.

I think they are a wonderful idea for teaching your child to be a big boy or girl. NOt only are these an added safety and sanity relief for us, it can be benefial for them. If you hold their hand, and have the safety harness handle around your hand aswell, so that if they do let go of your hand you still have that safety harness. You teach them to hold hands and not run away.

I feel much safer using mine, and I just disregard what anyone else says, I am doing it for my toddlers safety and my sanity.

My little one is so active and inquisitive, that it is the only way to teach her safely to hold hands, and not run off.

Good luck!!

It was my mother that got our son his harness, she believed that they are a wonderful idea, as how would you like to walk around with your arm up in the air.

My son is very inquisitive and gets into anything that he can. He wears his harness when we are at the shops or even just out for a walk. I got the one where the 'handle' attaches at the back because otherwise he would have tried, and more then likely succeeded, in removing it smile

Now when we go to the shops I have started to encourage him to hold onto the pram and he seems to enjoy pushing his brother along, and he doesn't run away.

You don't need to listen to what anyone else says, its really up to you and what you think is best for your children.

My mother wanted to buy my 26mth old son a harness I flately refused she however brought one anyhow and I did try it and it made the shopping trip awful he pulled and screamed. I took it off and I dont know if its because I tried it but he actually holds my hand now. I think they go through a stage where they are naughty when you go out, you need to prevail and show that this is incorrect behaviour when your out.It's all about ones choice, good luck with yours.

Thankyou everyone for your comments. We had our first shopping trip today with the harness. He wasn't very impressed but atleast it he held my hand and when he did let go and tried to take off, the harness was rapped around my wrist so he didn't get very far.
Hopefully now he will learn and won't keep fighting me all the time.
Thankyou for your support.

The thought of my daughter being taken from me under my nose scares me beyond belief so having a harness on her makes me feel so much better but we are lucky that she still sits in the pram and has so far not really been interested in walking around on her own (she is two) but having said that she could at any moment want to get out of her pram. We have on occasions let her walk with the harness on and her Nanna uses it all the time when she has her and she really doesnt mind it. I over heard a comment someone made about her being a dog on a lead, it was very hard to bite my tongue but realising my child was safe and in no risk of being snatched I walked away with my head held high knowing I put my child first and not other peoples opinons considering they had about 5 kids the youngest being about 1 and no one was holding him or really looking out for him in a big furniture store and he kept running off. I'm glad other parents use them.

I too thought they were awful before I had kids! My eldest is 3 in 2 months, and only in the last few months he has been good and wont run off. He didn't like the harness so in the pram he stayed but he was quite good about it and never minded it at all. I think they all go through this stage as the 17month old now is the same. He is now in the pram with the baby and the eldest will hold the pram or my hand when we go to the shops, which I may add is not often!

They would probably think you were a worse mum if your child ran on the road or was snatched by someone what ever works for you - other people are afterall other people whos cares as long as your child is safe!

My sister had this problem with my a wrist strap (it was a attached with velcro and bit wider then a watch band). Her then 2 year old (now 7) used to hate it and threw a tantrum every time it was used. Until one day he "Lost" us (he wandered off), we could see him and knew he was safe but he couldn't see us. We waited until he seemed to be a little upset and then called his name, he came running to us as fast as his little legs could carry him. Once he got back to us he was cranky because he lost us. I then said well maybe you need to put the wrist strap on Aunty Jodi and hold mummies hand so that we can't get lost. He thought this was a great idea, because he was using it on us and we never had tears again. Something we do now days when we go somewhere that is busy ie The Show, is to put stickers on the boys. All that we write on these stickers is If I am lost please call Mummy Ph No. and a few other numbers just in case. We don't put there names on them or our names just in case someone not so nice calls see them and say I know you John and you Mummy's name is Jane.

I know what you mean. My 17 month old girl was the same. I use a harnesses when we are out and she loves being able to walk. It gives her more freedom than me holding her hand and it keeps her with in arms reach, and safe. Some people give "looks" but I would rather that and a safe and happy shoping trip. Her harnesses also can be used for a set belt as it goes around her body, not on her arm.

JA loved hers, gave her the freedom to walk with mummy and daddy....however, now she is too confident - having outgrown it as such.... sh seems to run off more then she did before !

We got looks and comments too - often from teenagers who wouldnt have a clue !!!

JAG