If you'd have asked me a year ago what I thought of those child safety leashes I would have told you to free the leash kids. I hated them. I thought that every child should be taught to hold hands instead of being put on a leash. I thought they were silly.
I thought these things and then came Timothy.
Timothy is my child who will NOT sit in a shopping cart. He will stand up and find his way out. It doesn't matter how tight you put the little belt that they have in them. He will find a way to wiggle free and almost kill himself getting out of the cart. Tim will not hold your hand and stay close by. He just runs full speed to where ever it is he is going. He just goes.
Shopping with this kid is something I so hate. I've started going grocery shopping alone or just with Ryan. When we do shop with Tim and he wiggles out and we allow him to get down and hold our hands he will do all he can to get out of our grip. He will probably attempt to dislocate his shoulder or break his arm just to get free. We will say that he HAS to hold our hand or he gets picked up.
We follow through with this rule and it results in super screaming, head butting and just an all out miserable experience for all of us at the store. If' I'm alone it results in me leaving the store without the items I came for because I just can't handle my wild child.
So, I started looking at leashes. I haven't purchased one yet because I feel there must be another solution to this problem.
Any one have any experiences or ideas?
1 comment:
No experience with the leashes, but you just described Elanor. I hate shopping with her. I can make a quick trip without a meltdown (if I have a toy/snack in my purse to occupy her -- a notebook and pen also works well) but anything longer than 15 mins or so results in the screaming/crying/headbutting you described.
I never did the leash, because, honestly, she probably would have hated it too and done the limp noodle thing whenever it was on.
Things are better now, and I just make sure to lay out clear expectations beforehand: "We are going shopping. You are going to help mama! You can either ride in the cart or int he Ergo on Mama. WHich would you like? Do you want to bring Baby Abby?" Etc, etc, etc, while we're on the way there and getting out of the car.
And then I enforce it -- riding in the cart or on Mama. It doesn't always lead to a happy kid, but it is working more and more of the time these days.
It's so hard to shop with a little one who does not want to be contained. :(
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