Harness question?

So I was at the mall with my 5 year old & my babies (3 months) and another twin mom came up to me and went on & on about how wonderful it is to raise twins....very nice of her but at the end of our conversation she told me she never could have done it without the harnesses well actually she called them leashes for your kids. And I'm just not sure how I feel about that? Maybe I should post this in the 2year old forum? Because that's when I'm scared...2 two year olds yikes!? So what do you guys think? Do you think you'll use the harnesses or not? I'm split & just want some opinions thanks!

 

I just talked about this the other day! I plan on using them. I fully understand that some people will judge me, but I would rather have safe children than lost children. I am already encouraging constant hand holding and hope that may help, but I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if it requires "leashes"

 

I don't want to use them so we have them hold our hands if they want to walk and if they don't they get carried. Thankfully we live out in the country so it's mostly going to the mall where I would have to worry about this....and then it's in the stroller they go If they get more out of control I will give in and use them...it's all about safety...even if I don't like them!

 

Harnesses are all about safety. If you have a little one who is prone to dashing away, who cares what other people think? I bought a really cute monkey one when I had DS1, and never used it once because he never would have wandered away from me and I only had 1 child to worry about, but I was totally prepared to use it if I had a really impulsive kid.

 

I used them with the twins and use them again now with E & E. I think there is less stigma around using them here (UK), I've never had a negative comment or even a funny look-although maybe I was just too busy watching the children to notice! :lol:

I really don't see the problem in using them if they make your life easier. Sometimes it is not comfortable/practical to hold hands and, however nicely your toddler(s) walks with you, it's good to know that they can't suddenly dash off if the mood takes them.
Whether you really need them or not will probably depend partly on your twins personalities and partly on your lifestyle. With both my sets of twins I did a lot of walking and was keen to have them walk too (so I didn't have to lug the double stroller on public transport and could wear them out faster), so there was a period of maybe 6-9 months when the harnesses were really useful. With E & E they live in a more remote area, I can't just walk them out of the house we have to drive to get anywhere, so I think I will be using the harnesses less. I don't really need them to transfer the kids from the car park to the park/store/playgroup.

I will say that when using two harnesses at once it took a little practice (the first 5-10 minutes of the first few times we used them) for the children to get used to walking with them. For the most part I kept them one on each side of me to minimise tangles, then I could concentrate on getting them to walk at the same speed.

Good luck with your decision, when the time comes you should do what's right for your family and not worry about what others think.

 

I will use them for sure if we are going places like malls, zoos, or other crowded hard to manage kids kind of places. I used to think it was a goofy idea until I considered trying to keep 2 kids in line along with 3 older siblings. Now I'm all for them.

 

I think we'll get them. I worry about trying to get one kid out of the car and the other one dashes off into the mall traffic. Its about safety. Besides they have some cute ones now with little backpacks and things attached to they don't look to "dog leash like".

 

Before I had kids I called them baby leashes... and have NO problem with them. It's about safety. They aren't dog collars or choke collars. I'm sure my IL's will have a field day- they couldn't stand me SWADDLING the boys (said it was cruel/inhumane). Just wait, family, just wait... :girl_devil:

 

I am waiting to see temperament before I decide whether or not to use them. My plan is to use the stroller as much as possible. However, I am not saying no to them if it comes down to me needing them.

 

I had no thoughts of them whatsoever. And I agree-it's all about SAFETY. My kids didn't dash or anything, but I did buy some(and really haven't needed them). But I was glad I did have them, in case I ever needed them. I think your twins may be too young to decide if you want them or not, or to think badly about them. That's not to say you have to use them. When I got them, it was around the 18 month stage, vs the 2.5 year old stage. My boys are now 2.5 and do pretty well walking on their own with me.

 

This is hilarious! My whole family ragged on me for swaddling. They called the blankets "baby straight jackets". People always have to have their input!

 

It's late, and I'm tired, so I'll just link you to my blog about it. You can read it if you want.

For the record I am for them, I have 2 simple ones I keep in the diaper bag for "as needed" situations.

Leashes...yay or nay...

 

I've got one for my toddler as she hates holding my hand and is constantly running away. I've got twins to worry about too so a harness just makes things a little easier. Don't worry about what others think of you as I'm sure they would think even less of you if you let one of the kiddies run away from you and they got hit by car. I can just hear them saying "if she can't hold onto her kids she should have a harness or something!". You can't win by trying to get approval from others so just do what works for you.

 

We bought the Eddie Bauer monkey harness backpacks for the kiddos. I found that they came in handy when the kids did not walk so well with us. Now that they listen better and want to hold hands when we are out and about, I hardly use them. I agree, it is all about safety.

 

Having witnessed my neighbor's 20 month old twins run into the street by opposite directions, I can fully understand why parents would have the harnesses which is why I have not ruled them out. As all PP have said, safety is most important. I'd rather someone judge me for being too safe than my kid being hit by a car.

 

I did use one on outings with my son when he was younger. It gave him the freedom to walk next to us like a big guy without us holding his hand, but the peace of mind for us to know he wasn't going to run out into the street. I don't think there's anything wrong with them at all, because like others said, safety is #1!!

 

I also had the Eddie Bauer backpack harnesses. They were great during the 2nd year, when they wanted to walk on their own but weren't the best listeners. Now that they are a little older and listen I don't need them anymore, but the girls still love to put on the backpacks.

 

we had the eddie bauer monkey backback for my oldest DS. i bought it for (like many have said here) trips to the zoo or aquarium or the mall where he may get tired of being in the stroller or may want to get out so he could see better. we really only used it once or twice but i am thinking i will get a second one to use with lucas and mason. i already find myself concerned about keeping track of everyone and 2 of them are still in infant car seats!

i agree it's a safety issue and although noah is (and always has been) good at holding hands, i often wonder if it used to hurt his arm after awhile to hold hands for an extended period of time. when i think about the height difference and hold my arm up over my head (like i am holding the hand of a taller person) for awhile, it starts to hurt.

one thing to is when noah wore the backpack/harness/leash, whatever you want to call it, he always walked in front of me. i never "pulled" or dragged him behind me. that would make it feel more like a dog/leash to me.

 

I think I like you.

We have leashes, I LOVE them. They are perfect for my two who will hold hands 85% of the time. It's also good for a laugh when they decide to play dogs in the mall, crawling, barking, and wearing their leashes. Very funny. In fact, the other day my husband had my car which has both the stroller and the "Monkey Leashes", I had plans for the kids, which didn't involve driving an hour out of my way to get the stroller, so we went to Target and got new ones. I let them pick out what they wanted this time, they wanted dogs. (Then they named them, Geeson and Dargbah.)

They are perfect for places that aren't stroller friendly, like a certain aquarium in Baltimore.

 

I think if they will help you get out of the house & keep the kids safe, then use them! I've never used one myself, but I can certainly see how they would be useful in some situations.

 

I SWORE I would never use one, but once the twins arrived and going out with them AND my 2 yr old proved to be a feat I didnt want to soon repeat with pusing a stroller and chassing him, I went and got one for Donevan. Never looked back, and he doesnt mind it. He actually REMINDS me to put it on him when we get out of the car for a shopping trip. He doenst like sitting in the stroller and cart any more, and this way I dont feel like an insane lady by the end of our trip.

 

I remember the first time I saw one (I was a teenager) and I was so critical! I couldn't imagine treating your child like a dog. Then when my oldest was 2, we were at Payless Shoes in the mall. I had the baby (Trey) in a stroller and Sage started pulling all the shoes off the shelf. I knelt to put them back and before I knew it, she was gone. Seriously, it was like 20-30 seconds. Luckily, the clerk saw her and grabbed her as she was heading into the mall. I was in a total panic! I bought one of those harnesses that day. And she was soooooo much happier with it on. She didn't like holding my hand. She was short so holding my hand meant her arm was straight up in the air, constantly pulling on me. And she didn't have to be confined to the stroller all the time. She could roam a little, and I didn't have to stress about where she was or carry her. We didn't use it all the time, as I did have a double stroller. But when she wanted to walk, it was great!

I only used it a handful of times with my other kids. They just didn't really need it. But if you have 1 or 2 who want to be independent, I think they're great!