Still hard to go anywhere

[SIZE=12pt]Ever since the twins were born I have never been one to stay at home. We'd always go somewhere. The twins are 2.5 yrs and it is still hard to take them anywhere and let them out of their strollers. One goes one way and one the other. "Stop" or "come here" does not register well with these 2. My oldest was like this but then I had one not so hard. My 5 yr old was never like this. These 2 are both like that. I can't even take them outside here to play because we live so close to the road.

I had to get the superyard and put it around the sandbox on the back deck. It just irritates me that if we go to the playground or park they head straight where they shouldnt go. It is just a pain to take them both anywhere alone and the stroller is a must. I don't know what I would do without that thing.

Can I expect this to stop anytime soon? Are my twins the only ones who take off full blast wide open towards a road no matter whose house we are at? They hold hands pretty good but only for a short amoount of time. I am just ready for them to stay with me kwim? If I run in one of the boys schooles I have to keep abtight grip on both of them at all times or they take off running...Im just not used to that at this age :angry: [/SIZE]

 

My oldest was like that, he would take off running hard even though I was holding his hand. He wound up with "nurse maid's elbow" - a dislocated elbow and I invested in harnesses. I just brought the babies their harness as Nevan is the one to go off. He's young yet but I hope this will reign him in.

 

Mine are younger but I feel your pain. They just go different directions. Once at a mall playarea that was not gated it one of mine took off and freaked me out. Some lady was carrying him back toward me since I had spotted him after he took off. It really freaked me out and refuse to go to that mall again and they don't get out of the stroller anymore. I am interested to hear answers for this one.

 

I hear you! My boys are the same way- go go go and always in opposite directions. Had Nolan run off into a crowd of kids the other day at the pumpkin patch, and he was lost for a minute and a half and I was freaking out- it's just SO scary!

Sometimes my boys will stay in the stroller, especially if we keep moving. So we have to go and go and go when we go anywhere.

I am hoping this is a phase that will end eventually...

 

Mine are younger too and they go in opposite directions as well. My oldest was not like that at all, but like you said having one is so much easier and you can follow one. I keep hoping they will outgrow it.

 

I am not really sure how we've gotten to this point, but I have let them go a little in enclosed spaces and if they didn't come back to me when I said they needed to then I would "count" them and put them in timeout in the stroller. They started getting the idea after they were a little more than 2.

Now, I can take them around the block and expect them to remain on the sidewalk. I just NEVER let them off. Told them they couldn't go in the road. Told them "danger" and showed them when cars come. "You can't be out there because that's where the cars are" type of stuff.

I always wondered how those mom's did it that had their kids holding the stroller with one hand. Well, they do it because they don't want to be IN the stroller, so it's the lesser of two evils in their little minds....I guess.

I don't really know how it all got started, but you need a safe place to work on it. Like a gymnasium or a class of some sort. It helps! :hug99: Good luck!

 

[SIZE=12pt]Thanks everyone. I bought the little animal harness things for them in May before we went to Gatlinburg...it's like trying to walk a bunch of hyper poodles :blink:
Thankfully they still like their stroller. Katie has issues if we leave it at home to go grocery shopping lol She thinks someone will steal it I guess. I cant wait for them to grow out of this and hopefully with a little more space here and there they will. I can finally be on the front porch with them and not have to guard the stairs like a mad dog lol[/SIZE]

 

Mine are close in age to yours and my son is VERY MUCH a runner! And he's FAST. He's not much for holding hands and often tries to pry his hand away so we have to be really careful and hang on to him tightly. Fortunately we live on a dead end street and our house is set back from the road, so he's not too bad outside. However we went to a family members house 2 weekends ago that is very close to a very busy road and I nearly had a heart attack several times we were there!! Even though my daughter is good and stays with me, it's still very hard for me to take them places without the stroller. I often have to run after Alex and in turn lose sight of Sarah. It's so stressful and like you, I cannot wait for this phase to be over!

 

I can completely relate to your post. My girls are runners and they never run in the same direction. I have to admit that I am always a little jealous of these moms that can take their kids to the store by themselves and actually get something accomplished. I could NEVER do that. They are getting better now that they are a little older, but it was pure heck for a while. I desparately wanted to take them outside, but they wouldn't stay with me. One day, it took me forever to get them in the house, they just kept wandering off from me. We live in the country, so there's lots of areas I don't want them in. What I finally did was get a dog pen and put it around my patio outside. It worked GREAT!!! People thought I was crazy, but it was just the perfect size for them to play and I had peace of mind that they weren't going to run off and get hurt. Now, I can take them outside and they stay with me, but that's just been in the last few months.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I think it'll get better for you. I still don't take mine to the stores by myself. I wish I could, I'd get a lot more done. We have started going to Kindermusik once a week and they go to preschool two mornings a week, so I think that's helped some.

I wish you the best!!

 

Mine are the same way. When we go to the park, I only take them to a completely enclosed park. (Thank goodness there are lots of them in New York City. Four of them within 15 minute walk from my apartment.) When we go out to the store, they are always in the stroller. When we go for a walk, they MUST hold my hand. If one of them let goes of my hand, we turn back immediately and go home. They would protest and cry from time to time, but it's such an important safety issue that I never give in to their protests.

Lately, they have become really good at holding onto the stroller straps. So I take them out on a walk while I push the stroller with them holding onto the stroller straps on each side. If they let go of the strap, they get put back in the stroller. This arrangement works well for us because the kids get exercise walking on their feet and I'm able to carry more things than if I held onto their hands.

I can't wait till the day when they'll know better than to run away in two different directions. But in the mean time, better safe than sorry.

 

Mine would not run off often but then they did we would make it a game...We would say "go get your brother" or "where is your brother" and they would stop and turn towards each other and run towards each other. It was pretty cute and worked for us.