People are always commenting on Heidi’s walking. She was up and about from 7 months, and being on the dinky side, it did look a little strange to see her running and climbing. At 15 months she can now manage extended time on her feet and, although I insist upon it, it’s a struggle to get her in a pushchair at all - she just wants to be like her big brother.
It was the same with Dex. As soon as he was capable (before 2 years) he was walking short distances holding my hand. By the time of his second birthday, we’d popped his pushchair into storage and he made any trip mummy did on foot. It might have taken us close to an hour to buy milk (the shop is ten minutes away), but it was worth it to give him a little independence and get some road-safety basics nailed.
So now, when we get to Tesco, I let Heidi walk freely whilst we do the shop. If I’m taking the kids to the park at the end of the street, she’ll walk along beside us. It’s somehow earned me a reputation as a “pushy mum”, and some of my neighbours disagree with me, but it works for us and Heidi is going to bed thoroughly tired-out due to the exercise.
We’ve plumped for the Goldbug Harness Buddy Toddler Reins / Backpack from Baby Thingz. I wanted something super soft & padded across her back, so these are ideal. The straps are fully adjustable and fit snugly against her miniature shoulder blades fastening with a safety clip at the front. Recommended for 18mths and up, Heidi is obviously a few months short of the average toddler, but they fit perfectly with plenty of room for growth.
I’m also pleased with the 3-foot tail so Heidi has plenty of freedom to explore. I only use reins for road-walking, or when there are gardens and the like to distract her whilst out and about. The idea isn’t to limit her, or restrict her, and I didn’t want to feel like I was taking a dog for a walk! If I need a bit more control for dangerous areas, I simply furl some of the excess tail around my wrist to pull her a little closer to me.
As soon as she’s able to listen to instructions better, she’ll have no need for reins at all. We’ll move to hand-holding, buggy-boarding or balance-biking - but for now this is far safer than leaving her to her own devices.
Buying reins is obviously a bit hit and miss for parents. They might all look similar, but there are reins with integrated backpacks, loops for parents to get better grip, five point harnesses etc. Heidi’s reins might look fun and less formal than Lindam’s or Cippasafe’s offerings, but they have robust safety buckles and conform to the required safety standard here in the UK. In fact, we’ve tried her on a set of more traditional reins and she much prefers these. I think it’s a case of what works for you as a parent, and of course, your baby - who might not get on with them at all - read about Dexter’s experience here.
My only minor criticism of the Goldbug reins, is that, if you were to use this as a backpack rather than reins, you wouldn’t fit a lot in it! You’d struggle to get a water bottle and a toy in there for example. Yet backpack aside, I’m pretty happy with these and feel much happier knowing she’s safe.
Heidi has a giraffe, but there are plenty of other cool designs available, including a dog, lion and pony with each priced at a reasonable £16.99. Head on over to Baby Thingz to bag one for your child.
