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teaching road safety

my little girl is two years old she is quick for her age and understands me when we say yet a ssoon as we let her wlk instead of going in her pram she just runs ahead and completly ignores what we say I have tried to teach her road saftey and she got the jist but then after a while would not do it we have got to the point were we have started to use rains when she walks but i feel tight using them and feel like I'm ristricted her any advice would be great

Replies

  • Hi Rachael,

    I say keep using the reigns - it's the safest way especially on busy roads.  you can buy ones that are like little back packs rather than the old fashioned style ones that i wore when i was little.

    It will be easier to teach road safety when she is wearing them as you wont have to keep shouting and running after her, as she will be right by your side.

    We live on the Isle of Man home to the Isle of Man TT races and the Manx Grand Prix (motor bike racing if you have no idea what i'm taking about) and a lot of Island residents have motorbikes and for four weeks of the year we have a lot of visitors from all over the world riding all sorts of bikes taking over our roads. It makes for a lovely atmosphere but it also makes for very dangerous roads so we have always tried to teach Zach road sense but everything is so big and mystical at 2 years old!!

    I used them a lot when Zach was little as he had no concept of cars and bikes and that he was supposed to stay on the pavement!! We would walk to the park or the playing field and then i took them off and he was free to run and play around until it was time to go home.

    I know it seems mean but it is the safest way. Zach always called his the straps!! God knows what passers by must have thought when he was shouting about his 'straps'. image

    Hope your little one learns road sense soon

    Karel

  • Hello, there. This is my first posting on any forum so here goes...

    I have always repeated the mantra "stop, look, listen" etc to my daughter, now five years old and found the best way of instilling this was with reins in the beginning.  I know it seems you're teaching them in the same way you teach a dog, but whatever works best, really!  

    I would say, however, that we witnessed a recent frightening experience which brought it all into sharp focus.  I had just collected my daughter from school and was heading home when a mum, who was having a conversation on her mobile phone, wasn't aware of her son as he ran straight out into the road into the path of an oncoming car...which just managed to stop in time.  Don't want to put the fear of God into you at all but it really shocked all the surrounding parents and made us realise that it only takes a split second of loss of attention for a possible disaster to happen. 

    Anyway, keep up the training, it can only do good.

    Ali.

  • My oldest girls were the same, both very intelligent for their age, they used to manage to escape their reins despite me constantly tightening them and putting them back in them.  Once my 2nd daughter finally started walking at 17mths she would not go in the pushchair at all if it didn't suit her and after all the problems with my eldest, (then 2 1/2) I bought a wrist strap as I thought it might work better.

    I have found that they both absolutely hate wearing them and if they are silly and run away or not listening I insist they wear it until they are behaving sensibly again.  I used to put it around their wrist and hold their hand as well or eldest holds the pram now I have 3 to contend with.

    Teaching stop look and listen and always using the crossings at every road does take longer to walk anyway but my 2 say it with me now and will spend ages looking for the green man.

    At almost 4 and 2 /12 I now rarely need to use the wrist straps with either as they know to hold my hand or the pram and if they don't the dreaded strap goes on.  Both run like maniacs as soon as allowed but know to come back when told and never go out of my sight or shouting distance.  I fully intend to use the same techniques with my youngest once she is walking.

    Try different ways and use what is best for the 2 of you.  My friend with 2 close together attached the wrist straps to the loop on the reins to extend it so she didn't have to stoop and they felt they had a bit more freedom and did it that way.  Both hers are well behaved when out walking.

    Good luck xx

  • My 2 year old has just started walking too,but I'd never take her without reins.They're just so easily distracted.My now 5 year old was frequently running into the road at about 3  because he'd seen something or he wanted to be first to the car,whatever.They just don't realise the danger.

    I have both my 2 and 3 year olds on reins,and they hold the buggy at all times.We stop ,look and listen,it's something they have to learn,we live in a very busy part of town.If we're somewhere  safe like a park they can have all the freedom they want but walking along a busy road is a time when you can't worry about restricting them,it's more important they're safe.

    I've also saved them from many a grazed knee while they're on the reins and of course you can't lose them if they're attached to you or the buggy.

    I'm glad I read this because I so often see toddlers not on reins and there's me with two tied to the pram like a pair of huskies.Nice to see other people use them tooimage

  • I know what you mean, I cringe when I see people walking around on the phone or lighting a cigarette then you suddenly realise the child is with them and they have no idea where it has run off to.  It seems to happen a lot by the duck pond as well because it is away from the roads.

    We live in a quite area so I'm trying to get my 2 used to walking without the wrist straps when possible but in town the middle one is firmly strapped into the double buggy and I have a tight hold of the oldest hand.

    I have found my middle daughter wanders around in a dream world and falls over frequently when wearing reins of the wrist strap because she knows now I won't let her hit the ground and hurt herself, she's much more careful when not hanging on to me!  Will not walk anywhere without clinging to my hand though and hides in the buggy if its busy. 

  • hi thanks for all the replys its made me feel better at least and the info great ta
  • I agree with the other ladies,carry on with reins,I got the backback thingy with the strap for Tom he's 3 now,and he's not always aware I've got hold of him!!!

    Works a treat! And he can carry his artwork and bits and bobs from playgroup. The little fella is on reins and I'm thinking will be for another 5 years due to behaviour! Thank goodness he's not quite 2 so any journey of any length he's still in pushchair or I'd be grey!!!!

  • Just googled how to teach my child road safety as my  28 month old daughter keeps running off at every opportunity. At my wits end. Definately gonna do the reins for everrything xx

  • It takes time but you will get there just keep holding on until you feel they trust you and have the confidence to try on their own. 

     

    It took ages with mine but we got there image 

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