Keeping Track of Your Toddler
I remember before I had children, I thought it was strange when I saw mothers who had their children in harnesses out in public. The idea is that it is easier to keep track of an active child if they are in a baby harness.
When I became a mother, I still thought it was odd. Then, my toddler got lost one day while we were in Disney World. I decided to take a bathroom break and asked my parents and my ex to watch the children. When I returned, only three of our four children were waiting for me! It turned out that my youngest had slipped away and followed me into the bathroom. We discovered her a few minutes later, but I swear I sprouted several grey hairs in those minutes.  The next day, I bought a baby harness.
I thought of this today as we were touring Jamestown with my dear friend, her family, and their Belgium exchange student. Somehow, signals got crossed and everyone thought that the other person was watching the toddler. Then, panic ensued when we discovered he was missing.  We ran around the exhibits for a few minutes, calling for him in English, French, and German. He yelled back in English and we were able to find him.
The entire event lasted again, only a few minutes. This time, I’ve got too many grey hairs to tell if I’ve sprouted any new ones. As I hugged my son, my youngest, who herself had gotten lost in Disney almost a decade ago, remarked loudly–”SOMEBODY needs to get a baby harness!”
Have you used a baby harness to keep your active toddler close to you in public? Would you ever use such a product?
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brit says...
i own one, i have never used it though. but i would if i had more than one kid and we were somewhere busy, like an airport. I know that some moms think harnesses are evil but i think it’s much more important to keep your child safe!
Lissa says...
Since our son is walking now and he’s getting more and more adventurous we are planning to buy a baby harness, especially for our upcoming trips.