Getting out and about

[RedR]

My DS (Daniel , 3.5) can walk very well but more often than not if we are out ( down town, going to pre-school, doing the school run etc) he will refuse to walk or he runs off. The running off is getting quite scary as he ran out into a road on Tuesday I can't always keep up with him, especially if I have my youngest DS with me (14 months).

So usually I put him in the buggy ( and the baby in a sling, honestly I look like I'm setting off on an Artic expedition!) to save any fuss and distress. I've tried a buggy board but he can just climb off of that and unfortunately it seems that Daniel can now climb out of the buggy straps and run as he did yesterday and today.

 

I don't drive and there is nobody else to do the school runs for me so I need to be able to work out some safer way of getting out with him. I've tried a wrist strap when he was younger and he just used to undo that. I'd appreciate any ideas people may have.

Thanks!

[phoebe]

Hi,

 

I sympathise with your difficulties and have been through the same with DS now 8. There are a couple of ways that i have tried to deal with this over the years ( and he is too old for the buggy now) . The first was, I wasn't ready for him to be able to escape, so I put reins on him and attached those to the hooks in the buggy and then put the buggy straps on as well. The reins were fitted tighter to his body and so he couldn't wriggle out so easily (he was only 2 with maximum mobility and no sense!). As he got older, we went through various other routines really. Reward based, if he held onto the buggy, then I wouldn't strap him in..........

We walk to school every day and have done since he was 4, so just the repetitiveness of the expectation and reward system worked. It is not a miracle cure and he is still a runner and has little sense, but now he is allowed ahead a bit but must stop if I call him. He doesn't always remember to stay in earshot and sometimes we have to firm the rules up again.

 

Good luck

Phoebe

[RedR]

Hi,

 

I sympathise with your difficulties and have been through the same with DS now 8. There are a couple of ways that i have tried to deal with this over the years ( and he is too old for the buggy now) . The first was, I wasn't ready for him to be able to escape, so I put reins on him and attached those to the hooks in the buggy and then put the buggy straps on as well. The reins were fitted tighter to his body and so he couldn't wriggle out so easily (he was only 2 with maximum mobility and no sense!). As he got older, we went through various other routines really. Reward based, if he held onto the buggy, then I wouldn't strap him in..........

We walk to school every day and have done since he was 4, so just the repetitiveness of the expectation and reward system worked. It is not a miracle cure and he is still a runner and has little sense, but now he is allowed ahead a bit but must stop if I call him. He doesn't always remember to stay in earshot and sometimes we have to firm the rules up again.

 

Good luck

Phoebe

 

Thanks Phoebe, yup, maximum mobility and no sense would definitely describe Daniel too. The reins and the buggy straps might be the way to go though I can hear the screams of protest already!! Reward based stuff is tricky as he is non-verbal and doesn't really respond very well to that sort of strategy, though maybe one day....

[bid]

I don't know for sure, but perhaps major buggies are more escape-proof?

 

Bid

[RedR]

I don't know for sure, but perhaps major buggies are more escape-proof?

 

Bid

 

Thanks Bid. I keep hearing about these but I don't really know what they are or how I would go about getting one?

[bid]

We've never had one, but I'm pretty sure that you can get them (free?) from Occupational Therapy?

 

I think your Health Visitor would be a good place to start asking about this.

 

Good luck, and I do know that quite a few people on here do have major buggies.

 

Bid

[loulou]

Hi,

 

I think you can get the Major Stroller free from the Occupational Therapy Dept too, although in our area i know the waiting list is long. Do you have a Special Needs Health Visitor? Hopefully she can help.

 

Kai was a terrible "runner" when he was younger. I kept him on reins (although he protested) until he was about 4. There's no way i could have kept him safe otherwise.

 

Here's the link for the buggy:

 

major stroller

 

Loulou xx

[elun1]

Hi

We use one for youngest ds aged 5 when in busy places still as it doesn't occur to him to stay with you when you're walking along and he would be gone in a second with no way of saying who he is or who he belongs to. Also he sometimes REFUSES to walk and will kick and scream so I find it easier to put him in there than carry him as last time he smacked me so hard I ended up dropping him. Also very useful as my eldest is still only 7 and still keeps a close eye kept on him at times

xxx

[Lynden]

We just got a Maclaren for Logan on Monday and I have to say that its just as easy to escape from as a normal buggy - it just has a standard 5 point hardess. The main difference that I can see is that its taller than normal buggies so suitable for slightly older kids.

 

Our OT referred us for one - Logan has hypotonia too and has only been walking for 6 months and he completely refuses to walk outside. I've been using a sling, but he's really getting too tall and gangly to be able to handle him well but he hated sitting in a buggy, but he's going to have to get used to it. They use it at nursery though so he's a little better thankfully.

 

You also dont get any of the extras with it - or at least we didn't, we just got the buggy and we have to buy raincover etc.

 

Lynne

[dooday24]

reece has a major buggy and i got it through my gp, he cannot undo the clips and i feel safer with him in it

[forbsay]

Hi

 

When my son was refusing to walk when he was younger - i used to get him to go for short walks to get him used to the idea ie just around the block where i stay. This worked for him and I gradually built up the length of walks that he goes on. He is now 6.5 yrs old and will walk beside me ,

 

Take care

 

forbsay

[Kathrynh]

I love my major elite. I feel like it gave me some of my life back. I had got to the point where it was almost impossible to take B anywhere cos he wouldn't walk with me, constantly dropping to the floor and crying, and if I lifted him up to carry he would fight me attacking my face and hair. Now he will go anywhere happily in his buggy - its like his safe place- and it means I can take him to new places without a panic. He even sees the dentist happily in it. No need to get out of his chair. The harness clip is quite stiff and he has got no chance of opening it yet, although he hasn't tried yet.

[opheila]

L is 4 i have the major elite buggy i dont know what i am going to do when it gets to small. The slightest noise or high pitch sound he cannot cope with he falls to the floor banging his head. He has no road sense and has no sense of danger what so ever. I asked the pead what am i going to do when he gets to big for the buggy. Look of horror when he said i hope he will be out of that stage by then. This is after i explain how bad he was getting when out especially in crowded places. He likes his buggy as i think it makes him feel secure

[Lynden]

Hmmm from everyone elses posts maybe our harnesses aren't done up tight enough as Logan can wiggle out - but he is a petite little chap and incredibly bendy because he has hypermobile joints.

 

Lynne x

[RedR]

Thankyou all for your replies, you have all given me food for thought. I'm meant to be seeing D's paed. soon ( if the appt. ever turns up!) so maybe I can ask her about a major buggy as we haven't been referred to OT.

 

Sorry for the blanket reply but as it is half term time is limitted

[dooday24]

goodluck

[MichelleW]

I'm having exactly the same problem with my youngest. He screams if I put him in pushchair but refused to walk on reins or wrist strap and will throw himself on the floor and refuse to move until I let go - then promptly runs away. If I'm in a shop, he will run straight for the exit. I end up having to carry him, and though he is 27 months he is the size of an average 4 year old, so he is too heavy. He does wriggle out of the arm strap of the pushchair but hasn't worked out how to get out of the bottom bit. What I have found to help is crossing the top two straps over, so they form a cross against his chest.

 

I'm also having the same problem with the car seat - doesn't matter how tight I pull the seat belt, he still manages to get his arm up and over it - he was doing the same in his old car seat with the 5 point harness.

[katkin]

Hi, there are alternatives after a major buggy gets too small - but of course it depends on how willing your authority is willing to fund! They are a bit like whizzy wheelchairs and are easy to push. As for the car seat problem try Crelling Harness. They are very helpful and do one called the Houdini and cannot be got out of. Try a Google for it, some social services dept will provide for one through OT but again depends on where you are and how loud you are willing to shout! Hope this helps a bit, loce Kat

[Noetic]

My parents had this harness type thing for me because I kept trying to run into traffic, I don't know if you can still get them but they are a lot harder to get out of than wrists straps.