toddler leashes/restraints/harnesses

before i had kids i thought they were horrible. but when my son hit about 18 months old he became so hard for me to handle. i always carried him in a sling, and he NEVER rode in strollers. he hated them. so when he got mobile and wanted to walk, it became difficult. he didn't like to hold hands, and if we could get him to hold hands he would suddenly jerk out of our grip and run away.

this particular one is a leash/harness combo with a backpack. i pack up special tiny toys or snacks in it. the leash is the "tail". we tell our son that we need to hold the tail so it doesn't drag and hurt the monkey.

it got even more useful when i became really hugely pregnant. now i can walk with him on the sidewalk near a busy street and not have a heart attack. he likes his backpack and rarely tries to pull away from me. we walk with the leash looped around my wrist and holding hands or with him holding onto my cart when i take laundry to the laundramat.

occasionally i'll get nasty comments from people along the lines of:
oh! that's NICE! is your kid a dog?
NICE PET!
that's demeaning!

but for every one of those i get at least 10 positive ones form parents, and questions about where i got it and does it work. i got mine at walmart, for $10. they also have them at target and online most places.

so to sum up, it works for me. if you have a bolter, try it!

*the pic is googled, not mine