I am pretty sure I was one of those people who would judge the parent holding their kid by what I considered a ‘leash’. Leashes are for dogs, right? Man, now that I am a parent my views of using a harness has drastically changed! Absolutely no judgement for parents who use them – only RESPECT!
I had the fright of my life a few months back. Brett and I were in a popular bookshop looking at books with Maddie. Both Brett and I assumed that the other person was watching Maddie and when I asked Brett where Maddie was neither one of us could find her anywhere near us! At the moment I realised she was out of our sight I heard the fire escape door of the bookshop shut close. My immediate thought was that someone had picked her up and was making an exit for the fire escape. I remember throwing my body against the door in attempt to get it open and it never opened. In that moment my life flashed before my eyes and I remember shouting so incredibly loud “Maddie?” and frantically looking around. By this time people were watching me. It must have been 30 seconds but it felt like a few minutes but we found her. She had wondered to the front of the store where the Peppa Pig books were displayed. An incredibly scary moment and big lesson learnt!
With the media buzz of human trafficking, kidnapping and recent child rape reports I think we are all on tender hooks about the safety of our children. Fake news, rumours or not… there is always a possibility of losing your child if you aren’t constantly watching them.
Massive crowds, roads, criminals… keeping your kids close can be a massive concern – and I only have one… I can only imagine how stressful it must be for moms with more than one busy, on-the-go toddler.
After our massive scare I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a harness for Maddie to keep in our car for times when we know there will be crowds or walking alongside a road. Truth is our child loves to run wild and free and keeping up with her can be a challenge.
With all the safety products on the market like the wrist attachment or the chest harness I absolutely loved this panda panda backpack option I came across on 4aKid.
I love the fact that it looks like a cute backpack and it is a subtle safety harness option. The times we have used the backpack Maddie is totally unaware of the harness and just thinks she is wearing her panda bag. I haven’t got any strange looks of judgement either – HAHA! Not that I care now… Maddie’s safety is my number one concern!
It is made of soft plush fabric and has comfortable and adjustable straps which will allow it to grow with Maddie. I also love the fact that you can roll up the lead and tuck it into the backpack while it is still on Maddie’s back so that she doesn’t trip over it.
It is also easy to clip on and off and did I mention how affordable it is?
They retail for just R272 from www.4akid.co.za and they come in an assortment of plush animals including a grey elephant, brown dog and a yellow lion.
What are your views on the toddler harness? Would you strap your kid into one? Have you experienced a scare like we did? Leave a comment below or drop a comment on my latest Instagram post. I’d love to hear from you.
PURCHASE INFO:
www.4akid.co.za/product-tag/safety-harness/
Until next time…
http://www.beingmaddiesmom.com | @being_maddies_mom
Being Maddie & Charlie's Mom 
I also used to be one of those people who judged parents who put their children in leashes. But now being a mom to a very buys 18 month old, I can foresee myself needing this in the near future. I am bookmarking this post for the future.
LikeLike
Such a cute design, can you fit anything into the backpack?
LikeLike