Anonymous
Post 05/15/2025 09:14     Subject: Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
With twins in the airport we used leashes. Sorry to the haters but no other way to do it easily. And why is it so bad? They can wander a bit, hold hands with each other, feel somewhat independent, and I can manage other kid and luggage.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2025 08:10     Subject: Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
Spank her butt!

I'm not a parenting genius, but I almost never see solo parents with three kids my kid's age. I do solo parent three kids outside the house all day. I refuse to live in a state of anxiety worried the two youngest (who are 22mo apart) are going to split up and run off in different directions. It is not good for anybody's mental health, leaves mom frazzled and is a prime example of gentle parenting going off the rails.
Anonymous
Post 05/15/2025 00:26     Subject: Re:Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
I carried mine everywhere.
Anonymous
Post 04/17/2025 20:07     Subject: Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I actually came to this post to say with the PP said, this is a flag for autism. Just keep this in mind because HFAUD may not look the same as what you think. Your child can be verbal, social and still on the spectrum.


Not everything is a diagnosis.


No this isn’t. My kids are all fast and DGAF as toddlers. I ran competitively in high school and college and run as an adult so luckily I could/can more than keep up with them. When my oldest bolted down a sidewalk and a woman exclaimed “she’s really fast!” I definitely had a proud mom moment in spite of myself.
Anonymous
Post 04/17/2025 20:01     Subject: Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
Anonymous wrote:On a quick trip and my 3 year old will not stop running away laughing as fast as she can. I keep chasing her and talking about being safe. It’a really scary though and I have other kids and I forget how this goes! I can’t ignore her because I have to get her! Heeellllppppp


I have three kids and they have all had a running away phase. My youngest is 21 months and has loved to run away since 19 months. It’s brutal, but developmentally they really don’t get that a bunch of bad things could happen as a result of their running away. I mean, tell them in an age appropriate way why they shouldn’t but also recognize this is a phase and it sucks. It’s always hard with your first kid but by your 3rd you realize that anyone judging you is a jerk.
Anonymous
Post 04/17/2025 16:40     Subject: Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When one of my kids went through this phase, we started bringing the stroller places. Every time he ran, I caught him, picked him up, strapped him in without talking, and we either went home, or I ignored him for a while. For example, if we were at the park and he ran, then he could sit in the stroller and watch his sibling play. When I let him out to try again, I'd say "Don't run away". It fixed it pretty fast.

I think the chase, and the verbal interaction, can become very reinforcing, so I wanted a consequence strong enough to reinforce that.


+1

This is so basic and simple.

Do we really need to crowdsource basic parenting? Good grief.


This is classic DCUM fodder. As a parent who had two easy kids then a 3rd kid that was difficult, I was mystified by many behaviors. It's nice to have a place to crowdsource these things.
Anonymous
Post 04/17/2025 16:37     Subject: Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I actually came to this post to say with the PP said, this is a flag for autism. Just keep this in mind because HFAUD may not look the same as what you think. Your child can be verbal, social and still on the spectrum.


Not everything is a diagnosis.


My 3rd was a runner and my diagnosis for him is PIA syndrome. I brought a stroller with me everywhere. If he ran, when he wasn't supposed to, he had to go in the stroller immediately. Leaving immediately is fine if your kid is the oldest or it only happens at "fun" places.
Anonymous
Post 04/17/2025 16:25     Subject: Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
My son was a runner and as a precaution i used to write my phone number on his arm before i let him out of the car at places like the zoo. He seems to not have been too scarred by it and it was reassuring to know that if he got away there would be a way for someone to find me

We’ve done the leash backpack too
Anonymous
Post 04/17/2025 15:41     Subject: Re:Quick I need help / how to stop toddler running away
Anonymous wrote:IMO, avoidance is top priority because this is a serous safety issue. So leash or otherwise hold onto her 100% of the time when the possibility to run exists.


I agree with this, but I also think that there can be a pattern where the only time a kid is free is in a place where it isn't safe to run, and so people undereact to the running, and it gets reinforced because it's not a big deal.

So, even if the running occurs in a safe place (e.g. my kid liked to bolt in the hallway of preschool if we were picking up sibling. Preschool hallway is a pretty safe place to run, so I wasn't hold his hand), react like they ran in the parking lot.