Toddler Safety Harness

Keeping your toddler safe in the home
Author: Natalie Eastaugh
According to babyworld.co.uk, the top 10 danger points in the home are the stairs, doors, cleaning materials, electric sockets, furniture edges and furniture corners, overfilled playpens, fire, loose cables and cords, bath time and glass.
Because so much furniture in the home has sharp edging or corners, and are at the ideal height for young children to knock into, by simply fitting edge and corner guards you can increase the level of safety in your home. Corner and edge guards come in a variety of colours and are very easy to install.
Some common items of furniture you may wish to have edge or corner protectors on are:
- Living rooms: TV unit, low level shelving, dining tablecoffee table, window sills and the fireplace.
- Kitchen: Kitchen table, centre work area, cabinets, countertops, stove.
- Bathroom: vanity cabinets, low level shelving.
- Study: Desk, low level shelving, filing cabinets.
- Bedroom: Headboard and footboard, dressing table, bedside units, low level shelving, chests, toy boxes
- Entrance way: Storage units, small tables, low level shelving
- Outside entertainment area: Brick or stone retaining walls, built-in fireplace, patio table, sharp corners on play equipment
Below are a few safety precautions, not taking much time, but keeping your little family safe in the home:
- Children should be supervised at all times.
- Keep floors free of toys and obstructions that can be tripped over.
- Always use a securely fitted safety harness in a pram, pushchair or highchair.
- Never leave babies unattended on raised surfaces.
- Do not place baby bouncers on raised surfaces.
- The use of baby-walkers and table-mounted high chairs is not recommended.
- Use corner guards or corner protectors on cabinets, coffee and dining tables, or any corner of furniture that does not have a rounded edge.
Sources: Babyworld.co.uk; About.com: Pediatrics
http://www.safetycushioning.co.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
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QUESTION:
Where can I find a child’s safety harness?
Help! My friend and I are looking for safety harnesses for our toddlers. We need them by Halloween to take our boys trick-or-treating, but we can’t find anything but annoying plushy backpacks and Velcro! If anyone knows where we might find sturdy, non obtrusive harnesses (we’re really set on belt loop to belt loop connectivity) we would be forever grateful.-
ANSWER:
I ended up getting the plushy backpack one. I know, I know, it’s froofy, but it works. We took it camping and were really glad we did. Try toys r us or just look online. The only ones I have ever seen are the fluffy ones.Edit:
Ok, I found 2 websites:
tommiguard.com and smallplanetkids.com
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QUESTION:
What Do You think of Toddler Safety Harnesses?
I have an EXTREAMLYYYYY Active 2 Year Old Who has been that way since I can Remember. She Can Run For BLOCKS non Stop. We Live In NYC So theres MAJOR Traffic Every whereI have had 2 Scary incidents where she has almost Ran onto the streets in a matter of a Blink. Last time we had just come out of MSG from watching ELMO LIVE and i let go to adjust her and she just went for it and landed with her head a few inches from Traffic. And not to mention the incidents with her Dad.
Before i really didn’t frown upon it but didn’t really like the idea. But now that i needed it is a matter of Do i want my child to make it Alive or will i care what others think?
i was thinking of getting a Wrist Leash but it seems like she can easily get out of it.
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ANSWER:
im all for the wrist leashes. to me safety first regardless of what others think. im not always as fast as my 2 year old either and she has tugged away from me in parking lots and at store registers. i also look at it this way the 5 seconds it takes me to hook/unhook the leash onto her wrist just might be enough to discourage someone who is looking for a child to snatch.
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QUESTION:
Toddler harness?
Next week I will be flying alone with my 2 children. My son is 3 1/2 months and my daughter will be 3 this month. I am very worried about being alone with them in the airport (we live in GA, so its a big airport) and afraid that I will not be able to keep a good handle on both children while handling our stuff. I am considering getting one of those child safety harnesses (one of the ones that looks like a stuffed animal backpack, but has the “leash” attached) for my daughter so that we cant be separated. I am having mixed feelings about this. I know that a lot of people think its not right to “walk” your children, and I agree to a certain extent, HOWEVER I also believe that I should do anything and everything to keep my child safe and to help me worry a little less, and I believe that knowing that she cant get away will help. She is very well behaved, and doesnt run off as a rule, but there will be so many people there and I would rather be safe than sorry. What r your thoughs?
Also, I have considered getting a double stroller, but we dont travel much and my husband is normally with me so I dont really want to invest the money in something that I dont think we will get a much use out of.
In answer to the stroller questions I am pretty sure that I would either end up with an empty stroller, or a couple of screaming children. Also, once I get to my destination I wont have anywhere to put it (my brother is picking me up in his tiny car). I was abducted as a child, so my childs safety does come first, and I know I shouldnt really care about what other people think. I was just curious about other people’s opinions on them. I would never use it just because, only in a situation where I felt I had to to keep her safe. Thanks so much for your input!!-
ANSWER:
Here’s a totally different approach that I used in that same situation 3 years ago (flying from San Jose, CA to Baltimore, MD a couple of times sans husband):Bring the stroller that you have. Put your 3 year old in the stroller, and your infant in your sling/carrier. (At security, don’t be afriad to take your time and ask for help). You can take the stroller to the gate. Your car seats can be attached to the stroller via bungie cords (or just check them). I must have made quite the picture: after I’d checked the suitcase/car seats, I was the one with the baby on my front, carryon on my back; pushing my 3 year old through the airport. But it worked. Rather well.
There’s one other option that I am going to try when I go visit my husband in Korea this summer (my youngest is 3);
http://www.rideoncarryon.com/
This attaches to your carryon suitcase, and was developed by a flight attendant/mom. About most places.
Most importantly: Stay calm-your attitude/demeanor sets to pace for the trip. And let you toddler walk/play at the gate before you board the plane. She’s also old enough to start understanding the behavior you expect, so talk to her about it beforehand. And bring lots of snacks/activities (let her pack her own ‘fun bag’). Oh, and of course, change diapers/use bathroom right before boarding.
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QUESTION:
Child safety harness to fit a 13 month old?
I am the mommy of a ridiculously active 13 month old girl. She is constantly running everywhere we go and is too smart for her own good- she can wriggle out of lap belts and try to stand up in the cart at the grocery store and the wooden high chairs they have at restaurants, she even wiggled out of a belt and climbed out the large leg hole of one of the plastic strollers at a department store while I was trying on clothes. I have a few weeks off work this summer and I would like to take her to several places, the park, the zoo, and COSI- but she won’t sit in a stroller without fussing and she is so active and such a little houdini I am so afraid she will take off and i’ll lose her in a crowd (she doesn’t get the concept of handholding yet, it just makes her mad). I am trying to find a child safety harness, preferably one with a little stuffed animal backpack so it looks less leash-like, but all the ones I can find are recommended for 18 month to 2 year olds. Any brands you know of that would adjust small enough to fit an average size 13 month old or that worked for you and your small/young toddler? She is about 22 pounds.-
ANSWER:
1. Leave her with a sitter if you are trying on clothing for yourself.2. There’s no reason why you can’t, when she’s in the backpack harness or her own stroller, fashion some sort of twist tie device or a rubber band at the back of the harness between her shoulder blades to keep it tight so that you can access it to get it off but that she can’t reach it. I have a feeling that the animal backpack leashes will fit her without having to resort to some sort of tightening on your own.
3. If she’s wiggling out of the belts, then they are not on tight enough–bring your own stroller with a 5 pt harness and don’t rely on those plastic ones with only the lower harness.
4. For restaurants, get something like this for the next several months that she won’t be able to get out of:
http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=16718
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QUESTION:
what do you think about a toddler using a Harness?
my daughter in-law bought 2 toddler harness one for her and one for grandma(me). grandaughter is 19 months old and is very curious and likes to explore. i am concerned for her safety but i dont know how people will see this.
do you think this looks bad?
i raised 4 kids.this was not something that was used in my time.daughter in-law wants me to use this but i would rather teach her to stay close to me at all times without having to use this.
i am scared that if something happens to her i will be banned from taking her with me every other weekend that i really enjoy.-
ANSWER:
How sad that so many moms and people on here feel the need to constantly judge others… Anyways, I would be honest and just speak with her about it. And for all those who think the child looks like a dog, I would rather have a child use a harness than have them dart away and get run over by a car or taken by someone. I have 3 children and have used a harness on our 3rd little one in situations where there were alot of people and a stroller just wasn’t going to move well. My point is, it does not matter what others think. The safety of your grandchild is what is important and if that is what she would like to use, then good for her! I applaud her for wanting to keep her safe!
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QUESTION:
Anyone tried baby walking harness? Walking Wings or Moonwalk?http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/evagirl/items/Moonwalk_Safety_Harness_For_Infant_Toddler
My baby loves to stand and practice walking i have a bad back and wondered if the moonwalk harness might be really great? Anyone tried it? There’s also a similar model called the Walking Wings, but more expensive. I found the moonwalk model on ebay for a low price that’s why i’m leaning towards the moonwalk, but either way, anyone tried this type of thing?
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ANSWER:
the Walking Wings look like you can stand straight up where as the moonwalk looks like you will still have to bend and at an odd angle to.
I say spend the extra money.I have a bad back to and the moonwalk looks like it would just make the problem worse.
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QUESTION:
Anyone flown EZ jet with a 2-3 year old I have just read that we need to take a car seat or harness?
Has anyone flown on EZ jet with a toddler, as we have now read on their website that we either need a car-seat for him to sit on or a flight safety harness which is very expensive…want to avoid the cost and hassle if possible and have not had to do this on any Airline before?????-
ANSWER:
Any child over 2 has to give his own seat on a plane. This is the rule for every airline. Under, they can sit on your lap. Since yours is over 2, you will need to buy a seat and a car seat will give your little one extra protection.
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QUESTION:
Where in Toronto can I buy a child harness?
I need to buy a harness for a very active toddler. I am not a fan of putting a child on a leash, but it is a safety issue.-
ANSWER:
Also you might check any of the baby specialty stores. There are numerous websites that have them too. Just type in “child harness” or “child leash” The animal backpack harnesses are cute, but they can be quite warm in the summer months. Find one that suits your taste and your child’s need. Be wary of the wrist type as they are not as secure and can cause some discomfort on the wrist and shoulder of the child. Don’t let your feelings or emotions interfere with your sense of parental guidance and needs for your child. It’s okay to use a child safety harness. You will have peace of mind and your child will enjoy the “freedom” to safely explore with his/her mom. Good luck!
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