Have you ever had your toddler run away from you? Is it one of your fears that you go on a day out and you suddenly find yourself with one less child? Having a toddler running off is not something you even think about when you are expecting but as your child grows, both with age and confidence, how do you make sure they stay by your side.
This is the very subject I am talking about with our resident parenting coach, Beckie Whitehouse, of Be Confident Coaching. In our hangout we discuss what we can do if our toddler runs away you and how you can encourage good behaviour from the start so that they know it is not acceptable to wander off.
One area of controversy is the use of reigns. Should we use them? Should we restrain our child or should we simply teach them that running off is not good for their safety? Many parents do not like them but, for others, they can be a saviour.
Other areas of discussion are:
- HOW can we teach our children to stay with you and not run off?
- WHAT do we do if our toddler runs away and how do we show them that it is not the RIGHT thing to do?
- HOW can we keep calm in front of our child if they have run away?
- EXPLAINING the consequences of what can happen if your child does run off
Has your child ever run off? How have you dealt with it? Do you have a story to share? Please do let us know of your situation in the comments below.
Helen Neale
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, website editor and a qualified counsellor with experience of working with both children and adults.She is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists, with her own private practise. She also freelances with her local Mind organisation.Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, use those grey cells at the same time, and supplement her counselling income.KiddyCharts has reach of over 680k across socials and the site. The site works with big family brands to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. She is a specialist counsellor for neurodivergent individuals and brings this expertise to her resources and the site. She is also an ADHDer herself.KiddyCharts gives 51%+ profits to charities, focused on supporting mental health and a community in TanzaniaHelen has also worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!