FAB FIND! How to keep toddlers safe in busy places.

I’m expecting some backlash about this one… or, maybe not… MAYBE NOT. You tell me.

Summer! Outdoor gatherings, community concerts, theme parks. It’s all so “FUN”… until someone runs away (i.e.: my children). How to keep toddlers safe in busy places? Ah. The question that leaves all of us moms and parents dumbfounded. No flippin’ idea. Do you hesitate taking your toddlers to busy, outdoor gatherings because: a) You’re afraid they might take off running faster than you can chase them and get lost forever among other people’s kids and dogs? b) You simply can’t chase after two toddlers in two different directions at one time (by yourself). c) You’re just flat-out annoyed that all they want to do is run away from you because “It’s Funny!” (as my two-year old LilMiss now shouts and points at me while giggling and cackling like a maniacal munchkin). All of the above. All of the above. All of the above. I just can’t do it anymore.

Here’s my fast solution folks: Go get yourself some toddler leashes and tie those little fab kids up. In a nice way, of course. Yes, I’ve done this. Yes, my sister does this. I can tell you from our fabulous, stress-free first-hand experience at Disneyland last fall (with two wild 1.5 year olds and a far-too-independent 3 year old): YES. LEASHES WORK. They can walk and feel free without you feeling frantic. NO — this is NOT abuse. It’s safe. It’s sane. It’s responsible. No lost kids. No panicked ‘where’s little LadyP’ moments. No idiotic sprints chasing LilMiss (chasing Minnie Mouse) down the hill.

Our girls thought these Eddie Bauer ‘doggie’ leashes were a hoot-and-a-half. They jumped up and down and squealed and begged for us to put these on them so they could act like ‘doh-dohs’ (translation: doggies). Within seconds of us strapping them in, they were tromping around like hot-shots, shouting to and informing passers-by that they were ‘do-dos’. “We’re Doh-Dohs!” LadyP pronounced. In more ways than one… my sis and I giggled. Love our ladies. To say that said passers-by also thought these were a hoot-and-a-half would be an understatement. And to say that our girls get serious entertainment out of wearing them around our house during playtime (with the leashes detached) is another understatement. It’s unbelievable.

I don’t know what it is about these, but my girls love them. The only reason I took the picture above (and wrote this post, for that matter) is because my girls both insisted on me putting on their ‘doggies’ in the house when they saw them hidden in my laundry area. They think they’re sooooo funny (that’s a quote). The ‘doggies’ are soft, cuddly, have a small pocket for stashing small items and properly pad their heads and necks (from the back) should they fall down. We got ours at Target. And NO, we have NOT been paid to post this.

Just thought I’d pass along my go-to trick for taming my toddlers in public places. It’s not abuse. It’s not ridiculous. It’s SAFE. And FUN. And TOTALLY FUNNY. And makes your life easier with walking toddlers in busy, scary, public places… which is fabulous. If you can’t act like a ‘doh-doh’ in public when you’re two and three (and get away with it), when can you?

HOW DO YOU PREVENT YOUR TOTS FROM RUNNING AWAY IN PUBLIC PLACES?