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What do you do when a toddler runs away from you in public? This question comes up often when I’m asked for parenting advice. And the answer is helpful for both daycare providers and parents.

A friend of mine has 3 year old son that runs away from him in public all the time. He just takes off running, dashing away if his hand is not held. I haven’t heard him yet say that it was a safety issue (though I believe it is) but more that it is frustrating and embarrassing. He asked me what I thought about the use of a safety harness until he got things under control but confessed that he didn’t want to take that route because it seems too much like a leash. I don’t blame him!

Every time I see kids in those safety harnesses, I feel sad. I just feel they are so inhumane, even if they’re the cute ones that look like animal backpacks. The only time I don’t cringe is when I see them used at amusement parks where it is very easy to lose track of a small child. Children seem to enjoy the thrill of the chase. They run, you chase, and they enjoy it. The cycle continues.

This is very common, and many things contribute to it. The leash, time outs, and the warnings of strangers taking a child will do NOTHING!  It’s like putting a bandage on a huge wound. There are definite reasons why children run. In the situation with my friend, I offered the following reasons for why children run from parents:

1) It is possible that for the child’s 3 years, he or she was over-protected. For example, chairs tip but don’t hit the ground. This sets a child up for super success;  what “bad” thing could happen if he runs away?

2) Limits and the word “no” are meaningless. Many adults do not follow through with threats.

3) It is attention seeking-behavior. It’s a game and it gets parents’ attention. With a 3yr old, it’s really fun to have adults chase, catch and lecture.

So what do you do when your toddler darts away in public?

Here is the sure fire fix according to experts: The next time you plan to go out, tell the child, “If you run away from me we will leave”. No negotiations, no wimpy “ok??” at the end of that statement. And use direct eye to eye contact.

Then, I DO NOT CARE where you are, when the child runs, pick him or her up and face him away.  NO conversation. Put him or her in the car seat and looks at him and say “You ran away from me so we are leaving, I am done. We will try again another day”. Go home, shut down the day. Try again, repeat if needed. Yes, it is a lot of work but it will pay off. Parenting in general is work.

One final point, if the child does not seem to “get it” over time and with development, the possibility that he is developmentally delayed must be addressed. Not caring about consequences and impulsive behavior MIGHT be a sign of Spectrum or Attention Deficit Disorder issues.

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Toddlers are such loveable small ones. Always full of escapade and filled with enough power to make for profit for the small energizer bunny! It is significant to fill these years with instructive made of wood toys to assist with the child’s car skills. Hand/eye color harmonization, finger deftness, and non-sequential stacking ability can all be deliberate with many wooden toys.

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Wooden structure blocks are an aged toy that has been a preferred by many youthful children. Wooden building blocks help to expand dexterity, problem-solving and way of thinking skills, hand/eye harmonization, color, shape, size recognition and also be lots of fun. Some blocks are all usual and other blocks are dissimilar colors.

Wooden push toys are a have to have toy for the little lively toddler. Wooden thrust and pull toys are helpful for balance and will keep the toddler focused as they are learning to walk. These made of wood toys will keep them on foot and on foot! Small made of wood wagons are also great toys for toddlers. These small wagons assist a child be trained to stroll while pulling somewhat at the back and also aid the tot study to navigate turns while walking and pulling a toy. Toddlers will take pleasure in putting all their small “goodies” in a timber wagon and then arrogantly walking around pulling their modest made of wood wagon.

Toddlers love to make noise. One superior thing about a tot is you recognize where they are when you can pay attention to them, but when it is quiet……you know that it is time to start checking things out! Another old wooden toy that toddlers love is a wooden hammer and peg set. I still have pit that I received for my first birthday. It is now setting on a shelf for exhibit. This little set has wooden dowel rods and a wooden hammer that the child can hit and then turn the game over and start pounding again. The best one that I have seen has a small leather band which attaches the hammer to the peg set so the beat does not get unconnected. My daughter has this put at her daycare center and it is a game that is played with often. It is interesting to watch the eyes of the tot light up when considering their achievement of pounding the pegs through.

Toddlers adore toys, other than just having a toy is not enough. Make it an instructive, wooden toy and study to bring out the originality in your child with a unique, wooden toy!

See: How to start a daycare center

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