I can’t believe it! Baby Girl Finch will be here in 13.5 days. That means in less than 2 weeks I’m going to have two under two. I totally see how that will be awesome, but right now that idea scares me more than it thrills me. Seriously, there are 101 reasons why I’m a little nervous. Right now my biggest worry is about going out with both of them on my own and being able to keep them both safe. See my Westley, who is 17 months today, hates being in a stroller. This kid is a walker, he seriously L-O-V-E-S walking. The only time he isn’t walking is when I’m in a hurry and then I’ll pick him up or place him in a shopping cart. The problem is, I plan on babywearing with my little girl like I did with him — so I won’t be able to pick him up all the time. So, what’s a mom to do?
The best solution I keep coming back to is purchasing a toddler harness. I’ve been debating this for a few weeks now. I’m not worried about being judged for having my son on a “leash.” My feeling is I gotta do what I gotta do to keep my kids safe and if I’m not hurting my children, then don’t judge. Plus, I don’t plan on tethering him forever, just until I can walk with both of them safely. So I’m asking for your help on finding the right harness. I’ve checked out product reviews, but I want the real deal from real people. Below are my concerns about picking the right harness. Let me know what you think?
Concern #1: Stranger Danger
My primary fear is that some systems have tethers that are too weak or too long; making it easy for my little one to get away from me which could make it easier for a stranger to undo the harness and take my child. This is my biggest fear with or without the harness. Westley is too young to understand “Stranger Danger” so he can’t really alert me if someone is undoing his harness. So I’m looking for a system that will keep my son safe and close by.
I’m looking for one where he can feel free to walk, but I can quickly get ahold of him while wearing his sister safely.
Concern #2: Comfort Is Key
I want to make sure this harness system is comfortable for my Westley. I know he HATES being in his carseat after awhile. He likes to be free, like most kids. So this system needs to be something that allows him to move around freely and do what he would normally do while keeping him safe.
Concern #3: More Than A Harness
The reality is, I’m going to have my purse, baby bag, babywearing carrier, baby and son when I go out. I simply cannot manage one more bag. That means Westley will need his own little bag to carry his toys.
I want a harness that will allow him to carry around a few of his toys or books. I need this because 1) I only have so much room in the other bags and 2) it helps him develop a sense of responsibility. Even if it is only a mild sense of responsibility (I do get that he’s 17 months), it’s still a good skill to begin building.
Concern #4: My Kid Needs To Look Good
This may sound silly initially, but the truth is, Westley has his own sense of style. He and my husband “fought” over two fedoras for 5 minutes in Target. My husband thought a black fedora looked better, and apparently Westley strongly preferred a cream colored one.
He ended up getting both, but the fact remains, he has his sense of style. With that being said, he loves “cute” things like his fox backpack, his stuffed cat AND our real cats. He actually uses the word “cute” when he sees things he likes like another cat or a stuffed animal. With that being said, I want to find something that is “cute” so he WANTS to wear it.
What Child Harness Do You Recommend?
So that’s it. Given those concerns, what do you think? I’m not too worried about price as a lot of child harnesses seem to fall within a reasonable range. And most of the harnesses seem to be available via Amazon, so getting it in time for when I’ll be able to go out with both of them on my own isn’t a concern either. I look forward to your thoughts and recommendations. Once I pick one, I’ll be sure to update you on how it works out. In the meantime, I’ll be focusing on making sure Baby Girl Finch gets here safely in 13.5 days. ( =
