Mrs F and anyone else crafty!!

[Russian Doll]

i still have it and you can have ot if you really want to give it a go

Would you mind?? I'll pay the postage to and from. L:east I can give it a go before committing.

lol you can keep it hun im not usig it..just pm your address

[Esther.R]

Beth loved her reins and I found them very handy when she was first walking, they caught her occasionally from a complete purler and she much prefered them when she was going through an independant phase where she didn't always want to hold hands. Now she is a little older (2 1/2) we just hold hands if we are in town/near a road.

I would say the same as Mrs F, glue felt (or fur fabric if you fancy it) to the inside and then trim off the excess.

[citizentwiglet]

Yes, Ellis has really got into his reins now....we generally only use them in areas where there is a lot of traffic or a lot of people because he's an independent wee soul and loves nothing better than dashing off at any given opportunity!

We use them a lot on the bus too, as it can avoid nasty falls caused by the bus tearing off the minute you pay (with no time to get to a seat!) and by pensioners who think they deserve to be able to push past everyone else on the bus steps to get on first (Ellis nearly got crushed to death by a hellish posse of M&S carrier-bag wielding ladies who decided they ought to get on the bus first....and we think hoodies are bad! ).

I HAVE had two women berate me for using them, accusing me of 'treating my child like an animal' (we were at a VERY busy bus-stop next to a hideously congested dual carriageway full of idiot drivers); but I merely smiled sweetly at them at told them that I preferred a restrained child to a squashed, dead one.

Generally, for strolls to the shop or around the local area I don't use them as I do think it's important for the littlies to have a degree of independence and to learn about falling over and even a degree of road awareness (Ellis has only just gone 2, so cars are for pointing at just now), but I know how flustered I can get (and how distracted we can BOTH get!) in busy places so the reins are fabulous for that, I know he's close to me, I know he's safe. OK, I don't always know when he's helping himself to the Pick 'n' Mix......

[mrsflibble]

I remember my leather reins fondly. they had a lamb on the breastplate. I think my mum still has them somewhere.

[citizentwiglet]

I remember mine too - mine were pale pink leather and had a bunny on the front!!

I think my rabid baby sister chewed through them circa 1977.....

[shell]

could you glue felt on as suggested earlier? i remember the padded ones i had them for my older children,the ones i bought for the trippies were from mc and they didn`t last long as i took my 3 out to the shops in the car,when we got there i put the reins on and walked to the chemist very slowly i might add,there outside to the delight of the customers my 3 tied me up in knots,they sat down,tangled themselves up round me,swung off me and as i tried to get one up another sat down ,or tried to run in another direction it took me half an hour to get untangled much to the entertainment of other shoppers who stood and watched,when i got home i was totally frazzled,i gave the reins to the charity shop,but i do agree that they serve a purpose when out,nothing worse than chasing a kiddie round that runs faster than you