Website: Children's Harnesses by Elaine, Inc. www.childharness.ca
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Thursday 8 November 2012

Removable lead attached to a backpack

Temporary lead on his backpack will keep us together in the crowds
This weekend I'm taking my 8 yr old to The Royal Winter Fair. Last year I took the older one and gosh was it crowded on the Saturday! I'm expecting the same this year so in preparation I made this lead that I've put around the handle at the top of his backpack. It's a slip-knot attachment so it's easy to remove when we get home. It's about 4 feet long so enough for us to walk comfortably together and give him some freedom but not so long that it takes me a while to bundle up (like when we're waiting for the train on the subway platform). 

The backpack closes with a buckle across his chest. This was something that I had to add to the backpack right at the beginning of the school year. Not being the most organized of households, we were frequently sprinting down the street to the school and as they ran, they had to hold onto the shoulder straps of their backpacks so they didn't leave them behind on the sidewalk. Rather than be more organized in the mornings, I added the buckle closure to hold the shoulder straps together and give the backpack a secure fit. And no, we aren't running to school EVERY day.....

Both my boys are neurotypical and whereas the older one will stay by my side (and talk my ear off) whenever we go out together, this one is much more curious and MUCH more independent. He'd have no problem taking off to explore hither and yon if he felt like it, which is rather stressful for me because I would then have to spend all my time staring at the top of his head rather than looking at the booths and displays. Having the lead to keep us together is the difference between not going at all and having an enjoyable afternoon in the city, just me and my youngest. 

And we can still hold hands if he wants too.    

4 comments:

  1. Ii was at the a state fair and found out what the diffrence was between a quality harness and a cheap "standard" harness was on the bungee tramps. With the cheap harness I had a fight trying to trun flips in I could only manage two and the straps startd to hurt the more I droped into it with every jump. So next ride a asked them to swith it to the other harness the one were the legs cricued low on the quads I was able to manage 4 to 5 flips each time and the harness provided the securiety and suprot I needed to do complex stunts stch as handstands with out slipping out. the opreater saied that I needed the extra securiety and suport because this was the most activity he had ever seen and it was one heack of a work out.I trully belive quality is better than "standard".

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  2. Hi Jacob Loos, Sounds like you had a great time at the State Fair! So true that quality is better than standard, many people would agree with that!

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  3. Well, we had a fantastic time at the Royal! The lead came in really handy in the busy sections - it stopped him from bobbing and weaving among people and consequently getting way too ahead of me. And it was especially useful in the stables when we were watching the Clydesdales getting hitched up to their wagons. He kept wanting to 'get closer' which would have translated into 'get run over' when the rigs moved out. Were their comments? Yup. I heard one Mom say 'That's what you need. See what he has? I'm going to get one of those for you.' and when I turned around, she was clutching a 5 yr old in her arms.

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  4. Hi Elaine

    Never too old to put the leash on. I know exactly how you felt at the fair.
    I have gotten that comment many times too. Glad to see the harness business is doing well. Christmas time is coming and it looks like my girls will wear their harnesses for the comming shopping sprees.

    Take care
    Susan

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