How to stop a rampaging toddler:

[conuly]

Most children, when they learn to walk, learn to walk away from you. And plenty of people have had that experience of their VERY LITTLE CHILD walking away from them VERY FAST - and they couldn't get to them fast enough.

So there's a simple solution if you see a kidlet walking fast-fast towards you and their parents are clearly trying to catch up. This is best if you know the kid and parents in question, but use your best judgment - if the kid is walking into the street or something, they won't mind.

Very simple.

Step one: Big smile, grasp the child firmly under the armpits and pick them up a little.
Step two: Turn them around and put them back on the ground.

And do you know what? They'll keep walking! Right back to their beleaguered grown-ups. Sometimes, halfway between here and there they'll realize they changed direction and stop for a minute to figure out what happened! Cracks me up every time.

After they hit two or so it doesn't work very well anymore, because they're no longer new walkers, but it still will slow them down for a few seconds.

Comments

[crymytears.livejournal.com]

I wonder how Hadley would respond to that. She's not crazy about being picked up by strangers, but it'd only be for a second. I think she'd just be a snot though, and head right back for what she wanted.

[conuly]

Well, that's one reason you don't want to pick up a stranger's kid. Stranger's Kid has to be in some form of immediate danger, really. The "they won't mind" doesn't mean the kid - I'm sure they will if they're intent on hurting themselves - but the parents, who normally would probably be surprised at strangers hauling their kids hither and yon.