The Harness Leash Thing

Sorry I didn't write last night!! We're really into Homeland season 2 currently and I'm also working on a birthday present for a party we're going to in a couple days.
So I'll just get to the point of this post.

We are one of those parents that used to judge and think nasty things about other parents who walked with their kids using a harness/leash/tether.
Until we had V-Man and couldn't walk with him anywhere. Up until recently, we couldn't take him hiking or swimming in a lake or anywhere outdoors because he's a runner.
He's super fast and I've seriously contemplated reaching out to Usain Bolt about having V-Man be his training partner.
Because he doesn't have the concept of fear or danger, he could run into traffic and not realize it's a bad idea until he got hit.
So the only way he got to go outside, was via stroller or carrier.
The Deuter Kids Comfort III is excellent for hiking and carrying a child securely and all that. But when it weighs quite a bit and your child weighs even more...hiking becomes a painful experience. And who wants that?!

A friend once gifted me with a cute Winnie the Pooh backpack on a leash when I was pregnant and when I showed SH, we both decided that it won't be necessary and it would feel too much like walking a dog.
A few weeks ago, I went to one of the big grocery stores and took a look in the child care section and saw cute little backpacks and a basic vest with a leash attached.
The cute backpacks looked easy to get out of but the vest didn't.
That night we went hiking as a family for the first time and as long as he had a stick, we could go forward. Of course he hated putting it on but after a few days, he was excited to see it.

Today he brought it to us and got excited when we took that as "we should go somewhere!!"
So we hopped on the bus and went to buy some seeds, as I'd like to try some hydroponics (more about this later) and after that, I took him to a local fenced in playground to let him run and we had a smooth and calm evening.

I'm trying to work on his social skills in public with V-Man - because he doesn't speak doesn't mean I can't try to teach him patience and how to go around town without barreling people down or how to sit on the bus nicely.
This and his legs are getting too long for his strollers...so he needs to walk!

I know we attract a lot of weird looks when going around with him in a harness. At first, I was so deeply embarrassed!
But when push comes to shove -if he runs -those that stare won't know he has autism and they won't catch him in time. Thankfully he has bolted a few times so people can see why he wears one - because he needs it!!
Now I don't care what others think and it's a wonderful relief of extra stress!!!
Have a good one!
BIMU