My son loves going on walks in our neighborhood to the playground. We usually use a combination of him walking or the stroller/ his scooter. I try incredibly hard to give him the chance to tell me which direction he wants to go or when he wants to walk or stroll to give him time to enjoy these trips the way he wants to. Recently however, when he’s not in the stroller he will do his thing and then run from me if I ask him to “keep walking” or “let’s go.” This is frightening for me because I don’t want him to run from me in public and this has just recently become a new behavior for him. Do you have Suggestions on how to correct this or how to show him the dangers of running away without raising my voice or a spanking?
Answer:
Good morning, thank you for your question. If your child only bolts or elopes from you when you say "keep walking" or "let's go", then you could try changing the phrases you use during the walk to something more behavior-specific.
For example, you could say "I like the way you are walking with mommy" or "Let's count how many steps we take until we get to the tree." This might help your child to walk together with you better.
In addition, it may be helpful to review "rules" that you create with your child before going on a walk together. Depending on your child's abilities, you could write out these rules in five easy-to-read steps to refer to together before going on the walk. When you start out walking, I suggest initially, starting by holding your child's hand while walking and gradually transitioning to walking side by side without holding hands.
I also suggest finding ways to positively reinforce the behavior of walking together with you. Use items that are highly motivating for your child. For example, you might try singing a song or playing music on your phone while walking to show that this is how we walk together in public. I recommend practicing this behavior in a backyard or enclosed park as often as possible, to help your child learn the steps of walking together and not bolting.
Good morning, thank you for your question. If your child only bolts or elopes from you when you say “keep walking” or “let’s go”, then you could try changing the phrases you use during the walk to something more behavior-specific.
For example, you could say “I like the way you are walking with mommy” or “Let’s count how many steps we take until we get to the tree.” This might help your child to walk together with you better.
In addition, it may be helpful to review “rules” that you create with your child before going on a walk together. Depending on your child’s abilities, you could write out these rules in five easy-to-read steps to refer to together before going on the walk. When you start out walking, I suggest initially, starting by holding your child’s hand while walking and gradually transitioning to walking side by side without holding hands.
I also suggest finding ways to positively reinforce the behavior of walking together with you. Use items that are highly motivating for your child. For example, you might try singing a song or playing music on your phone while walking to show that this is how we walk together in public. I recommend practicing this behavior in a backyard or enclosed park as often as possible, to help your child learn the steps of walking together and not bolting.