Toddler Twins - should I buy twin reins?

My son always thought running off and being chased was an excellent game and as you can imagine having a sibling the same age means twice as much mischief and fun (although not always for poor mum!).  So inevitably my daughter (who I believe would have walked nicely with me) would disappear after her brother or often in the opposite direction.

On this basis it wasn’t safe to walk near roads or other potential dangers without the children in their buggy or on reins until they were old enough to have a better understanding of cause and effect!  (For us probably about 2 - 2 1/2 yrs).

As I was a member of a twins club with a group of children of similar ages we decided to try twin reins and were able to get a discount on the purchase of a number of sets. 

 

The answer to all my prayers?  Not exactly!  You could join the reins together and hold in one hand  but I didn’t find that it worked particularly well as one would want to walk faster or slower then the other, they would cross paths, one would trip and pull the other down.   

However, one definite advantage to these reins was that they came with an adult belt so I had the ability to secure the reins around my waist and I then had my hands free to hold the children's hands and teach them to walk with me nicely. (Well attempt at any rate!!).  You didn't have to join the reins together to attach them to the belt which prevented them pulling each other over.

(Photo courtesy of www.twinsuk.co.uk)

A friend also commented on the length of the reins and how much easier they were for her husband to use as he had found that ordinary baby reins were not long enough for him to use comfortably.

I did go on to invest in the wrist straps when they were slightly older but I should warn you that they can slip off the child’s wrist if they are not taut.  I lost my daughter in a children’s department store at the same time I was paying for the wrist straps because of this and of course she was far too small to spot over the rails and shelves.

Fortunately, I managed to find her before any harm became of her and the only casualty was my poor nerves!

I have found that I used the pushchair for longer with my twins than with their younger sister, predominantly to ensure that they were safe.  This is a key reason to buy a lightweight pram!  However, I don’t think that has caused any problems and in fact both completed an 8 mile walk last weekend at the tender age of 6 so don’t worry if it feels that that they’ll never be out of the buggy.  The two most important things are to keep the children safe and to retain your sanity! 

Does anyone else have any experience of twin reins and a thought on the value of buying them?