About a month ago, Tessa escaped a very secure deck and was found meandering in the street by a particularly hazardous neighborhood intersection.
The little booger saw a moment of opportunity (a gate that was not fully latched by another child) and, quite literally, ran with it.
I can’t understand where the (fill in expletive) she thinks that she is going. I mean really truly, ????????? Running is not a new behavior for Tessa. I mean, I suppose that in the grand scheme of life, she’s only been walking for about 18 months, but even before she was running, she was a speed crawler. I remember bringing her to Family Friday with our local group, and chasing after her as she tore off on all fours toward any open space that she wasn’t supposed to be. And in her walker, well, we’ll never forget her little foray into the men’s washroom at the local mall.
(Dear Lord, thank you again for the non-creepy man who swiftly lead her back out to safety.)
For our recent Spring Break trip, we purchased a (amazing and super cheap) double stroller on Amazon, as a way to keep her corralled when needed. I have been anti-double stroller for a long time, because in my world if you can walk, you walk. However, with Lauren being at the age she is, we thought this particular stroller was a need for the trip. In any case, here is how the trip went:
Crowded and chaotic location: Out of the stroller, Tessa runs. In the stroller, buckled in, Tessa puts her feet on the ground, stands up, and tries to run, pulling the stroller and Lauren along with her.
Wide-freaking-open field with full permission to frolic at will: Tessa stops, and sometimes flops, then begs to be carried back to the car.
Our current strategy for managing this behavior is telling her to “stay close,” which works approximately 38% of the time.
I just want to figure out where she is going. It is probably a futile effort, but I feel like if I understood the antecedent of the behavior (yes, I’ve got some new lingo from all my reading on this 🙄), I might be able to stop it from happening.
There’s no freaking rhyme or reason!!!!!!!
In the meantime, I’m just investing lots of money in locks, door alarms, and maybe some new running shoes. For me. She doesn’t need any more motivation to get going.
Yo soy La Lay 
I can’t offer advice… but I can offer sympathy. Willow is the same way. I have no clue where these girls think they’re going…. On the other hand, I know where I’m going: CRAZY!