Do you leash your kid?

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  • jmcreynolds91
    jmcreynolds91 Posts: 777 Member
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    My 3 year old boy is a runner and rarely listens when it comes to crossing roads and walking together. One time at the grocery store, he got ahead of me in a crowd of people and ran out as a suburban was passing. I was yelling for him but he couldn't hear me due to so man people in between us. Luckily, she saw him and stopped. After that, I tried the back pack pal thing. After all, that's better than having an accident. He liked it at first, then started to hate it. And that's that. Now he stays with me for the most part and has learned his lesson about cars. Now, that I have been through it, I certainly don't judge people who do it regularly.
  • StinkyWinkies
    StinkyWinkies Posts: 603 Member
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    nvm
  • Chellody22
    Chellody22 Posts: 95 Member
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    Being the oldest child of 4 siblings and many, many cousins, I saw a lot of children grow up as I grew up.

    Because I saw them grow up, I thought I knew everything what it took to be a parent and I developed a lot of "IFs" and didn't understand why parents would do such things and even thought a few were bad moms/dads.

    Then I had my own...

    From that moment on, I stopped judging other mothers/fathers.

    1. I grew up and realized, it's not my place to judge. Live and let live.

    2. I am the mother to my child, not everyone else's child. I do what I think is best for my daughter and I make the choices I believe would benefit her more. I believe 95% of all the other parents I come in contact with are doing the same thing. I may have different views and opinions than a lot of them, but I in no way think that automatically makes them a bad, weird, crazy, psychotic, or what ever other else you would want to call them. I do not care what some random person thinks I should do with my child. They don't know my child, I do.

    If my daughter was a runner and I feared that she could be in danger of stepping out in front of a moving vehicle, you bet your sweet *kitten* I would put a leash/rein on her. I would rather random people I don't give two snots about judge and ridicule me then watch one of the most precious things in my life be harmed.

    This.
  • michellechawner
    michellechawner Posts: 892
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    I do not think is lazy or crazy. Doesn't bother me either way. There are BIGGER things to be concerned about. If someone needs to use one...who cares?! To me, I think it is silly how worked up people get over this topic!!!!!!

    ^^This - sorry OP, use the search key and find previous topics, since it's been done before, and I have more important things in life to worry about then how someone raises their kids... Not my kid, not my problem.
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
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    This topic has already been discussed on here and it did not go well.

    Some children don't hold hands well and slip out of their parents grip and if it came down to putting your kids in a backpack leash or them dying by running in front of a car or getting stolen, I would go with the leash.

    How about you not judge other parents?

    QFT
  • westoweighless
    westoweighless Posts: 52
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    children_on_a_leash_15.jpg

    Leash.jpg

    child-dragged-verizon.jpg
    1st i love this

    2nd if a parent is using a leash they haven't figured out how to control their kid/kids so they figure treating them like a dog is easier than figuring out the steps or taking the steps to teach them to mind or behave. so ya, lazy. and yes i have kids.
  • MandysChange
    MandysChange Posts: 40 Member
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    Yes, I had my twins in harnesses/leashes when they were around the age of 2. They are both autistic and would dart off running in opposite directions. I only did it when we were out in public and it was for their safety and so I didn't have to chase one child while trying to make sure the other child didn't run off. There are two of them and one of me.
  • jacksandler
    jacksandler Posts: 7
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    You leash pets, not children. If you can't keep control of them in public, don't take them out in public. This is one of those things that's a parent problem, not a child problem.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    On my way to work this morning, I was listening to the local radio station and they were discussing parents placing their kids on leashes to prevent them from running off. One of the radio hosts commented that leashing your kid is only for fat and lazy parents. My daughter is older now but I would have never considered putting her on a leash! What in the world is wrong with holding your kid's hand? Leashes are for animals, not children.



    This is not going to end well. Few months ago somebody started a thread like this, and it didn't end well either.

    Do not judge people or try to tell parents how to raise their children. OP, you are a mother and you should know that already. If your child is a runner and bolts out very fast, and you have a child in a stroller or a bum in the oven, then it is better to leash the child that to pick his or her pieces after being run by a car.

    And please don't tell me that if parents tough their children properly, they would never run away from their hands. Because that is full of crapola.

    Yes, I leashed my oldest, and I don't regret it either. So go ahead and judge me all you want. I am happy that I did because he is now a life and I have two beautiful grandchildren.
  • judyde
    judyde Posts: 401 Member
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    I thought the same things until I had twins. Now I WISH I had baby leashes so I could take them out when I'm by myself without strapping them in a stroller. Honestly, I'd much rather dirty looks from judgemental people than the loss of a child.

    I have twin boys who are 4.5 now. I tried the backpack leashes when they were about 1.5 - 2 years old just for that reason. Without a stroller, it would be hard to carry anything and hold both their hands. However, it really didn't work. Imagine 2 puppies on leashes, always going in opposite directinos, getting themselves wrapped around a tree, etc. It was quite comical and quite useless. The boys, however, loved them and would ask to put them on. So I'd put the backpack on without the leash and hold their hand.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    My mom used one of those harness things on my brother when he was really young, but he was a hellion and would take off in a split second. This was over 40 years ago.

    No, I have never put a harness on my kids. The only one wearing a leash in my house is my English Bulldog when he goes out for his walk.
  • judyde
    judyde Posts: 401 Member
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    Leash.jpg

    ^^ This was me (the few times I tried it.)
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
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    leash-kid.jpg

    leash.png

    tumblr_mlx38h0THc1qm9b5ho1_500.jpg



    I can just feel it... this thread's going to be the perfect distraction for Friday afternoon boredom @ the office.
    .
  • Debbie_Ferr
    Debbie_Ferr Posts: 582 Member
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    ModelParents.jpg
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
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    I leashed my oldest child. She was a runner when she was little. She also had nursemaid's elbow, which meant it was very easy for her to partially dislocate her radius near her elbow. It was very painful for her, and it happened quite frequently when she was younger, caused by rolling over in bed at night or tugging on her hand at the wrong angle, among other causes. If she was holding my hand when we were walking somewhere, I had to drop her hand immediately when she tugged or she could easily have her arm partially dislocated. The leash was a backup safety mechanism for us, so that if I did have to drop her hand she was still not able to bolt into traffic.

    I used it as a tool in my parenting arsenal. I used it to keep my child safe and healthy. I try hard to not judge any parent for making a choice that I would not make, especially when I realize that their reasons for doing something may not be visible to me as an outsider. I don't know what factors went into their decision making process.
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Have nothing against either opinion, but I do wonder, "Are you required to carry a pooper scooper if you leash your child? Or plastic bags are good enough?" Just in case.

    It's not like you are attaching them with a choke collar.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    I was one of those sanctimonious parents who swore I'd never leash my kid.

    Then my 2-year old (now 7) ran away from me at a very crowded zoo in Tokyo. Imagine trying to chase a fast little bugger through a sea of people who will not get out of your way for anything. I mean thousands of people. Not like here where you can see her 20 or 30 feet ahead of you in a crowd. 5 feet away, and she's completely out of sight.

    Lose your kid in Japan just once, and you put a leash on her from then on.
  • KenziesFrenzies
    KenziesFrenzies Posts: 1,014 Member
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    I don't have children, but I was a full-time nanny for 2 years, and I never leashed the toddlers.
    And I judge the crap out of people who do. >_>
  • Naomi0504
    Naomi0504 Posts: 964 Member
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    I just don't understand some of the comments....and still wonder why it bothers so much what a parent is doing for their own child's safety.
  • Oh_Allie
    Oh_Allie Posts: 258 Member
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    You leash pets, not children. If you can't keep control of them in public, don't take them out in public. This is one of those things that's a parent problem, not a child problem.

    Lol, what? How do you never take your kids in public?

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