Thoughts on the baby leash?

[SevenSamurai]

I think it is acceptable in public areas when the parents are forced into ZONE defense because they have more kids than parents. They can't guarantee the can stop a kid from running off into the street etc.

but when in man to man defense, parents should be holding their hands.

 

[Kruppe]

That is a completely different scenario. Talking about normal kids. The kids I have seen on leashes did not have autism or anything like that.

This is about the cultural shift in generations and the way kids are raised. Less freedom for kids and more paranoid/fear driven parents.

It's not all that different from tying kids to apron strings, which was pretty common. But, I'd agree, unless there is a special situation requiring such control, I'd prefer to just hold my child's hand or carry them.

 

[Kruppe]

i was leashed but not like in the pic. my leash was attached to my wrist. i was 3 and couldnt figure out how to get it off, it was a velcro strap

I had this and it confused me. Only time it was on was when I was out with my mom, brother and sister--so a five year old, a three year old, and an infant.

 

[Oeshon]

It's not all that different from tying kids to apron strings, which was pretty common. But, I'd agree, unless there is a special situation requiring such control, I'd prefer to just hold my child's hand or carry them.

I NEVER saw anyone tied to anything when I was growing up. Every kid has a BMX bike and road around the entire neighborhood until dark.

I couldn't fathom being tied to a leash and dragged around as a kid.

 

[Xion385]

I would like to strangle the inventor of the kid leash with their invention.

Kids are supposed to be young and free. This is just a dumb ass excuse for failed parenting.

 

[ralphc1]

I seriously think the use of these has increased massively in the last couple of years. I have seen them in the past but very infrequently. Lately I have seen heaps of parents using them at shopping centers and such. It must absolutely suck for the kids

Imagine walking up to parents say 50 years ago and asking them if they needed a leash to control their kid. They would think you're mental if you told them parents in the future would have their kids on leashes

Funny you should mention 50 years ago because that was about the time I first saw child harnesses being used. They were likely in use long before that. When I see a child with one on nowadays I see the parent or caregiver as a responsible person concerned with the welfare of the child. If children were responsible and always did what they're told, they wouldn't be children. It's like using a car seat or a seat belt in a vehicle to keep them safe. I've been in stores and seen children run away from the person they were with. It's a game to them. I've heard announcements about lost children in stores many times. People who would allow someone's opinion to deter them from keeping their child safe, shouldn't have children.

 

[Dinkin_Flicka]

My kid is 2 1/2 I've never thought to put my kid on a leash. My wife and I give our child the illusion of choice and it keeps him in line fairly well. Even at 2, toddles are very perceptive.

Prior to any outing we lay down the simple ground rules for him. Good boys get a treat, bad boys do not. Even at 2 1/2 he knows that his actions determine the outcome. While we're out we give him several choices that are always something that mom and dad want anyways. By him making the choice, he is much happier about the end result. Like when we're out and about near roads or anything he can run out in front of, his choices are either being held or hold the hand of mom/dad.

We've had 1 meltdown in public due to grandpa getting letting him have his way and then pulling him away with no warning. But other than that he almost always behaves. He'll start to throw a fit from time to tim, but we remind him about being a good boy and if he wants a treat or not and he shapes right up.

 

[Nonsense]

The alternative to the leash is consistent parenting.

 

[Gaeric]

For special needs kids I can definitely see the leash being useful.

For other kids, I guess it would depend more on the situation. I've been in another discussion on these things and one of the users' defenses was, "Sometimes you are not in a good neighborhood and don't want your kid snatched/hurt/etc," to which my reply was, "Maybe not take your kids into those neighborhoods?" to which their reply was, "Sometimes there's just no choice due to circumstances in your life."

I'm not sure I buy that entirely, but I can kind of see where they're coming from. One of the people lived in a bad area of town and would have to walk to the bus stop if they wanted to go anywhere. If they couldn't get a sitter they had to take their kid. To keep the kid from touching anything (the sort of place that has needles & condoms frequently on the ground, as well as other stuff you don't want your little kids getting into) they leashed them on way to the bus stop and from the bus stop back home.

 

[Tankeray]

What about a wife leash or GF leash?

Far more useful imo.

 

[Thrawn33]

I have a 3 year old boy. Would never leash him. I watch him like a hawk, hold his hand, carry him, stroller him or put him in the shopping cart.

Sure its not easy, but neither is parenting.

 

[G-Mafia]

Leashes are for the lazy. Fact.

 

[therealdope]

When i was starting to learn to walk, I had a harness to make sure I didn't fall on my face or run out into the street.

Dope ponders whether he should post pic with mom.

 

[Dr J]

I couldn't ever put one of my kids in those, but I can see how people find them so useful. I have a grossly obese cousin with 2 terrible children, and she isn't conditioned to hold them for extended periods of time or even chase after them.

The cage is something I could consider. Having multiple kids, it's difficult to get things done in the evenings having to keep an eye on them every minute. When youre not looking, they never seem to go for the cheap things, either. It's always glass or electronics that they're looking to break.

 

[Dinkin_Flicka]

I couldn't ever put one of my kids in those, but I can see how people find them so useful. I have a grossly obese cousin with 2 terrible children, and she isn't conditioned to hold them for extended periods of time or even chase after them.

The cage is something I could consider. Having multiple kids, it's difficult to get things done in the evenings having to keep an eye on them every minute. When youre not looking, they never seem to go for the cheap things, either. It's always glass or electronics that they're looking to break.

Since my son could crawl he was on a seek and destroy mission to break the backs of all of the remotes. We tried to give him a fake baby remote to play with and wouldn't touch it. We gave him an old remote that we didn't use anymore and he couldn't care less. It's tough to keep everything out of reach at all times.

 

[QTdd**]

Do they have an XL version for American kids?

 

[Dr J]

Since my son could crawl he was on a seek and destroy mission to break the backs of all of the remotes. We tried to give him a fake baby remote to play with and wouldn't touch it. We gave him an old remote that we didn't use anymore and he couldn't care less. It's tough to keep everything out of reach at all times.

Yeah. Our oldest now throws things, and his fake remote has nearly cracked the flat screen a number of times. At least my boy has a cannon, though

 

[Dr J]

Do they have an XL version for American kids?

Probably, but those kids are less likely to run very far on their own.

 

[Pork Mahogis]

Stupid.

 

[Dinkin_Flicka]

Yeah. Our oldest now throws things, and his fake remote has nearly cracked the flat screen a number of times. At least my boy has a cannon, though

I almost shit my pants last week when my kid kicked a ball at me when I wasn't looking. The ball hit me in the chest, bounced off of me and hit my up of coffee that was sitting on an end table. Directly adjacent to the the cup of coffee was my PS Vita that I was sitting down getting ready to play and my docking station with the Wii U Gamepad plugged in. Thankfully the spilt coffee somehow missed them both. He almost took out $500 dollars worth of electronics in one fell swoop.