Kids on a leash in public

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judge not. Unless you're done having kids. Your next one could be the one who legitimately needs a leash.

Took the words right out of my mouth! Also, my baby album has a number of pics of me in my grungy harness-style leash...ha! As my mom says, she never lost me and I never got hit by a car. I don't find them offensive or weird in any way.

Yeah...never used a leash and my son never got hit by a car and I have never lost him. He bolted from me in a store about 6 weeks ago and I talked to him about how dangerous that was...I didn't leash him like an animal. And he is 3.

You are very lucky. Nuff said.

I am not lucky...I just work on keeping control of my kid. And no we don't live on a dirt road. We spend a lot of time in the city and other busy settings and he knows that we hold hands or we leave.

Great for your kid, "You either hold my hand or we don't buy the toilet paper we are out of" or "You either hold my hand or Mommy stops trying to return this item" -- I don't get it. You have things to do, don't you? Does your child get to dictate whether or not you get them done?

LOL! Obviously she must also be able to do EVERYTHING with ONE hand!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No question am I going to get a leash. I grew up in S Fl, in the days when Adam Walsh was kidnapped from the Sears playroom--it takes seconds for your kid to be grabbed.

They could just cut through the leash though! it would take less than a second with a sharp knife!

Wha?

Wouldnt you SEE someone cutting the leash YOU ARE HOLDING???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judge not. Unless you're done having kids. Your next one could be the one who legitimately needs a leash.

Took the words right out of my mouth! Also, my baby album has a number of pics of me in my grungy harness-style leash...ha! As my mom says, she never lost me and I never got hit by a car. I don't find them offensive or weird in any way.

Yeah...never used a leash and my son never got hit by a car and I have never lost him. He bolted from me in a store about 6 weeks ago and I talked to him about how dangerous that was...I didn't leash him like an animal. And he is 3.

Right lady but is he a chronic bolter? Is he closer to four than to two, if so he is an OLD three and might have better listening skills. Not everything child is YOUR child so why judge others who are just trying to be safe? And again, how is a leash different than a stroller? At least the child can walk around and isn't belted in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC1 was the sort of kid who was always by my side...very cautious and tentative. I never had to worry about him running off. DC2 was the opposite, and never wanted to be in her stroller. I nearly had a heart attack chasing her when we were at the zoo. I was really contemplating the leash when we were there. I think it's great for toddlers, especially in a crowd where your child could easily get lost.

I agree with this poster.

I have never used a leash but I absolutely would if I was in a place where I was worried about losing my child and a leash could help even a little. Better safe than sorry.

My MIL took my SIX year old out of the country recently - and I asked her to please use a harness in the busy airports. My child is well behaved but I felt better knowing she wouldn't wander off or get lost (or stolen) while MIL ws busy with luggage, tickets, whatever. I really don't care what anybody thought. If it enhanced my child's safety and my peace of mind one bit then it's fine with me and it's not hurting anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judge not. Unless you're done having kids. Your next one could be the one who legitimately needs a leash.

Took the words right out of my mouth! Also, my baby album has a number of pics of me in my grungy harness-style leash...ha! As my mom says, she never lost me and I never got hit by a car. I don't find them offensive or weird in any way.

Yeah...never used a leash and my son never got hit by a car and I have never lost him. He bolted from me in a store about 6 weeks ago and I talked to him about how dangerous that was...I didn't leash him like an animal. And he is 3.

Right lady but is he a chronic bolter? Is he closer to four than to two, if so he is an OLD three and might have better listening skills. Not everything child is YOUR child so why judge others who are just trying to be safe? And again, how is a leash different than a stroller? At least the child can walk around and isn't belted in.

My son is closer to 2 than 4...he just turned 3 last month. I work full time so I don't have a ton of time to run errands. I do a lot of shopping on line and put him in a shopping cart at the grocery store etc with a snack and he is prefectly happy. I seem to be able to get it all done without walking my kid like a dog.

And yes I only have one...because my serious illness will only allow me to have one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No question am I going to get a leash. I grew up in S Fl, in the days when Adam Walsh was kidnapped from the Sears playroom--it takes seconds for your kid to be grabbed.

They could just cut through the leash though! it would take less than a second with a sharp knife!

Wha?

Wouldnt you SEE someone cutting the leash YOU ARE HOLDING???

The idea that you would keep your child on a leash in case someone tries to grab them is simply ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Well you look at it like walking the kids like dogs. My kid looked at it like not being strapped into a seat and the freedom to walk and stretch her legs. I'm not telling her to sit, stay, petting her and making her crawl on the floor. And not all places have grocery carts!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No question am I going to get a leash. I grew up in S Fl, in the days when Adam Walsh was kidnapped from the Sears playroom--it takes seconds for your kid to be grabbed.

They could just cut through the leash though! it would take less than a second with a sharp knife!

Wha?

Wouldnt you SEE someone cutting the leash YOU ARE HOLDING???

The idea that you would keep your child on a leash in case someone tries to grab them is simply ridiculous.

For me, it's not for that purpose. It's for running off in parking lots and stores and hiding from me. Which she thinks is hilarious. It's hide and seek Mommy! She's too young to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't we see nannies with kids on leashes?

I'm a nanny who has used a leash before. I cared for three kids, all about a year apart (4 mos, 2 & 3). The oldest was an autistic bolter, so the sound of my voice was not enough to get his attention as he ran away at top speed. We went everywhere and I could not have done it without a bjorn and a leash. We even went to the Baltimore aquarium with the two oldest leashed to my belt loops. There are no strollers allowed there and the layout is not ideal for very small (short) kids.

There is no way I could have taken them out for all the "enrichment" without some added safety gear.

When people made rude comments or glared, I commented that the choke collars were out of stock when we went to find leashes.

Some kids catch on to the "duck training" earlier than others. Consider yourself fortunate if you have a follower.

[Anonymous]

I watched a news story about a young man who is a surfer - the twist is, he is paralyzed. From being hit by a car as a young toddler when he let go of his mother's hand and ran off into the parking lot. I bet that mother would have loved to have had her son in a harness.

I think smug no-harness poster is the same poster who wouldn't dream of giving a baby a pacifier because infants should learn to soothe themselves. And probably also smug, uptight playground mom who won't say hi to other moms, and it's entirely because she is silently judging everyone as not as good a mother as she is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like spanking I think restraining the child is ABUSE.

So you never restrain your child in a stroller, high chair, car seat, bouncey or anyting else with safety straps lest you be considered abusive?

Having a child bolt out in traffic or run away is better though right?

We don't use a leash. You sound like a self-righteous ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Like spanking I think restraining the child is ABUSE.

So you never restrain your child in a stroller, high chair, car seat, bouncey or anyting else with safety straps lest you be considered abusive?

Having a child bolt out in traffic or run away is better though right?

We don't use a leash. You sound like a self-righteous ass.

Just to clarify I meant the poster who used ABUSE in caps was self-righteous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judge not. Unless you're done having kids. Your next one could be the one who legitimately needs a leash.

Took the words right out of my mouth! Also, my baby album has a number of pics of me in my grungy harness-style leash...ha! As my mom says, she never lost me and I never got hit by a car. I don't find them offensive or weird in any way.

Yeah...never used a leash and my son never got hit by a car and I have never lost him. He bolted from me in a store about 6 weeks ago and I talked to him about how dangerous that was...I didn't leash him like an animal. And he is 3.

Right lady but is he a chronic bolter? Is he closer to four than to two, if so he is an OLD three and might have better listening skills. Not everything child is YOUR child so why judge others who are just trying to be safe? And again, how is a leash different than a stroller? At least the child can walk around and isn't belted in.

My son is closer to 2 than 4...he just turned 3 last month. I work full time so I don't have a ton of time to run errands. I do a lot of shopping on line and put him in a shopping cart at the grocery store etc with a snack and he is prefectly happy. I seem to be able to get it all done without walking my kid like a dog.

And yes I only have one...because my serious illness will only allow me to have one.

You mean you belt him in a cart? And bribe him with snack? How is that teaching him to listen and not run away? You are containing him, not teaching him anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Judge not. Unless you're done having kids. Your next one could be the one who legitimately needs a leash.

Took the words right out of my mouth! Also, my baby album has a number of pics of me in my grungy harness-style leash...ha! As my mom says, she never lost me and I never got hit by a car. I don't find them offensive or weird in any way.

Yeah...never used a leash and my son never got hit by a car and I have never lost him. He bolted from me in a store about 6 weeks ago and I talked to him about how dangerous that was...I didn't leash him like an animal. And he is 3.

You are very lucky. Nuff said.

I am not lucky...I just work on keeping control of my kid. And no we don't live on a dirt road. We spend a lot of time in the city and other busy settings and he knows that we hold hands or we leave.

Great for your kid, "You either hold my hand or we don't buy the toilet paper we are out of" or "You either hold my hand or Mommy stops trying to return this item" -- I don't get it. You have things to do, don't you? Does your child get to dictate whether or not you get them done?

LOL! Obviously she must also be able to do EVERYTHING with ONE hand!

Oh come on -- it's easy! One hand for the older child, one hand for the younger child, one hand for the groceries, one hand for the dry cleaning, and one hand for the car keys! Anyone can do it.

[Anonymous]

When my older DS (now in high school) was almost two, I took him to Norwood Park and let go of his hand, just to see how far he would go before he turned around. After running across three fields, he finally turned around to see where I was. That's when we bought the harness and leash, which we used in very crowded or potentially dangerous places, especially when DS2 was with us.