Child Leashes

[Cats]

I think they're great, so long as the parent isn't using them to literally drag their kid. I don't see how they're much different from forcing the child to hold your hand, except that it gives you AND them a little more freedom about it. Not to mention, the backpack harness thingies they have now are cute and I've seen children have fun with them.

When I was young, I saw a lot of kids in those wrist-to-wrist tethers (This would be about 20 years ago). I was too old for one at that point, but even then, I had nothing against them.

When I was even younger; too big to fit in the grocery carriage but not old enough to be trusted to nit run off, my mom's rule was that I had to be holding onto either her or the cart at all times. I wish we had a harness back then, so she wouldn't have to worry about moving too fast for me to keep up, since I was such a tiny kid (and still am).

[Rebel]

My brother and I both wore leashes. It was necessary because of the age gaps between my siblings (little sis in a pram, me toddling, brother starting kindy, and older sis in primary school) and the fact that my mum had us all by herself during the day. Like any younger child, my brother and I were curious and had no fear. The shiny must be chased! A leash was the only way for my mum to keep us all together and away from danger.
I remember loving my leash. I was going through a stage where I was pretending to be a dog all the time (for some reason...even had a dog costume....don't judge!). And my brother could pretend to be a soldier or horse, whatever he was into that week.

I think a lot of people forget, or just have no concept, of how singleminded a child can be. You can tell them until you're blue in the face to always stay close to mummy and don't go with strangers, but as soon as their presented with a new opportunity (shiny! candy!) everything else is forgotten.

When I have kids, if I see the need, they will be wearing leashes. Everyone else can shove it where the sun don't shine.

Though I must point out, I don't agree with parents who lift their child up by the leash as a form of punishment, or whip the leash to 'mush' them along like a sled dog. Those people are farked.

[telecom_goddess]

The first time I ever saw a kid on a "leash," I was appalled. I couldn't believe that a parent would "do that to their kid."

I guess it came from having parents that actually disciplined us. We knew not to run off.

With the way kids are now, whether it's related to a disorder, lack of parenting, or whatever, and an apparent increase in abductions, I have no problems with them.

Better safe than sorry, right?

CH

Have you had kids? Or baby sat them and had to take them anywhere in public? I had 3 girls 3 years apart so there was a lot of time where they were babies/toddlers together...at least two of them at a time. I used leashes (only the kind with the full harness) on them to keep them safe. It's not a matter of discipline it's a matter of kids have to LEARN to stay with you and I think the leash can be part of that process.

I wish more people would use them frankly.

[crashhelmet]

I have a 4 year old son. My son likes to run around, but he knows not to leave my side when we're out in public. In fact, he always holds either my hand or someone else's.

In my family, if we even got more than 3 feet away from one of our parents, an order would be barked and we'd high tail it back to them. My parents simply did not need a physical leash. Their voice sufficed.


CH

[Lace Neil Singer]

If I ever have children, my justification for leashing them will be two words:

Adam. Walsh.

Or, over in the UK, James Bulger. His mother took her eye off him for just a few seconds, but it was still long enough for him to be taken away and murdered.

[Android Kaeli]

If I ever have children, my justification for leashing them will be two words:

Adam. Walsh.

This, a thousand times over.

I think I had a leash, or some varient of one, when I was younger. I still believe I should have one on even at my age, as I'm still in the stages of "Oooh, look! A Shiney!" --- then again, everything amuses me. O.o

I would much rather have parents have a harness on their kids instead of having them run all over the place. You won't believe how many times I've almost run over kids while at work with shopping carts because they dart right in front of me, then get a look of death from parents because I almost ran over their child.

Look, I don't care if it makes the kid look stupid. I don't care if the kid is the most well behaved kid in the whole entire universe. Kids are kids regardless of the age, they WILL run and kick and scream and look for ways to get away from mommy and daddy. You never know what will happen.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I have a 4 year old son. My son likes to run around, but he knows not to leave my side when we're out in public. In fact, he always holds either my hand or someone else's.

In my family, if we even got more than 3 feet away from one of our parents, an order would be barked and we'd high tail it back to them. My parents simply did not need a physical leash. Their voice sufficed.


CH

I was raised the same way. However there was one major difference. Parents of that generation were allowed (hell expected) to physically punish the children whenever something warranted it. Grabby fingers? Three fingers on the backside of the hand. Really screw up? Mr and Mrs Spank took a short, sharp trip to Bottom Land.

In fact, I only ever had to be spanked once. Once I knew what the ultimate consequence was, the mere threat kept me in line.

But now we live in a day and age where while corporal punishment is technically legal, giving the kid a quick swat on the heiney is no longer socially acceptable and will get the attention of people (Child Protective Services) you don't want attention from.

Hell! These days even verbally disciplining children garners harsh criticism from the so-called child development experts who spread their ideas of freedom of expression for the child, allowing them to do whatever they want to do since discipline can stunt their developmental growth and all the other "fluffy bunnies ejaculating rainbows in the meadow" theories they pull from their asses.

So since you can't spank a child, you can't bark an order at a child...the leash is one of the few ways of keeping a child from becoming another statistic in the missing children's networks or a greasy stain on the tarmac.

Don't get me wrong. I understand your point. Your way does work for you. It worked for your parents, it works for many parents. It worked for MY parents But not everyone can get away with it in all areas of the world.

So I say that the leash is one of the few ways of child control that doesn't offend CPS, is usually tolerated by the "Children should be free to develop as they will" types, and frankly works.

So I say that it is not really that much of an evil as some people think it to be.

[Cats]

In my family, if we even got more than 3 feet away from one of our parents, an order would be barked and we'd high tail it back to them. My parents simply did not need a physical leash. Their voice sufficed.

That was pretty much the case with me too I believe, though I can't remember before I was about 4 so I don't know how much trouble I might have been prior. I was very shy and tended to stay with my mom anyway (and it probably helped she had some practice at parenting from my siblings, and the fact they are several years older so they were in school by the time I was even old enough to walk, leaving me the sole 'young' one out in public with her).

But not all parent/child relationships have that dynamic where either the parent either has that presence or the children lack the drive to run too far. For them, a harness comes in handy, especially if you have multiple young children. Kids tend to have one track minds and half of what you say as a parent tends to go in one ear and out the other.

[Racket_Man]

I have a 4 year old son. My son likes to run around, but he knows not to leave my side when we're out in public. In fact, he always holds either my hand or someone else's.

In my family, if we even got more than 3 feet away from one of our parents, an order would be barked and we'd high tail it back to them. My parents simply did not need a physical leash. Their voice sufficed.


CH

I was raised the same way. However there was one major difference. Parents of that generation were allowed (hell expected) to physically punish the children whenever something warranted it. Grabby fingers? Three fingers on the backside of the hand. Really screw up? Mr and Mrs Spank took a short, sharp trip to Bottom Land.

In fact, I only ever had to be spanked once. Once I knew what the ultimate consequence was, the mere threat kept me in line.

But now we live in a day and age where while corporal punishment is technically legal, giving the kid a quick swat on the heiney is no longer socially acceptable and will get the attention of people (Child Protective Services) you don't want attention from.

Hell! These days even verbally disciplining children garners harsh criticism from the so-called child development experts who spread their ideas of freedom of expression for the child, allowing them to do whatever they want to do since discipline can stunt their developmental growth and all the other "fluffy bunnies ejaculating rainbows in the meadow" theories they pull from their asses.

So since you can't spank a child, you can't bark an order at a child...the leash is one of the few ways of keeping a child from becoming another statistic in the missing children's networks or a greasy stain on the tarmac.

Don't get me wrong. I understand your point. Your way does work for you. It worked for your parents, it works for many parents. It worked for MY parents But not everyone can get away with it in all areas of the world.

So I say that the leash is one of the few ways of child control that doesn't offend CPS, is usually tolerated by the "Children should be free to develop as they will" types, and frankly works.

So I say that it is not really that much of an evil as some people think it to be.

I did forget to mentiion in my last post that my daughter has sever ADD/ADHD.

so she was very eaisly distracted and amused and not very well focused. we could stern voice her or forbid her to move from our side, till we were blue in the face and it would have made NO difference -- **** OHHHHHHH SHINNY THING or maybe a piece of dust or a interesting reflection of light, etc. made NO difference, IF SHE was intersted in it off she went. we could have chased after her stern voicing all the way and it would have not made a difference. if it interested her OFF SHE WENT with no thought on her part of the consiquences ie. pain, kidnapping, death, etc.

CH I am very glad that a gruff /stern voice was enough for you and was sufficent but not all children are like that. but that is NOT a one-size-filts-all situation every child is very different.

And as Mongo mentioned above all it takes is one busybody nosybody and you CAN be in a world of hurt/trouble. AND it will baffle you as to the logic of the statues and laws and rules as you are guilty until proven innocent (and you are STILL not out of the fire yet even after you are "proven" innocent") and you have fight long and hard to just get to the point of proving things. as in you will be tried and convicted without your knowledge or representation

[Lace Neil Singer]

As I said before in another post, my youngest brother was hyperactive. Both my little brothers liked to run, and they also liked to run off in different directions, so my mum would have been very hard pressed to go after them; particularly with me in tow. So the leashes were really the only way to control two small boys who liked to run. Nothing to do with a lack of discipline; more like keeping hold of sanity.

[fireheart17]

I guess it depends on the situation really. I've seen some kids walk around with cute backpacks/harnesses that look like animals, so there's no embarassment or anything like that, I have very rarely seen harnesses on children around my area though.

The three things I HAVE seen parents do however to keep an eye on their kidlets under around 3 or so are:

1) They stay in a pram with their usually very much younger sibling or they get one of those smaller prams-I think it's called an umbrella stroller?
2) The kids ride in the child restraint section of the trolleys if mum's going to the supermarket or whatever. Kid stays IN the trolley until they get out to the carpark. Older kid would ride in the actual trolley in some cases (I did have one child that was around 6-7 riding in the actual child restraint section of the trolley though, I really feel that they're for kids around 1-4)
3) This is more in the larger shopping malls, but kid will ride in something that looks like a Cozy Coupe which has a little basket section in the back and mum or dad steers. There's no pedals or anything so the kid can't actually control the car.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I always prefered to walk as a child, personally; I would have hated one of those things, especially if it was pink. XD But then, I liked to stay close to my mother, so it wouldn't have mattered.

[draggar]

First:

I AM NOT A PARENT.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I don't have an issue with people using them, it keeps their child close to them but the parents needs to remember that this isn't a lisence to ignore their kids.

It's still easy to quickly cut the leash and run off with the child. Also, even on the leash a child can still get into trouble and/or danger.

It is also a risk to others around them. My wife has hip issues and if a child with one of these on runs in front of her and cuts around her there's a good change that my wife will trip and if she trips most likely she'll dislocate a hip.

Young children are erratic and parents need to remember that.

[tropicsgoddess]

I guess it depends on the kid. No kids at this point but personally I hope I don't have to use a leash on my kid..or kids.

[crashhelmet]

CH I am very glad that a gruff /stern voice was enough for you and was sufficent but not all children are like that. but that is NOT a one-size-filts-all situation every child is very different.

Which is why I ended my original reply with:

With the way kids are now, whether it's related to a disorder, lack of parenting, or whatever, and an apparent increase in abductions, I have no problems with them.

Better safe than sorry, right?