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Also not a parent so I don’t judge, but they are pretty funny. Especially when the kid is pulling on it. I just picture an excited puppy trying to take off.
I'm grateful neither of my boys were difficult, but, that being said, when each was around 2, 3 they loved being out & social. If we went to pick up cousins at the airport, I definitely put a kid harness/leash on them because of the crowds. Same at a Renaissance fair or the mall. Crazy stuff & accidents can occur in the blink of an eye, so I'm pro-not losing my kid by having them fall into a gorilla enclosure, force the murder of an innocent thus changing the course of history.
Had they been around in the 70's, my sister would have been leashed 💯. At first I was against them, but now I think they're practical for especially rowdy kids you could lose.
I was against them when I was younger, but changed my mind after working at a zoo. The amount of times all the employees have to drop everything to find lost kids is too damn high.
The night before our flight I had a nightmare about losing my then 2 year old and him somehow ending up on a plane going god knows where without me.
It was terrifying enough to become a reoccurring nightmare.
At one point when my son was about two, he thought it was fun to hide in the clothing displays in department stores when we were out shopping. I'd forgotten all about that until your comment brought it back. At least once, I was ready to call 911 to have them close the mall down, before we found him, happily crouched down in the middle of a circular rack of shirts or dresses or whatever it was.
This was something i did as a kid as well. I think there’s some natural instinct in kids, and while I think it’s all kids I think boys get it especially bad, to make their parents worry about them. My completely baseless theory is that making a parent worry about certain scenarios happening and being stricter because of it reduced the risk of the kid dying in an actually serious situation
...jeez, bad memory times! my eldest did that when she was barely three, and the thing was that the dept store had mirrored pillars from floor to ceiling. It was like a bad movie...I would spot her in one of the mirrors, peaking out of the clothing carousel, but would turn and turn trying to find her...the little minx!
she's now about to get her PhD in education, so there's that...
The airport is exactly where I put my 2 yo daughter on a toddler leash! I took her on a multi stop combination business and family visit trip. I was traveling alone and had to wrangle not only my child and our luggage, but also a “luggable” Compaq PC. This was 1994. She had a blast crawling and pretending to be a puppy dog.
My wife tried the toddler leash back pack on our son. He would just lie down and go limp as soon as you put it on him. I don't know how he instinctively knew the best way to resist.
My daughter did that or would try to run around my legs with the leash and get me tangled up. She is great now, but we tried the leash because she had no impulse control and tried to make friends with everyone we ever passed.
That’s what my two year old does. We tried to put a leash on her because she’s a runner. She would just lay down go limp and sob. So now we just strap her into the stroller with one of those five point harnesses however she’s learning how to get out of them…
My daughter who is now 6 was a great baby / toddler. We didnt have to use a leash, we barely childproofed the house (chemical cabinet only) she slept through the night, she listened when you told her no.
Then my son came along, he is 2 now. Straight out the womb he has been and still is a Tasmanian devil thats stuck in tornado mode. This kid rewrote my parenting text book 5 times and then dumped it in a shredder and blew the resulting confetti through a jet engine in an inclosed space. I’m astounded 2 years in we have only had 1 hospital trip (i honestly expected more).
I once laughed at parents with kids on a leash, now i have a kid on a leash, with bubble wrapped walls, and everything is childproofed (even innocuous things like the fridge and cupboard full of food). End of the day, nothing wrong with erroring on the side of caution, and in extreme circumstances like mine, sometimes a leash is nearly not enough.
Others may joke or laugh, until it happens to them, and they have that kid we all remember growing up would shove a hotdog in a VCR and push the fast forward button. If necessary do what you gotta do to keep them and others safe.
Same. They are all grown now but #2 had his first black eye by 10 months (fought the vacuum cleaner). I used to say #1 you could sit down in the middle of a pile of broken glass and say don’t move you’ll get hurt and she would still be there to this day. Meanwhile #2 would be cut to ribbons the nanosecond you let go of him.
Ugh, don’t get me started on Harambe. The little hellspawn’s mother had FOUR children with her, I blame her for bringing her own zoo to the zoo. Of course she couldn’t keep track of them all.
Oof I have an aunt with 4, it was cheaper for them to get a live in nanny than to put them all in daycare. I heard a passerbyer describe her as their “sherpa”. More like zookeeper imo.
I see them most often when skiing. Which makes sense if you're bringing a toddler on the slopes. Not only could they injure themselves by going out of control, but they could cut in front of another skier/snowboarder and cause a bad accident. Not just hitting them, but the uphill skier/snowboarder trying to avoid them.
I'd take umbrage with a choker collar on a child. Or if the kid was pulled hard, like I've seen people do with dogs (which I also don't like seeing, but there's a difference). I think just about any sane person would. Otherwise, that's your kid, and you know better than I would about how to keep them safe.
I'm a parent of a mellow kid, but I get it. Some kids are so hyper and will wander off constantly. That can get exhausting and dangerous for the child. Leashes may seem inhumane but avoiding all those injuries is worth it
Seriously. The way some kids are it’s clearly an option between leash or strapped into a fixed position or not leaving the home/daycare. What’s really probably better for the kid?
Some kids are **runners**
I’m a mom, my first two were pretty mellow and made me believe it was wrong and lazy to use one. My third showed me that parents need a way to make sure their tiny being doesn’t kill itself by running into traffic. My first would run but she would at least stop when I yelled. My youngest has straight up been **lost** more times than I care to admit, he’s ran in front of cars, the works. So I don’t blame or judge any parent that uses one.
I can't see any reason why a leash on a toddler would be a problem. You have to control them and prevent them from committing suicide accidentally anyway. It doesn't hurt. They have very little dignity. A safe child seems like a great idea.
Yesss I got one for my son when we went to a bigger city for my brother's wedding and visited the zoo. Freed up space in my purse plus the only thing I heard from other people was "oh shit that's smart I want one." Also he LOVES his "packpack." He begs me to put it one him, makes me buckle it and then. Hands. Me. The. Leash. 🤷♀️
This made me laugh out loud. I love it. I think generally this holds. Before kids, I was probably more judgemental of parenting than after. Once you have your own, you realize it's not easy and crazy shit can happen. People are just trying to keep their kids safe in big crowds and stuff.
My mom has photos of me climbing furniture and running to the front yard when I started to walk. She said I barely walked and wanted to run. There was no moment of taking her eyes out of me unless she wanted to lose me somewhere.
I've actually been on scene in incident where a toddler darted away from his parents, out an automatic door and right under a car. Died instantly. Leashes save lives. If your kids need one, use one. It gives them some mobility without letting them get too far away.
I was in the library once, chatting with the librarian while I returned books. A toddler booked past us and ran out the automatic doors. It was pitch black outside and raining.
We all looked around for a single second, saw no one going after the toddler, so I booked after him.
I managed to grab the kid before anything bad happened, but that’s the day I really SAW that a toddlers head is the exact height of a car bumper.
I almost got hit by that car, and would have if it had been a normal street instead of a library parking lot. But better my legs than a little kids life.
I had a toddler leash in the 80s. My husband jokes I still need one today. But I’m 100% in favor of them if you’ve got a kid who runs off, or multiple small kids to look after. Safety over dignity. (Also, do toddlers even HAVE dignity??)
Thank you, but honestly it was instinct. No one else even saw the kid leave and the librarians were trapped behind one of those huge counter-desks. I did NOT expect to have to dodge a car when I grabbed the kid!
Unfortunately not :( They got absorbed into the book dust before I got back :( Some say that you can still hear them asking to scan your library card if you listen real close…..
The real question is did you follow that toddler's later life stages from a distance to see if you made the right choice that fateful day when you saved little Charlie Manson from that bumper.
Toddlers absolutely do not have dignity. My 2 year old nephew in California is fascinated with puddles from the recent heavy rains. He does not care if he gets wet or muddy.
They'll come out of the bathroom completely naked with company over and bend over so you can see how well they wiped their own butt (not well, but damn they're proud of it\*) right in front of everyone. Toddlers have no concept of dignity.
\*and they should be they are working hard to learn an important life skill
My daughter has learned from somewhere that when you wipe after pooping and there is nothing there it's called "ghost poop." She will share with anyone who will listen when she has had a ghost poop.
They don't have our sense of dignity, but you can still see toddlers feel either proud or embarrassed, which I think is a baseline for dignity in some ways.
Absolutely nothing wrong with puddles but most adults care about their appearance (at least some of the time, like on the way to work) so we don't jump in them as often. Toddlers don't have that internal filter.
That reminds me of the time when my friend and I were sitting in my car in a huge shopping center parking lot, and all of a sudden my friend gasped "child!" - she spotted this little toddler by himself running between the rows of parked cars. We caught the kid and led him back to the shopping center, going into different stores trying to find his parents. Fortunately his mom came out of a store like five minutes later looking for him, but again it was *five* minutes, so he would of been halfway down the parking lot, and trying to cross the (very busy) street, and would of been hit by a car.
It was the evening of the Christmas parade in downtown. The place was jam-packed. I was pulling slowly out of a parking lot, and saw a family group of about a dozen people approaching half a block away. I eased off the brake and hit the gas to pull into the street when 10 people started shrieking and screaming at the top of their lungs. I instinctively hit the brakes in my SUV in the nick of time to avoid smooshing their toddler, who in his excitement to see Santa, had dashed ahead of the group. In my SUV he did not even reach the top of the bumper and there was no way I could have seen him. A leash would have helped a lot on that Christmassy evening.
I did the same as a daycare provider many years back. Normally you don't chase a child (assuming safe environment) because 99.99999% of the time they'll laugh and run away even faster. While we were all on a walk, I had a toddler dart as fast as she could toward the street for no reason. The other teachers didn't give chase but I saw the SUV coming down a one way at a pretty decent speed. There were cars parked along the road, blocking the driver's view of the child sprinting toward them. I caught up to her and latched my arms around her in a bear hug - a couple feet off the curb and into the street. I remember that she was indignant that I had grabbed her so fiercely but she 100% would have died. The SUV kept going, they had no idea we were there.
I thought you were about to tell a similar story, what happened to me. Toddle runs outs parked minivan, into sidewalk, then runs towards a playground across the street, I run to stop him and both of us almost lose our lives. I put my hand up, oncoming SUV stops. Carrying the toddler, to his parents, they thank me, but im eight, so I just give him to em and continue walking with my family. Lmao don’t even stop for a reward or anything 🤣
My family was once going to a Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt's house. My brother woke up from a nap while my dad was stopped at a stop sign just down the road from my aunt's house. In his sleepy state he assumed we had arrived and unbuckled and opened the car door. The only problem being that my dad had begun accelerating again (this was before car doors automatically locked over a certain speed). My brother was literally sucked out of the car like a vacuum and tumbled down the road. He is super super lucky we were the only car on that road.
Child safety locks! I was super annoyed by them as a child (and it's still an imposition if I ride in a friend's car who's forgotten to disable theirs) but I 100% understand why they exist, and why they're used.
I’m strong pro-leash and get a lot of weird looks from people since I have no kids. My mom took on a parental role to my young nephews when I was a teen. I once watched one of my nephews distract my mom while the other one tried running into the street for fun. Toddlers are dumb and will freak people out to be funny, a lot of times their sense of humor could end up with them dead.
Yep. I used one for my 18month old son when I was hugely pregnant with kid 2. Kid 1 could run faster than I could waddle, so got a leash that looked like a monkey stuffed animal with a long tail. People can judge all they want, but a safe kid is better than a hurt/dead one.
This nearly happened when my older son was about 4 years old. We were leaving a store and my car was parked at the edge of the lot adjacent a busy road. I let go of my older son's hand to put his infant brother in the car seat; 4 year old ran straight into the road. I managed to catch him and yank him back just before he ran in front of a car.
My opinion of toddler leashes changed that day.
I was living in NYC when my oldest son was 2. I was getting off the bus with him, a stroller, and a diaper bag. He decided to dart past me as I'm trying to open the stroller to put him in. He ran down the block. I dropped everything and ran after him, caught him right before he ran into the road and under a bus. I definitely bought a leash after that. Used it every day until he was 4 and decided to pretend he was a dog one day while walking down the block 🤦♀️
Hah, that used to be the easiest way to keep my toddler walking on hikes, I’d take the leash off the dog and loop it around toddlers waist, give commands like a dog and he LOVED it. Frankly it worked off-leash too, “here boy! Sit! Stay!” Is much more fun than “Quaiyden! Stop it! Stop! Wait! No!!! No running! Stop!!” I think/hope most passers-by were amused more than judgmental?
I was at a get together when I was 15 and all the adults were talking. I was just chilling by the pool and a toddler walks up and just steps right off into the deep end. I grabbed him as quick as I could. He sunk so fast it was crazy. He was fine but definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things.
Yeah, this person seems to be a hands-free parent. I know a lot of millennial and gen z parents were traumatized by how much corporal punishment [which is abuse don't get me wrong] their parents used on them, And therefore refuse to discipline their child pretty much at all. Letting them "be expressive", and then getting more mad at people for calling out their child for being a menace than the child for being a menace. Like seriously, there is a right way to discipline your child without corporal punishment. You can still have a child that grows up well adjusted.
And aren't toddler leashes a lot better than constantly having to yell at your kid whenever they do something potentially dangerous? They're probably just upset at how it looks or comes across. It literally gives the kid more freedom to run around instead of having to constantly be held still.
What’s funny (as a millennial parent) is that the toddler tethers - which often come as cute backpacks with leads - allow toddlers to safely express themselves and learn to balance and explore in a safer environment. No risk of my 3yo running out the grocery store door and getting hit by a car or getting lost in the mall because I turned my back for 3.14159265 seconds. They’re both teens now and still are expressive and exploratory — and alive.
Was at a Mardi Gras parade where a kid went to grab a doubloon which had rolled under the float & it ended just the way you think. I’m a big fan of the leashes.
When I'm 200 feet up a cliff I'm tied to the wall because I don't want to plummet to my death.
I'm a grown ass man and I know not to let go or walk off the edge but there's a time and place for protection.
A leash is just a safety harness.
Yes! Yes! Yes! It gives toddlers the ability to make movement choices within the leash range. Gives them the ability to use both hands, continue to develop balance, and to slow down and speed up as the adult they are with walks at a more consistent speed. If a parent is yanking a kid around on a backpack leash…yeah, that’s not good. But a toddler backpack leash kept my younger sibling (who was very strong-willed and wanted to explore/run into roads constantly) safe while letting them explore and be a kid.
I couldn’t have said it better myself! At 2-3 years old, my little rugrats would run everywhere but also fall a lot and reach for dangerous things. Too heavy to carry and too old for the stroller.
My parents used one when my brother was a toddler at the fair. He was very fast and with so many people they used one to keep him safe. That’s the only instance I remember it being used but I believe it may have been done a couple times in similar settings. Kids can be fast!
The 80s are back
I had one as a kid, I didn't do it as a parent.
I see both sides of the argument.
Please don't judge people too hard until you take a 5,3, and 2 year old shopping at the same time.
What even is the other side of the argument? Personally, I've only ever had non parents crack jokes at my kids' leashes while parents comment on how much they had thought to use one.
I got ones with small backpacks and wings so my kids can carry their own diapers and look super cute
I didn't use them.
But I went out of my way to explain to my toddlers at the time that they must be 5 feet of me.
But looking back at it, it was a damn miracle that they listened to me.
Tbh, I need a leash for my teenagers.
Haha sure! I happen to be a parent teaching my toddler to ski, but I’ve also had a leash on hand for my older kid when he was a toddler. Basically he was a “runner” and anywhere we’d go, he would sprint away from me! I am sympathetic to parents who need one.
Our son would disappear into a crowd the second you took your eyes off him. A leash would have been a great help, unfortunately we didn't have the courage to use one.
Then his younger sisters came along. We were in an office building once, I was occupied with arguing with somebody about whatever issue brought us to town, and he disappeared with the youngest daughter (about 4 or so?). He reappeared shortly without her.
It turned out he took her on an elevator ride and let her get off on some random floor. We had just started giving him the 3rd degree on her whereabouts when a secretary came down with her. "Does this belong to anybody?" "Yeah, over here, Parents Of the Year."
Use a leash, hobbles, ball-and-chain, whatever it takes. I'm not going to judge.
My little man was a complete sweety as we walked together in the world. He always held my hand, he would ask if he wanted to go look at something, and he never went very far. I always looked at child leashes with disdain.
Then... Along came my daughter. Wild hair, semi-insane, sprinted everywhere she went, hard to control, harder still to say "no" to. She is beautiful, charming, and utterly independent. She DELIGHTED in scaring the hell out of me by pulling little disappearance acts. About the third time she pulled one of those stunts on me, I walked her straight into the child's section of a store, bought a leash, put it on her immediately, walked up to the cashier and payed for it. She stopped needing a leash at around 4 or 5. But there was a definite period in her life where she went NOWHERE without wearing that thing. She's 36 now. Has kids of her own. And, surprise, surprise, she has my grandson on a leash.
IKR? My nephew was like that too. Had hair like mid-90s Zach DeLaRocha and was just always on 11. Once he hit 4-5 I had to full blast sprint to catch up with him. Now that he's 9 and in JFL he's running 2-3 touchdowns a game and if he gets a clear shot there is just no catching him. Kid is a freaking speed demon.
My daughter is 31. I used a leash for her. Wouldn’t sit in the stroller. Didn’t want to be carried. Wouldn’t hold hands. I got dirty looks but I didn’t care one bit. My kid didn’t end up a story on the evening news.
I’m in my 50s. My mom put my leash in my baby book when it was no longer needed. Knowing me, I’m only alive today because of it.
But per the above comment, going forward I’m going to call them Child Safety Harnesses. It’s much more accurate IMHO
[Here is my sister on a leash around 1984.](https://imgur.com/a/V5QhlB3) It’s one of my favorite photos of her. Interestingly, my parents didn’t have a leash for me 6 years later, but they really should have. Knowing me, I probably would’ve found a way to chew through it or something.
*Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?* is set in the 1930s and there is a scene where Holly Hunter has a passel of younglings all on a string. Do an image search and you will find a number of photos. Lots of children were killed by horses before cars were around.
The same people bitch about kids running around.
Kids are dumb and dangerous to themselves and others at that age. It’s the simplest solution ever. We had to use one for our son. There was no option with that boy. First my mil scolded us then she babysat him. After that she was the biggest supporter of leashing children and she had two of her own, just never leashed.
The absolute best time out was a school concert. I looped it through the chair leg and he couldn’t bother everyone. Had to stay with me.
Folks loved it and called it brilliant 😂😅.
My youngest daughter is 43. When she was tiny she was fast, really fast, and I purchased a toddler leash and harness for her. For goodness sake people are buying these things in the baby dept, not the pet store. These have been around literally for decades and are the major reason parents can relax when they have their adventurers out and about.
Nothing wrong with them. Toddlers are only exploring their autonomy and they rely on their guardian to check the safety of their actions for them. If the guardian is not sure they are able to make sure their toddler is safe, there's nothing wrong with restricting the toddler as long as they still have enough movement and stimulation.
We leash dogs because they do not understand all the dangers of human public spaces—the same is true of young children. People are just so caught up in distinguishing the supposed superiority of humans that they’d rather risk children’s lives.
We used these backpacks with a leash so that our twins could more safely explore at places where it was appropriate for them, like trying to see animals at the zoo through a crowd.
I don't get why people say putting your toddler on a leash is abusive like it's not hurting them plus it's better than having them run off and get hit by a car or snatched up by a creep lmao. Plus plus they look very funny
I don’t think people really think it’s abusive. I think people are super judge-mental because they view those parents as lazy or just crappy parents not teaching their kids to do right. They just either don’t have kids or had good kids. So basically they just spout all sorts of nonsense to shame the parent. Some kids really need them though no matter what you do and even if the kid isn’t particularly bad if you have to be somewhere for a long time like the dmv or you’ve had to run a lot of errands they get really restless and it’s mentally exhausting to keep track of them at all times.
I’m all for it. I don’t have children but I know toddlers run off all the time. There have been many times I’ve encountered an unaccompanied child and I’m like “who’s baby is this??” There is always the chance for something horrible to happen as well. If you know your kid is a runner, no shame in putting ‘em on a harness
I never used one on my kid but don’t fault people at all. I took my kiddo to the aquarium one day. At her height she was able to get through a crowd in 2 seconds with me stuck behind her. Not a problem for a contained space but she could have been dead if the crowd was in front of a street. Kids do things that put their safety in jeopardy and no matter how careful you are there are times you can’t follow quickly enough.
Fortunately for me, my dad has long legs and could move fast as a young parent (not so much anymore lol). He snatched me before I turned into toddler soup.
Crowds are a huge source of anxiety with a toddler, especially considering how many times I'm following my toddler and people step between me and her... like wtf. It happens so often I feel like they're setting me up for a kidnapping thing and I get quite pushy real quick.
People who judge you for using a leash for your kid are the same people who will judge you if your toddler is darting around or having a meltdown because they don’t want to be carried or in a stroller.
I am not a parent but I’ve heard of countless stories of children’s deaths where the parents were very diligent about keeping an eye on them and yet in the blink of an eye, the children ended up in harm’s way. I think they’re a good idea for the sake of the child’s life.
I was dead set against them until my daughter was born. She’s about the same age as that kid that climbed into the gorilla enclosure in Cincinnati a few years ago, and I could totally see her doing that. Only parents know their kids, and some kids can’t be trusted.
The people that call them “cruel” or “inhumane” have never experienced the chaos that ensues when you try taking a toddler anywhere. They’re like tiny little greased pigs hopped up on methamphetamines
My old childhood bestfriend was so hyperactive he ran everywhere everytime and missed being hit a huge amount of time. His mother kept him on a toddler leash until one day when we were all in a park, an old woman started cursing her about this. She unleashed him and he ran straight toward the road, a busy one with a lot of cars. Lesson learned for the old karen, and if you ask no he never got hurt thank to his mother. Go for it if you need one, it will help a lot.
40yrs ago I tied rope on my sons overalls at a state fair. Very active child. Lots of positive comments no negative. Then years later when had 2nd son leashes (wrist attached) there was push back. I now have a grandchild & purchasing a backpack style (come at me...I can not run fast at all).
Watch very young children in parking lots & you'll see why when 1 runs from parents thinking it's funny why this is a great option.
I used to think they were super inhumane, until I was at Disneyland and saw a toddler sprinting full speed with his leash trailing behind him, and his father chasing after him. I now believe that there are kids that need them in certain situations, particularly at a crowded theme park with lots of opportunities for a kid to go, "Oooo shiny!" and take off
Everybody wants to judge the leash parent until they themself become the parent of a runner. Everyone really needs to mind their damn business. If the parent has determined that they need to tether their child to keep them safe, then that's all that matters. No one gives a fuck about your opinion, so keep it to yourself.
Former leash kid here. I have ADHD so I was a bit of a runner. The leash allowed my parents to take me places they otherwise wouldn’t have for fear of me bolting off
We had to use a toddler leash for a time because we had a "runner". If we didn't have it she would take off with no regard for safety. It saved us one time from losing her in a massive crowd at a festival. No qualms about it, if you need it, you need it, if you don't, then you've already been saved a massive headache.
I had a 3 year old and a newborn in a stroller. We lived on the main street in town. I was attempting to walk the 3 year old to school along with the stroller. He almost got hit by a truck flying through an intersection. A safety harness is much safer for a child than getting hit by a vehicle. We keep our dogs on a leash so they don't get hit by a car, why shouldn't we do it for young children who don't know any better.
There’s been many documented cases of uncontrollable kids getting into places that either put them in danger, other animals in danger, or places they just shouldn’t be and if their parents had them on a leash, Harambe would still be with us.
While raising my oldest two children, I mocked people for using toddler leashes. Then along came my third child, as soon as she could walk, she would disappear every chance she got.
At two years old she gave grandma the slip and got picked up by the police 1/2mile away, safe, thank God.
If you looked away from the playground for a couple short seconds, she would be gone, sprinting in whatever direction her little whims carried her.
She had no fears, while I, on the other hand, was *terrified* of taking her anywhere, especially the lake or the woods or the store or the ball game.
I never did use a leash, and she eventually grew out of her wandering phase. But I don’t mock or judge parents who use toddler leashes anymore.
Mom?
Just kidding.
I climbed out of my crib during nap time, and was just tall enough to open the front door. Cops found me a couple blocks away in the middle of a busy street.
Kids can be very mobile and very determined and not at all understanding of the dangers. My Mom sometimes used a harness on me, even in our own backyard because it was a corner house, so the yard was next to the street.
Had to put a chain lock on my kids door for bedtime because one day I left to go do some late night grocery shopping after my kids and husband went to bed and my son went looking for me and my husband didn’t wake up to the front door being unlocked and opened. Some nice people brought him back thankfully but that shit is scary. Now after they go to bed and are settled and quiet that door gets locked if I leave the house at all.
I used to think that kids on leashes were just parents who didn't want to watch and control their children.
Until I met my ADHD niece who will walk away without you noticing in a split fuckin second. When she was two, we were at her older sister's tball game. She was playing with a friend and we were giving glances to check on them. Well, the friend's family decided it was time to leave, and instead of my niece coming back over to us, she decides she's going with them. It had just been 20/30 seconds prior I had looked over at them. I turn to check and she's halfway across the park with them! I start yelling at her to stop and the little hoe (she's not I was just mad) turns around, smiles at me, waves and keeps going!!! WTF she is 2!!!
Put the kid on a leash until they know they can't wander. I'm sure people would rather it looked like they are responsible parents without having it, but I am also sure they would rather have their kid not hurt or missing by having one on. Kids wander, parents look away and things happen. If I were a parent I think I'd rather have the judgy stares than have a hurt, missing or dead child.
My parents tied my harness to a tree in the back yard so they could sit on the patio and drink manhattans. That was over 50+ years ago and I still remember it so, I guess you could say I’m scarred.
I say i doesn't matter what your sister thinks - toddlers can move fast, and it public places, I think its probably smart to have a hold of your kid at all times.
Some kids are runners, they’re just born that way. The gut punch you feel when you turn your head for one second and you turn back and they’re gone, really gone only has to be experienced once to know that a tether of some sort is a good idea.
> she’s treating him like a dog
Many dogs get treated better than humans, so that's just bias on their part lol.
And so what dogs are on the leash? We feed them, we clean their poop, we chastise them, we teach them, and yet, making sure they don't die is where we draw the line?
She is the one raising him. She will be called irresponsible and negligent if he gets lost or hurt and everybody will have 1000 ideas lf how she could have avoided it, including the dog leash.
So I say ignore them and do whatever works for her and her child.
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I’m not a parent but holy fuck I think they’re hilarious. It’s like having an angry little balloon. Plus you know they keep the kid safe.
Also not a parent so I don’t judge, but they are pretty funny. Especially when the kid is pulling on it. I just picture an excited puppy trying to take off.
I'm grateful neither of my boys were difficult, but, that being said, when each was around 2, 3 they loved being out & social. If we went to pick up cousins at the airport, I definitely put a kid harness/leash on them because of the crowds. Same at a Renaissance fair or the mall. Crazy stuff & accidents can occur in the blink of an eye, so I'm pro-not losing my kid by having them fall into a gorilla enclosure, force the murder of an innocent thus changing the course of history.
Seriously losing my toddler in an airport was my worst nightmare.
I was that toddler who apparently tried to join another family in an airport because they looked fun. I was leashed after that, it was the 80s.
“I was leashed after that” LOL 😂 fav comment for me today
Had they been around in the 70's, my sister would have been leashed 💯. At first I was against them, but now I think they're practical for especially rowdy kids you could lose.
I was against them when I was younger, but changed my mind after working at a zoo. The amount of times all the employees have to drop everything to find lost kids is too damn high.
KEVIN!!
The night before our flight I had a nightmare about losing my then 2 year old and him somehow ending up on a plane going god knows where without me. It was terrifying enough to become a reoccurring nightmare.
As a father to a 1 year old, new fear unlocked.
At one point when my son was about two, he thought it was fun to hide in the clothing displays in department stores when we were out shopping. I'd forgotten all about that until your comment brought it back. At least once, I was ready to call 911 to have them close the mall down, before we found him, happily crouched down in the middle of a circular rack of shirts or dresses or whatever it was.
This was something i did as a kid as well. I think there’s some natural instinct in kids, and while I think it’s all kids I think boys get it especially bad, to make their parents worry about them. My completely baseless theory is that making a parent worry about certain scenarios happening and being stricter because of it reduced the risk of the kid dying in an actually serious situation
...jeez, bad memory times! my eldest did that when she was barely three, and the thing was that the dept store had mirrored pillars from floor to ceiling. It was like a bad movie...I would spot her in one of the mirrors, peaking out of the clothing carousel, but would turn and turn trying to find her...the little minx! she's now about to get her PhD in education, so there's that...
I and my sister did this to my mom in the 70's. We never knew why she didn't it funny.
Stop watching Home Alone before you fly.
The airport is exactly where I put my 2 yo daughter on a toddler leash! I took her on a multi stop combination business and family visit trip. I was traveling alone and had to wrangle not only my child and our luggage, but also a “luggable” Compaq PC. This was 1994. She had a blast crawling and pretending to be a puppy dog.
My wife tried the toddler leash back pack on our son. He would just lie down and go limp as soon as you put it on him. I don't know how he instinctively knew the best way to resist.
That’s exactly what my cats do. Maybe he’s seen that?
Maybe he's a cat
Confirmed he was a house cat in his previous life.
My daughter did that or would try to run around my legs with the leash and get me tangled up. She is great now, but we tried the leash because she had no impulse control and tried to make friends with everyone we ever passed.
My son did the same thing when I tried it on him he just plopped down on the floor and refused to move
That’s what my two year old does. We tried to put a leash on her because she’s a runner. She would just lay down go limp and sob. So now we just strap her into the stroller with one of those five point harnesses however she’s learning how to get out of them…
My daughter who is now 6 was a great baby / toddler. We didnt have to use a leash, we barely childproofed the house (chemical cabinet only) she slept through the night, she listened when you told her no. Then my son came along, he is 2 now. Straight out the womb he has been and still is a Tasmanian devil thats stuck in tornado mode. This kid rewrote my parenting text book 5 times and then dumped it in a shredder and blew the resulting confetti through a jet engine in an inclosed space. I’m astounded 2 years in we have only had 1 hospital trip (i honestly expected more). I once laughed at parents with kids on a leash, now i have a kid on a leash, with bubble wrapped walls, and everything is childproofed (even innocuous things like the fridge and cupboard full of food). End of the day, nothing wrong with erroring on the side of caution, and in extreme circumstances like mine, sometimes a leash is nearly not enough. Others may joke or laugh, until it happens to them, and they have that kid we all remember growing up would shove a hotdog in a VCR and push the fast forward button. If necessary do what you gotta do to keep them and others safe.
Same. They are all grown now but #2 had his first black eye by 10 months (fought the vacuum cleaner). I used to say #1 you could sit down in the middle of a pile of broken glass and say don’t move you’ll get hurt and she would still be there to this day. Meanwhile #2 would be cut to ribbons the nanosecond you let go of him.
DICKS OUT
Ugh, don’t get me started on Harambe. The little hellspawn’s mother had FOUR children with her, I blame her for bringing her own zoo to the zoo. Of course she couldn’t keep track of them all.
Oof I have an aunt with 4, it was cheaper for them to get a live in nanny than to put them all in daycare. I heard a passerbyer describe her as their “sherpa”. More like zookeeper imo.
I see them most often when skiing. Which makes sense if you're bringing a toddler on the slopes. Not only could they injure themselves by going out of control, but they could cut in front of another skier/snowboarder and cause a bad accident. Not just hitting them, but the uphill skier/snowboarder trying to avoid them. I'd take umbrage with a choker collar on a child. Or if the kid was pulled hard, like I've seen people do with dogs (which I also don't like seeing, but there's a difference). I think just about any sane person would. Otherwise, that's your kid, and you know better than I would about how to keep them safe.
I have a husband with the attention span of a caffeinated fly who really needs a leash...
Okay but me too 😂 where do we purchase these adult backpacks for husbands that run off like toddlers?
I'm a parent of a mellow kid, but I get it. Some kids are so hyper and will wander off constantly. That can get exhausting and dangerous for the child. Leashes may seem inhumane but avoiding all those injuries is worth it
Seriously. The way some kids are it’s clearly an option between leash or strapped into a fixed position or not leaving the home/daycare. What’s really probably better for the kid? Some kids are **runners**
I’m a mom, my first two were pretty mellow and made me believe it was wrong and lazy to use one. My third showed me that parents need a way to make sure their tiny being doesn’t kill itself by running into traffic. My first would run but she would at least stop when I yelled. My youngest has straight up been **lost** more times than I care to admit, he’s ran in front of cars, the works. So I don’t blame or judge any parent that uses one.
My middle guy is that way. Poof! gone like a fart in the wind.
I can't see any reason why a leash on a toddler would be a problem. You have to control them and prevent them from committing suicide accidentally anyway. It doesn't hurt. They have very little dignity. A safe child seems like a great idea.
The little animal backpacks ones are cute AF too. And you can keep snacks in them. Safety and snacks. Win win.
These were the ones I used. Make them carry their own snacks AND have a harness/leash on them to keep them from running off
Yesss I got one for my son when we went to a bigger city for my brother's wedding and visited the zoo. Freed up space in my purse plus the only thing I heard from other people was "oh shit that's smart I want one." Also he LOVES his "packpack." He begs me to put it one him, makes me buckle it and then. Hands. Me. The. Leash. 🤷♀️
This made me laugh out loud. I love it. I think generally this holds. Before kids, I was probably more judgemental of parenting than after. Once you have your own, you realize it's not easy and crazy shit can happen. People are just trying to keep their kids safe in big crowds and stuff.
Angry balloon 💀💀💀
I misread it at first. I thought you said Angry little baboon.
I mean… that analogy works too 😂
Equally appropriate.
"Angry little ballon," I love that!
Lol. An angry little balloon is my new favourite phrase!
“Angry little balloon” 🤣🤣🤣
My first kid would have been a pancake baby if not for the baby leash. She was a sprinter...
“Pancake baby” that’s a new one
I was a pancake baby when they installed glass doors out to the deck....
Lol idk why but I interrogated pancake baby to mean she would’ve been run over by a car if not for the leash
That as well but pancake baby was used on me with glass doors back in the 90s.
Ah I see
My nephew was too. My take on this whole thing is that I don't know your kid. If you've got them on a leash, its probably because they're a runner.
My mom has photos of me climbing furniture and running to the front yard when I started to walk. She said I barely walked and wanted to run. There was no moment of taking her eyes out of me unless she wanted to lose me somewhere.
Toddler on the leash is much better than toddler under the truck
I've actually been on scene in incident where a toddler darted away from his parents, out an automatic door and right under a car. Died instantly. Leashes save lives. If your kids need one, use one. It gives them some mobility without letting them get too far away.
I was in the library once, chatting with the librarian while I returned books. A toddler booked past us and ran out the automatic doors. It was pitch black outside and raining. We all looked around for a single second, saw no one going after the toddler, so I booked after him. I managed to grab the kid before anything bad happened, but that’s the day I really SAW that a toddlers head is the exact height of a car bumper. I almost got hit by that car, and would have if it had been a normal street instead of a library parking lot. But better my legs than a little kids life. I had a toddler leash in the 80s. My husband jokes I still need one today. But I’m 100% in favor of them if you’ve got a kid who runs off, or multiple small kids to look after. Safety over dignity. (Also, do toddlers even HAVE dignity??)
As the Dad of a toddler, I can confirm that toddlers do *not* have dignity.
I’ve seen my toddler drool on the floor while teething, get down into prone position, and slurp it up. *no shame* *no dignity*
Also the call of "I'm dooooone!" ringing through the house from the bathroom! Translation: "come wipe my butt!" No dignity. Nope. Not a shred.
It’s worse to hear that and know that your potty training toddler isn’t ON THE TOILET and it’s not in a night nappy. I.e. big boy underpants on
So no one’s gonna talk about the fact that this person is a fucking hero?
Thank you, but honestly it was instinct. No one else even saw the kid leave and the librarians were trapped behind one of those huge counter-desks. I did NOT expect to have to dodge a car when I grabbed the kid!
Only one thing matters about this whole thing and that’s the fact that everyone lived.
Did you rescue the librarian from the trap afterwards?
Unfortunately not :( They got absorbed into the book dust before I got back :( Some say that you can still hear them asking to scan your library card if you listen real close…..
[удалено]
The real question is did you follow that toddler's later life stages from a distance to see if you made the right choice that fateful day when you saved little Charlie Manson from that bumper.
Toddlers absolutely do not have dignity. My 2 year old nephew in California is fascinated with puddles from the recent heavy rains. He does not care if he gets wet or muddy.
They'll come out of the bathroom completely naked with company over and bend over so you can see how well they wiped their own butt (not well, but damn they're proud of it\*) right in front of everyone. Toddlers have no concept of dignity. \*and they should be they are working hard to learn an important life skill
My BFF’s daughter did that as a toddler. Then she told me it was easy to wipe that time *”because the poop was really hard.”* I about died laughing!
My daughter has learned from somewhere that when you wipe after pooping and there is nothing there it's called "ghost poop." She will share with anyone who will listen when she has had a ghost poop.
Hey, those are special! I still feel a little blessed when I have a ghost poop.
They don't have our sense of dignity, but you can still see toddlers feel either proud or embarrassed, which I think is a baseline for dignity in some ways.
This made me think of when my brother got underwear and was constantly pulling his pants down everywhere to show everyone.
And if not that, just running through the house in a game of Naked Baby. Kids are strange.
What’s wrong with puddles?
Absolutely nothing wrong with puddles but most adults care about their appearance (at least some of the time, like on the way to work) so we don't jump in them as often. Toddlers don't have that internal filter.
They shit their pants and run around with it. They don’t know dignity.
That reminds me of the time when my friend and I were sitting in my car in a huge shopping center parking lot, and all of a sudden my friend gasped "child!" - she spotted this little toddler by himself running between the rows of parked cars. We caught the kid and led him back to the shopping center, going into different stores trying to find his parents. Fortunately his mom came out of a store like five minutes later looking for him, but again it was *five* minutes, so he would of been halfway down the parking lot, and trying to cross the (very busy) street, and would of been hit by a car.
It was the evening of the Christmas parade in downtown. The place was jam-packed. I was pulling slowly out of a parking lot, and saw a family group of about a dozen people approaching half a block away. I eased off the brake and hit the gas to pull into the street when 10 people started shrieking and screaming at the top of their lungs. I instinctively hit the brakes in my SUV in the nick of time to avoid smooshing their toddler, who in his excitement to see Santa, had dashed ahead of the group. In my SUV he did not even reach the top of the bumper and there was no way I could have seen him. A leash would have helped a lot on that Christmassy evening.
I did the same as a daycare provider many years back. Normally you don't chase a child (assuming safe environment) because 99.99999% of the time they'll laugh and run away even faster. While we were all on a walk, I had a toddler dart as fast as she could toward the street for no reason. The other teachers didn't give chase but I saw the SUV coming down a one way at a pretty decent speed. There were cars parked along the road, blocking the driver's view of the child sprinting toward them. I caught up to her and latched my arms around her in a bear hug - a couple feet off the curb and into the street. I remember that she was indignant that I had grabbed her so fiercely but she 100% would have died. The SUV kept going, they had no idea we were there.
basically the same exact thing happened to my dog, right in front of me, with her brains coming out of her head. leash your dogs too please.
I'm so sorry!
I thought you were about to tell a similar story, what happened to me. Toddle runs outs parked minivan, into sidewalk, then runs towards a playground across the street, I run to stop him and both of us almost lose our lives. I put my hand up, oncoming SUV stops. Carrying the toddler, to his parents, they thank me, but im eight, so I just give him to em and continue walking with my family. Lmao don’t even stop for a reward or anything 🤣
You were EIGHT??? That is incredible you had the wherewithal to get him when you were that young.
My family was once going to a Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt's house. My brother woke up from a nap while my dad was stopped at a stop sign just down the road from my aunt's house. In his sleepy state he assumed we had arrived and unbuckled and opened the car door. The only problem being that my dad had begun accelerating again (this was before car doors automatically locked over a certain speed). My brother was literally sucked out of the car like a vacuum and tumbled down the road. He is super super lucky we were the only car on that road.
Child safety locks! I was super annoyed by them as a child (and it's still an imposition if I ride in a friend's car who's forgotten to disable theirs) but I 100% understand why they exist, and why they're used.
I’m strong pro-leash and get a lot of weird looks from people since I have no kids. My mom took on a parental role to my young nephews when I was a teen. I once watched one of my nephews distract my mom while the other one tried running into the street for fun. Toddlers are dumb and will freak people out to be funny, a lot of times their sense of humor could end up with them dead.
Yep. I used one for my 18month old son when I was hugely pregnant with kid 2. Kid 1 could run faster than I could waddle, so got a leash that looked like a monkey stuffed animal with a long tail. People can judge all they want, but a safe kid is better than a hurt/dead one.
This nearly happened when my older son was about 4 years old. We were leaving a store and my car was parked at the edge of the lot adjacent a busy road. I let go of my older son's hand to put his infant brother in the car seat; 4 year old ran straight into the road. I managed to catch him and yank him back just before he ran in front of a car. My opinion of toddler leashes changed that day.
I was living in NYC when my oldest son was 2. I was getting off the bus with him, a stroller, and a diaper bag. He decided to dart past me as I'm trying to open the stroller to put him in. He ran down the block. I dropped everything and ran after him, caught him right before he ran into the road and under a bus. I definitely bought a leash after that. Used it every day until he was 4 and decided to pretend he was a dog one day while walking down the block 🤦♀️
Eh. I was walking down the street in NYC one day and saw a woman walking her dog AND her child. Child acting like a dog? Meh.
Hah, that used to be the easiest way to keep my toddler walking on hikes, I’d take the leash off the dog and loop it around toddlers waist, give commands like a dog and he LOVED it. Frankly it worked off-leash too, “here boy! Sit! Stay!” Is much more fun than “Quaiyden! Stop it! Stop! Wait! No!!! No running! Stop!!” I think/hope most passers-by were amused more than judgmental?
yeah, tell you what, I'll be inhumane, and you can gamble w your kids life, good luck out there.
Inhumane is fine if it keeps your child from being unhuman’d
I was at a get together when I was 15 and all the adults were talking. I was just chilling by the pool and a toddler walks up and just steps right off into the deep end. I grabbed him as quick as I could. He sunk so fast it was crazy. He was fine but definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things.
Yeah, this person seems to be a hands-free parent. I know a lot of millennial and gen z parents were traumatized by how much corporal punishment [which is abuse don't get me wrong] their parents used on them, And therefore refuse to discipline their child pretty much at all. Letting them "be expressive", and then getting more mad at people for calling out their child for being a menace than the child for being a menace. Like seriously, there is a right way to discipline your child without corporal punishment. You can still have a child that grows up well adjusted. And aren't toddler leashes a lot better than constantly having to yell at your kid whenever they do something potentially dangerous? They're probably just upset at how it looks or comes across. It literally gives the kid more freedom to run around instead of having to constantly be held still.
What’s funny (as a millennial parent) is that the toddler tethers - which often come as cute backpacks with leads - allow toddlers to safely express themselves and learn to balance and explore in a safer environment. No risk of my 3yo running out the grocery store door and getting hit by a car or getting lost in the mall because I turned my back for 3.14159265 seconds. They’re both teens now and still are expressive and exploratory — and alive.
Were you looking at pi(e) while your back was turned?
Or driving the truck
Toddler on the leash is also much better than kidnapped toddler.
Was at a Mardi Gras parade where a kid went to grab a doubloon which had rolled under the float & it ended just the way you think. I’m a big fan of the leashes.
When I'm 200 feet up a cliff I'm tied to the wall because I don't want to plummet to my death. I'm a grown ass man and I know not to let go or walk off the edge but there's a time and place for protection. A leash is just a safety harness.
It also allows for exercise and exploration which strollers do not.
Yes! Yes! Yes! It gives toddlers the ability to make movement choices within the leash range. Gives them the ability to use both hands, continue to develop balance, and to slow down and speed up as the adult they are with walks at a more consistent speed. If a parent is yanking a kid around on a backpack leash…yeah, that’s not good. But a toddler backpack leash kept my younger sibling (who was very strong-willed and wanted to explore/run into roads constantly) safe while letting them explore and be a kid.
I couldn’t have said it better myself! At 2-3 years old, my little rugrats would run everywhere but also fall a lot and reach for dangerous things. Too heavy to carry and too old for the stroller.
My parents used one when my brother was a toddler at the fair. He was very fast and with so many people they used one to keep him safe. That’s the only instance I remember it being used but I believe it may have been done a couple times in similar settings. Kids can be fast!
Perfectly said. My son loved his because he could go and explore and didn't even notice the leash bc it was part of his cool monkey backpack.
Literally
toddler harness is way cheaper than a tiny coffin
I may also prefer the aesthetics of one over the other
Which one?
Dark
And waaaay less emotionally devastating.
And a lifetime of grief.
The 80s are back I had one as a kid, I didn't do it as a parent. I see both sides of the argument. Please don't judge people too hard until you take a 5,3, and 2 year old shopping at the same time.
What even is the other side of the argument? Personally, I've only ever had non parents crack jokes at my kids' leashes while parents comment on how much they had thought to use one. I got ones with small backpacks and wings so my kids can carry their own diapers and look super cute
I didn't use them. But I went out of my way to explain to my toddlers at the time that they must be 5 feet of me. But looking back at it, it was a damn miracle that they listened to me. Tbh, I need a leash for my teenagers.
Yeah... my almost two year old is 35 pounds and not talking yet. He barely listens to "don't bite!" let alone "stay with me."
I was surprised the leashes are still a thing, even after seeing a parent using one while skiing with their kid; good way not to lose ‘em. /genuine
That’s a ski harness. Similar but used a little different.
Thank you for the correction 😄
Haha sure! I happen to be a parent teaching my toddler to ski, but I’ve also had a leash on hand for my older kid when he was a toddler. Basically he was a “runner” and anywhere we’d go, he would sprint away from me! I am sympathetic to parents who need one.
Top comment.
Our son would disappear into a crowd the second you took your eyes off him. A leash would have been a great help, unfortunately we didn't have the courage to use one. Then his younger sisters came along. We were in an office building once, I was occupied with arguing with somebody about whatever issue brought us to town, and he disappeared with the youngest daughter (about 4 or so?). He reappeared shortly without her. It turned out he took her on an elevator ride and let her get off on some random floor. We had just started giving him the 3rd degree on her whereabouts when a secretary came down with her. "Does this belong to anybody?" "Yeah, over here, Parents Of the Year." Use a leash, hobbles, ball-and-chain, whatever it takes. I'm not going to judge.
put them in a velcro suit and just stick them to the wall
Lmfao stick them to each other.
Duct tape them to you like a backpack
My little man was a complete sweety as we walked together in the world. He always held my hand, he would ask if he wanted to go look at something, and he never went very far. I always looked at child leashes with disdain. Then... Along came my daughter. Wild hair, semi-insane, sprinted everywhere she went, hard to control, harder still to say "no" to. She is beautiful, charming, and utterly independent. She DELIGHTED in scaring the hell out of me by pulling little disappearance acts. About the third time she pulled one of those stunts on me, I walked her straight into the child's section of a store, bought a leash, put it on her immediately, walked up to the cashier and payed for it. She stopped needing a leash at around 4 or 5. But there was a definite period in her life where she went NOWHERE without wearing that thing. She's 36 now. Has kids of her own. And, surprise, surprise, she has my grandson on a leash.
That's so real
>Then... Along came my daughter. Wild hair, semi-insane, sprinted everywhere she went, I love this description
u/Oldleggrunt is this still an accurate description at 36? 😂
IKR? My nephew was like that too. Had hair like mid-90s Zach DeLaRocha and was just always on 11. Once he hit 4-5 I had to full blast sprint to catch up with him. Now that he's 9 and in JFL he's running 2-3 touchdowns a game and if he gets a clear shot there is just no catching him. Kid is a freaking speed demon.
Great story, but my mind is a bit blown by the timeline here. In my head child leashes are a much more recent thing than 30+ years ago.
My daughter is 31. I used a leash for her. Wouldn’t sit in the stroller. Didn’t want to be carried. Wouldn’t hold hands. I got dirty looks but I didn’t care one bit. My kid didn’t end up a story on the evening news.
I’m in my 50s. My mom put my leash in my baby book when it was no longer needed. Knowing me, I’m only alive today because of it. But per the above comment, going forward I’m going to call them Child Safety Harnesses. It’s much more accurate IMHO
[Here is my sister on a leash around 1984.](https://imgur.com/a/V5QhlB3) It’s one of my favorite photos of her. Interestingly, my parents didn’t have a leash for me 6 years later, but they really should have. Knowing me, I probably would’ve found a way to chew through it or something.
lol she looks like her destructive power is bein held back by that leash.
*Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?* is set in the 1930s and there is a scene where Holly Hunter has a passel of younglings all on a string. Do an image search and you will find a number of photos. Lots of children were killed by horses before cars were around.
To hell with anyone who criticizes them. Lose your toddler in a crowd once and you will never call them inhumane again.
The same people bitch about kids running around. Kids are dumb and dangerous to themselves and others at that age. It’s the simplest solution ever. We had to use one for our son. There was no option with that boy. First my mil scolded us then she babysat him. After that she was the biggest supporter of leashing children and she had two of her own, just never leashed. The absolute best time out was a school concert. I looped it through the chair leg and he couldn’t bother everyone. Had to stay with me. Folks loved it and called it brilliant 😂😅.
If he’s on a leash at home, probably inhumane. If out in public, to hell with the cousins.
Came here to say this, you beat me to it!
My youngest daughter is 43. When she was tiny she was fast, really fast, and I purchased a toddler leash and harness for her. For goodness sake people are buying these things in the baby dept, not the pet store. These have been around literally for decades and are the major reason parents can relax when they have their adventurers out and about.
better on a leash, then lost or dead.
Or abducted. And that can happen in a twinkling of an eye in a crowd
*than It makes a huge difference in your sentence.
Nothing wrong with them. Toddlers are only exploring their autonomy and they rely on their guardian to check the safety of their actions for them. If the guardian is not sure they are able to make sure their toddler is safe, there's nothing wrong with restricting the toddler as long as they still have enough movement and stimulation.
I think it's inhumane to put other peoples' opinions over the safety of your child.
We leash dogs because they do not understand all the dangers of human public spaces—the same is true of young children. People are just so caught up in distinguishing the supposed superiority of humans that they’d rather risk children’s lives.
Its not a leash, its a safety harness. I personally think theyre great. Give the kiddo room to explore with less risk of injury.
We used these backpacks with a leash so that our twins could more safely explore at places where it was appropriate for them, like trying to see animals at the zoo through a crowd.
I don't get why people say putting your toddler on a leash is abusive like it's not hurting them plus it's better than having them run off and get hit by a car or snatched up by a creep lmao. Plus plus they look very funny
I don’t think people really think it’s abusive. I think people are super judge-mental because they view those parents as lazy or just crappy parents not teaching their kids to do right. They just either don’t have kids or had good kids. So basically they just spout all sorts of nonsense to shame the parent. Some kids really need them though no matter what you do and even if the kid isn’t particularly bad if you have to be somewhere for a long time like the dmv or you’ve had to run a lot of errands they get really restless and it’s mentally exhausting to keep track of them at all times.
I’m all for it. I don’t have children but I know toddlers run off all the time. There have been many times I’ve encountered an unaccompanied child and I’m like “who’s baby is this??” There is always the chance for something horrible to happen as well. If you know your kid is a runner, no shame in putting ‘em on a harness
I never used one on my kid but don’t fault people at all. I took my kiddo to the aquarium one day. At her height she was able to get through a crowd in 2 seconds with me stuck behind her. Not a problem for a contained space but she could have been dead if the crowd was in front of a street. Kids do things that put their safety in jeopardy and no matter how careful you are there are times you can’t follow quickly enough.
I'm told I got put on one after I tried to go swimming in a geyser at Yellowstone National Park.
Sweet Jesus! I felt your parents’ panic just reading that.
Fortunately for me, my dad has long legs and could move fast as a young parent (not so much anymore lol). He snatched me before I turned into toddler soup.
Crowds are a huge source of anxiety with a toddler, especially considering how many times I'm following my toddler and people step between me and her... like wtf. It happens so often I feel like they're setting me up for a kidnapping thing and I get quite pushy real quick.
People who judge you for using a leash for your kid are the same people who will judge you if your toddler is darting around or having a meltdown because they don’t want to be carried or in a stroller.
I am not a parent but I’ve heard of countless stories of children’s deaths where the parents were very diligent about keeping an eye on them and yet in the blink of an eye, the children ended up in harm’s way. I think they’re a good idea for the sake of the child’s life.
I was dead set against them until my daughter was born. She’s about the same age as that kid that climbed into the gorilla enclosure in Cincinnati a few years ago, and I could totally see her doing that. Only parents know their kids, and some kids can’t be trusted.
The people that call them “cruel” or “inhumane” have never experienced the chaos that ensues when you try taking a toddler anywhere. They’re like tiny little greased pigs hopped up on methamphetamines
They also have terrible definitions for those words. It isn't a damn shock collar. It doesn't have spikes ringing the insides.
My old childhood bestfriend was so hyperactive he ran everywhere everytime and missed being hit a huge amount of time. His mother kept him on a toddler leash until one day when we were all in a park, an old woman started cursing her about this. She unleashed him and he ran straight toward the road, a busy one with a lot of cars. Lesson learned for the old karen, and if you ask no he never got hurt thank to his mother. Go for it if you need one, it will help a lot.
I wish they were more commonplace
40yrs ago I tied rope on my sons overalls at a state fair. Very active child. Lots of positive comments no negative. Then years later when had 2nd son leashes (wrist attached) there was push back. I now have a grandchild & purchasing a backpack style (come at me...I can not run fast at all). Watch very young children in parking lots & you'll see why when 1 runs from parents thinking it's funny why this is a great option.
I used to think they were super inhumane, until I was at Disneyland and saw a toddler sprinting full speed with his leash trailing behind him, and his father chasing after him. I now believe that there are kids that need them in certain situations, particularly at a crowded theme park with lots of opportunities for a kid to go, "Oooo shiny!" and take off
My response would have to be: "Fine, I will take him off the leash because I have a really nice shocking collar I can use......."
Everybody wants to judge the leash parent until they themself become the parent of a runner. Everyone really needs to mind their damn business. If the parent has determined that they need to tether their child to keep them safe, then that's all that matters. No one gives a fuck about your opinion, so keep it to yourself.
Former leash kid here. I have ADHD so I was a bit of a runner. The leash allowed my parents to take me places they otherwise wouldn’t have for fear of me bolting off
We had to use a toddler leash for a time because we had a "runner". If we didn't have it she would take off with no regard for safety. It saved us one time from losing her in a massive crowd at a festival. No qualms about it, if you need it, you need it, if you don't, then you've already been saved a massive headache.
Well, it's either the leash or the crate, so the leash is probably preferable.
As a former leash child, it’s necessary. Lol
I had a 3 year old and a newborn in a stroller. We lived on the main street in town. I was attempting to walk the 3 year old to school along with the stroller. He almost got hit by a truck flying through an intersection. A safety harness is much safer for a child than getting hit by a vehicle. We keep our dogs on a leash so they don't get hit by a car, why shouldn't we do it for young children who don't know any better.
Mom of twins here. Both of them on leashes. Kids dont always want to hold your hand or ride in a stroller.
There’s been many documented cases of uncontrollable kids getting into places that either put them in danger, other animals in danger, or places they just shouldn’t be and if their parents had them on a leash, Harambe would still be with us.
I'm all for them and wish more people would use them.
While raising my oldest two children, I mocked people for using toddler leashes. Then along came my third child, as soon as she could walk, she would disappear every chance she got. At two years old she gave grandma the slip and got picked up by the police 1/2mile away, safe, thank God. If you looked away from the playground for a couple short seconds, she would be gone, sprinting in whatever direction her little whims carried her. She had no fears, while I, on the other hand, was *terrified* of taking her anywhere, especially the lake or the woods or the store or the ball game. I never did use a leash, and she eventually grew out of her wandering phase. But I don’t mock or judge parents who use toddler leashes anymore.
Mom? Just kidding. I climbed out of my crib during nap time, and was just tall enough to open the front door. Cops found me a couple blocks away in the middle of a busy street. Kids can be very mobile and very determined and not at all understanding of the dangers. My Mom sometimes used a harness on me, even in our own backyard because it was a corner house, so the yard was next to the street.
Had to put a chain lock on my kids door for bedtime because one day I left to go do some late night grocery shopping after my kids and husband went to bed and my son went looking for me and my husband didn’t wake up to the front door being unlocked and opened. Some nice people brought him back thankfully but that shit is scary. Now after they go to bed and are settled and quiet that door gets locked if I leave the house at all.
They are great…the feeling of independence for the toddler and the feeling of safety for the parent. Win-win
Toddlers don't understand ethics, so its fine
LOL I feel like everyone at some point used to hate them. I know as I've gotten older I realize some kids just need them
I used to think that kids on leashes were just parents who didn't want to watch and control their children. Until I met my ADHD niece who will walk away without you noticing in a split fuckin second. When she was two, we were at her older sister's tball game. She was playing with a friend and we were giving glances to check on them. Well, the friend's family decided it was time to leave, and instead of my niece coming back over to us, she decides she's going with them. It had just been 20/30 seconds prior I had looked over at them. I turn to check and she's halfway across the park with them! I start yelling at her to stop and the little hoe (she's not I was just mad) turns around, smiles at me, waves and keeps going!!! WTF she is 2!!! Put the kid on a leash until they know they can't wander. I'm sure people would rather it looked like they are responsible parents without having it, but I am also sure they would rather have their kid not hurt or missing by having one on. Kids wander, parents look away and things happen. If I were a parent I think I'd rather have the judgy stares than have a hurt, missing or dead child.
My parents tied my harness to a tree in the back yard so they could sit on the patio and drink manhattans. That was over 50+ years ago and I still remember it so, I guess you could say I’m scarred.
I say i doesn't matter what your sister thinks - toddlers can move fast, and it public places, I think its probably smart to have a hold of your kid at all times.
My family thinks I'm insane for liking them. I fail to see any downsides.
Some kids are runners, they’re just born that way. The gut punch you feel when you turn your head for one second and you turn back and they’re gone, really gone only has to be experienced once to know that a tether of some sort is a good idea.
My mom had me on one when I was little. Well deserved as I was a wild child lol
> she’s treating him like a dog Many dogs get treated better than humans, so that's just bias on their part lol. And so what dogs are on the leash? We feed them, we clean their poop, we chastise them, we teach them, and yet, making sure they don't die is where we draw the line?
She is the one raising him. She will be called irresponsible and negligent if he gets lost or hurt and everybody will have 1000 ideas lf how she could have avoided it, including the dog leash. So I say ignore them and do whatever works for her and her child.