Parents Talk: Should Parents Use Leashes for Kids?
Do you think harnesses/leashes are a safety necessity or demeaning to children? Share your opinion in this week’s parents talk.
Every time I see a child on a leash, or safety harness as others call it, I cringe a bit. For some reason, it always reminds me of someone walking a pet. Sure, the harnesses may come disguised as a cute, little fuzzy animal backpack. To me, it seems like the leash doesn’t help teach the child what they really need to know – not to run away from their caregiver. As a parent of two kids, I get it. Toddlers like to make a dash for it when you least expect it. I don’t even think they know where they’re going most of the time, they just like to run – and watch their mom, dad or caregiver chase them. For me, I was never tempted to control a child with a harness or leash. Hand holding, strollers, carts or carrying - along with teaching the …
Misti Baldwin
11:02 pm on Saturday, June 16, 2012
If you think seeing a child on a leash makes you cringe, I can promise you the idea of my autistic child bolting out into traffic & being killed by a car as I watch helplessly makes me cringe a whole lot more. And furthermore, I refuse to neglect my child's safety because of some stupid social stigma that has become associated with them over the years. They are called child safety harnesses … more ›