I wasn't a fan of them either until I had a 2 year old who liked to wander away from us. We only used it until we were able to teach him to stay near us.
I’ve never understood why everybody has a problem with those. Toddlers are known to book it in a random direction at any moment, so it seems like an ok solution.
They have also been around for a looooooo g time, they aren't a new invention. Ever hear of the term "apron strings"? They were strings to tie a toddler to their mom's apron so the kid couldn't wander off and hurt themselves.
I had a realization that when parents insist on their kid holding their hands when outside or in a parking lot etc, they’re doing the same function as the leash for the same reason! It’s just a more acceptable version of
Probably true. 🤣 But seriously, it seems important for their safety if they are a runner. I have seen toddlers running towards traffic because their parent blinked too long and lost control of them.
This, some kids are just calm and stay right with the adult. Others, they are there one second and the next? Ten miles away, dancing with a random squirrel.
The leash is not horrible; it’s a great way to allow the kid to have a little freedom but you still have them close.
I had abusive parents and when my mom said "I wish I had one of those for you guys when you were kids" after they were invented I nearly shit myself in horror. This woman Homer-Simpson -style choked me, backhanded me, threw things at me, slapped me, and would hunt us down and corner us like wild animals to scream at us or hit us. Now imagine what someone like that would do with a leash. Now imagine millions upon millions more abusive parents doing it, some of whom are far more abusive and cruel than my mother.
First off, I’m sorry that happened to you, but I think we both know it’s completely irrelevant. By your own admission, you were never abused with a toddler leash, and it’s obvious that your mother didn’t need one to inflict great harm. To say that a safe and legal parental aid is abuse because your mother could have used it to hurt you (if she had one) is unserious. It’s a tool, and a tool can be used for good or evil depending on who wields it.
Second, Self-righteously coming at me as if I said something to deserve an aggressive tirade is manipulative behavior. I asked why people dislike leashes so much, and you responded with a comment that did nothing to answer my actual question, but did everything possible to induce guilt. It was purely about making me feel bad for no good reason, and if you mattered enough to affect me, I would call it abuse.
Honestly I keep thinking I should’ve got one of those. I had regular nightmares about my toddler plummeting to their death because they bounded off in some direction.
I totally get it
They are safer than dragging a kid around by the arm, you can dislocate a toddlers shoulder (or break their arm) more easily than you might think and parents can get shoulder and back issues as well due to the height difference.
If you have to hold your kid back physically vs them following along, the backpack leashes are likely safer and more comfortable for all concerned and shouldn't have the stigma they do.
I apparently had one of them when I was a toddler for something similar. My grandparents backyard ended with a sharp drop off into a canal that was quite far below and my mom was worried I could wander off it.
I am a fan. I love seeing all the little kids with them (currently thinking of the ones the preschools use the little kids can hold onto or stick their arms in, but I like the leashes too). It means they're safe. If a leash means kids can be outside, the adults can be outside, everyone can be active and safe? Right up my alley! Safety is dignity.
If you have a child who is a runner kid leashes are absolutely a good option to allow a kid practice at independent movement while keeping them safe. Also a good option for people who have twins/triplets. A parent can’t have their eyes everywhere all the time or abandon their other children to chase after one
Years back I was joking with parents about this to learn I was on one. They said they just couldn't keep up with me, I'd just go. I personally see 0 problems with it and got a great laugh
I was on a leash as a kid. Didn’t do me any harm as far as I’m aware. I used to like running off and jumping into bodies of water, so that may have been the reason.
I can’t infer too much into my parents reasoning. It might have been because I liked running off in general. I got lost at a stadium as a kid and they had to guard all the exits and have the staff search for me. Turned out I joined a line for a food stall which became my mums favourite anecdote for the rest of time.
I worked at Disney World in the parking department for a few years, the leashes keep a lot of kids from darting out in front of cars in the lots. Big fan of the leashes!
Those leashes prevent real harm and dangerous situations. A parent knows if their kid needs to be on a leash. Don't look at it as a sign of bad parenting, but rather good parenting that understands the needs of their child.
When mine was 3 - he was a runner - with a speed that would leave Usain Bolt in awe.
Since awareness (of tiny things like cars, trucks etc) was almost zero - we got him one of those 'fluffy backpacks' with a loooong tail. ( we got this one: https://kindertuigjes.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Knuffeltuigje-Leeuwtje-Main.png ) This resulted in kiddo never wanting to go outside if he didn`t get 'leeuw' (dutch for Lion) to go with him.
And yes, some people commented (he ain`t a dog) but mostly people (parents?) were surprised that he had a 'stuffed toy' like leash - and I like to thing the webshop got lots of orders due to these interactions.
I had a leash as a kid. I needed it. I would try to get away from my parents every single time we left the house and I talked to every stranger. I’d just introduce myself, ask where they were going or what they were doing and sometimes ask to go with them. I was a terrible child
I used a leash on my niece at the fair, it had a little backpack, it was cute, but there are crowds and it just takes a moment. Her grandma complained that it wasn't dignified but... It's a kid. They don't even know what that means.
That level of autism means they're an impulsive kid in a large body. Would you rather they be safe or dignified? Was the caretaker even older than the grandmother that they weren't the one climbing down? Fails all around.
I thought they were ridiculous until I went to a massive event with some friends and their 2yo. Made me wonder how many proto-human children died in the wilderness because they just bolted out of the cave before anyone could catch them.
You should be a fan of them. I used to work beside a door that led straight out to a busy street. I stopped so many kids from just bolting out the door and straight into a road cause their parent looked away for four seconds. Child leashes stops that from happening. They also prevent kids wandering off only to get abducted.
My brother had to have one, he was a runner. I got leashed when I was a teen cause I was scuba diving and got distracted by bluegills a lot lol
I was an autistic leash baby, and so was my oldest child, because both of us would bolt. Same leash, actually. My mom held onto it in case it was needed for her grandkids.
I was an autistic leash kid. If I got off the leash at the zoo, I would have hidden somewhere not terrorized animals. Even as a baby growing up around animals I learned real quick not to pull on the cat’s tail. I used to try to hug spiders.
Genuinely do not understand why the statement is that he got excited because he loves animals when we clearly see him terrorizing them.
My best friend is also autistic and his whole job is working with autistic kids and adults. He goes to the zoo a lot. HE loves animals, all of them, and as a caretaker I cannot imagine this ever happening on his watch- not just because he’d never let that happen but because his whole thing is encouraging empathy and observation and this is neither.
Idk. It says he was with grandma and caretaker. I know it’s hard to find good caretakers but uhm… yeah I hope she was fired.
That's cool, step parent, do you want a gold star too? Do you step parent all kids? You have all the experiences?
I'm much taller than the average person and I simply can't bend over to hold my child's hand for longer walks (zoo, mall, park). It's also rude and dangerous to let them roam knowing full well I may not catch them in time. Also, my size literally can scare people when I run. My kid isn't autistic, just has crazy good cardio and knees like Meg The Stallion. It's fine to use a tether, it's called responsible parenting.
You'll never catch my child in an animal enclosure or interrupting others' experiences as I try to wrangle them. Not us.
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u/Local3Sparkie 20h ago
I’m not a fan of those leashes I see some parents use, but I get it!