runaway child tied to a leash

chaylizi

Sun, May 25 2008, 10:38 am

that depends on the temperament of your friend, her kid, how dangerous the situation is & how sensitive she is to criticism. because she will be plenty criticized for using one by the mommy police.

su7kids

Sun, May 25 2008, 10:47 am

I had a child who was very curious and always wanted to see what was going on somewhere else. When we used to go to places like Seaworld, etc, he was on a leash, wrist to wrist.

He's older now, and can manage by himself, but it was very helpful at the time, when you had a large family of little ones to keep an eye open for.

NotInNJMommy

Sun, May 25 2008, 12:47 pm

I think if say, I had to go shopping and the baby was in the cart, and he had to "walk" by me and I was worried I'd lose him bc he's just not good at stayin gby me...yes, I'd consider using a leash for something like that.

montrealmommy

Sun, May 25 2008, 2:47 pm

B"H my kids are fairly good listeners. My #1 is fantastic and always sticks by me, #2 though is a LOT more independent and carefree. In general walking to school situations, she walks very close and I can grab her when/ if necessary - but we are planning on travelling this summer and I will use a backpack/leash for the airport (we won't be using a stroller). she's 2 and I am not taking any chances. If the mommy police come by (which I am sure they will) I will simply nod and smile - I am ensuring my child's saftey; it's not harmful or dangerous and I don;t care what others think.

As for your friend, like mentioned, she has to find what fits in her comfort level.

Lechatchila Ariber

Sun, May 25 2008, 3:36 pm

I think the problem is that people call it a leash.
When I see those things, especially the ones that strap around the body like a car seat rather then just the wrist I think of them as a "harness".

Purely a safety measure.

MiracleMama

Sun, May 25 2008, 4:04 pm

If a mother feels she needs it to keep her child from running into traffic/ running away and getting lost - then she should get it. People can argue whatever they want - that it's not nice, that the mother should have worked harder to teach her children, etc. But at the end of the day a safe kid is better then.... well, the opposite.

momof6

Sun, May 25 2008, 4:12 pm

A friend of mine uses an adorable one that looks like a bear backpack. (She is an experienced mother, who has no trouble teaching her children to follow rules. This particular dd is a "runner".
The other alternative is keeping your child in a stroller. With the harness they get more excercise and freedom.

chaylizi

Sun, May 25 2008, 4:17 pm

my older daughter was a street runner. I could turn away for a 1/4 of a second & she would be streaking off towards the street. couple that with working full time midnights in labor & delivery and perpetually half asleep & my leash was purchased. I never had to use the harness though. I velcroed the strap to her wrist & gave her leeway to move with a warning, that if she took it off I would harness her. I never even had to put it on her body, ever.

Mimisinger

Sun, May 25 2008, 4:21 pm

Well, I'll use my nick here, so please no bashing.

I bought one for ds who would NOT sit in his stroller and could wiggle free and RUN! It was so dangerous that I went out and bought one of those backpack things for him, thinking at least this way he'll have some freedom. Well, He was able to run around, but I didn't like having to either chase (RUN) after him or pull him back ( I felt like it was too dog-like when I did that). So, I stopped using it, because it didn't work for me. I just bought a diff. stroller, I'll bribe him with snacks (we'll go davka at snack time) and go everywhere really fast, in and out.

FWIW he really loved his bear. He likes holding it as a toy, even if he's not wearing it.

If it would help a parent, def. get it. And, piece of mind is best. Oh, and I only have one ds, there aren't others to run after, but as my sil said who has 5 under 5, my 1 is harder than her 5.

SharonaB

Sun, May 25 2008, 4:32 pm

Well we call them 'reigns' in the UK. I used it for my son when he was around 2-3. He was full of energy and could just dart away suddenly. I once lost him in a shop and finally found him sitting in the shop window watching the world go by. Don't worry what anyone thinks. The most important thing is your child's safety. My son didn't see it as a punishment. I put it on all the time and it was just a normal part of getting ready.

louche

Mon, May 26 2008, 8:48 pm

I'm going to run for Congress on a "safe kids" platform and my first act if elected will be to propose a bill requiring use of these devices or comparable restraints on all ambulatory children under age 4. Car seat in the car, harness in the street. I will also fight to have the cost of the devices made tax-deductible.

I already have a slogan jingle:
"In the car we use the seat;
We wear the harness in the street."

chaylizi

Wed, May 28 2008, 1:49 pm

louche wrote:

please run! we need one human being in congress!