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Originally Posted by ngdawg
Excuse me, I take offense here. I can replace a pet. I can NOT replace my kids.
I had my kids on the wrist leashes because I had twins with me all the time. What if one had taken off? A two year old or three year old doesn't listen. Stand in a store and watch some mom with a loose kid. And when my kids were 4, they no longer needed those leashes, they knew they had to hold my hand or my clothes. Why didn't I use a stroller? Because my son by the age of 3 was too big-at two he was dragging his feet off it because he was so long and they'd get restless being in it.
So don't judge. My kids were safe, they had a small degree of independence and I wasn't frantically calling their names in a strange place. If that mother in England back in 1993 had her two year old son attached to her in this manner, he wouldn't have been snatched and killed in the instant it took for her to let go of his hand to pay a vendor. If that mother down the street from me had her child attached to her as she left the laundromat, he wouldn't have bolted and gotten killed under the wheels of a car.
Yea, pets. Tell that to those mothers. You think we grow extra arms after we give birth or something?
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I didn't even know they had "wrist leashes". All I have seen are harnesses around the child's body and the parents holding the end of an "extend-a-leash" with their kids 10 feet away from them attached by a cable. The harness is very similar in design to the one I put on my dog. I found a few descriptions of the leash I am talking about
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http://roughdraft.typepad.com/dotmom..._people_w.html
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When my daughter was small I bought the body harness and tether but replaced the lead with a retractable dog leash (for the appropriate weight group). In open spaces, she was given more leash than when walking in crowds. She absolutely loved it. Sometimes, she would event pretend to be a dog and crawl and bark - even in the mall. She's 9 now and even busier. I sure wish those harnesses came in larger sizes.
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In my limited experience with the leashes I have seen, they are not used by parents who want their kids to be nearby and safe. They are used by parents who want their kids to be able to run wild and not have to pay attention to them. Some of the parent comments in the link above talk about how hilarious it was to have their child on all fours barking like a dog while they walked around an airport.
My position is similar to the the father below:
http://roughdraft.typepad.com/dotmom..._people_w.html
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As a stay-at-home Dad, I've had some experience with toddlers running rampant. We have 2 year old twins. We bought leashes and keep them in a backpack that stays in the truck [the one with the gun rack; just kidding]. We've never used them. Someone told me that a child can never learn self-control if you try to control them -- so I never did. For a while, the twins would follow me like little ducklings at their own pace. Granted, that wasn't fast enough for me, but a little patience went a long way. The way I curbed any rampant darting was to carry a 4-lb Volo shoulder stroller and use it as a "timeout." For example, you take off on the escalator at the mall, and when I finally catch up with you, you ride. With a little persistance, you won't need a leash. I think the backlash you see on people's faces is unfair -- however, I also believe that if you treat a kid like an adult (i.e. freedom), they will get used to acting like adults. When they don't act like adults, then you can treat them like kids and leash'em. Just don't let emotions cloud reality. Kids have to learn to walk down busy streets -- the only one that can teach them how is you. Just my opinion. Free and worth it.
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I guess I could imagine some limited uses in very limited circumstances without an extend-a-leash. My personal concern is that I want my daughter to learn how to walk responsibly and be aware of her surroundings. I think that leashes often give kids a false sense of security. I don't let my daughter wear a lifejacket in the kiddie pool for the same reason. I want her to learn to respect the water and handle herself appropriately. (Of course, I'm always within reach of her and if we were in a boat or water above my head, she'd have a life preserver on).
I don't know how you used leashes and it's not my business. I would never say anything to anyone I saw using a leash. It's not my business. I just don't like them or the way they are often implemented. I also don't think that in not using a leash I'm taking unreasonable risk of having my daughter snatched and killed. I think that I'm decreasing the risk by teaching her to act responsibly.