What do you think about putting children on a leash?

[zhazhazsu]

Oh I will totally be using one of those when I have Lil ones. I used to be a nanny for the most perfectly behaved 2 year old twins ever, and even then I wished for one from time to time. It is just too scary to loose one of them when they see something cool and bolt away from you.

[Jacklynn]

I'm not a parent yet but I like the idea of the backback ones, not so much the ones where they are attached to the wrist.

Basically though I've come to just respect other people's parenting models as their own and then make a decision as to what will or won't work for me when the time comes.

[maxiesmom]

I used to hate seeing kids on leashed. But now I think it is better that they are on one then running wild. Some kids just don't like to hold hands and can't be trusted to stay by the parent.

But I do hate when I see a parent totally ignoring a child that they have on a leash. Just because you are using one doesn't mean you don't have to pay your child an attention. They are supposed to assist you in parenting, not replace your need to keep an eye on your child.

[loveysbydesign]

Here's a cute Mickey one I found at Kohls.com(and a Minnie and Pooh one too!)...I'm trying to decide if we should get on for our just turned 3 y.o. when we go as my in-laws are going along too and they may want to venture off with him on their own. It might be hard for them to run after him if he starts running! He's great at darting in and around people and could get lost quickly and easily!
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/baby...ness+Buddy.jsp

[NancyDee]

I never put a leash on my kids...just something I didn't do. If others feel the need to do this to keep their child safe, so be it.
I think the wrist bands work just as well ... they are like a plastic coil that attaches to each of your wrists.

[twokids0204]

Originally Posted by larryz

I prefer to call it a "tether," not a leash...

And to answer your question, why does NASA put Astronauts on a tether?

I've never seen a mom sitting in the shuttle yanking on an astronauts neck, saying "Stop touching the merchandise"

Why do school yards put a ball on a tether?
- So they can smack it around, and spend some energy and aggression

Why do you put a dog on a leash?
- So the animal doesn't get away from you

[RMulieri]

Originally Posted by Jacklynn

I'm not a parent yet but I like the idea of the backback ones, not so much the ones where they are attached to the wrist.

Basically though I've come to just respect other people's parenting models as their own and then make a decision as to what will or won't work for me when the time comes.

Great answer

[aceys_h0ney]

I want to put a leash on my 13yo step son. This will be his first trip with us and I have had to find him at a gas station before, the kid just wonders off as soon as you turn around.

On a serious note I don't have an issue with them. It is better then your child wondering off. I got one for my neighbor, she has 4 kids under 5 and you can try really hard but at some point your eyes are off one of them. One of hers is particularly bad about wondering off so that is why I got her the monkey backpack leash.

[pickles]

Originally Posted by YellowXterra

I There is lots of eye candy in the parks and even the adults get cought up in it, .

Odd anytime I have been to disney I havent seen much eye candy..usually its married fellows, who have been too well fed and too bald for my liking.
I would like to know when you are going and seeing all this eye candy? I may wish to try going at that time!!

I can see Disney's new promotion "The Eye Candy Season"
or

" A Year of a Million Eye Candies"

love it!!

[aceys_h0ney]

PS I love the Disney ones! We are undecided if we need one for our two year old. She is more mobile now but we are hoping for the inbetween rides she will stay in her stroller. As long as we stay moving she does not care but if we stop she wants out. She does not really run off though and is good at holding hands.

[FlightlessDuck]

I would not do it. I think it's very weird.

[MontyMontyMOnty]

We leashed once, with our oldest, who was a bit of a wanderer--she was two years old and we were bringing our second (6 months old) to Disney for the first time.

We never felt the need to leash her again, and never had to with the second one or the third--we just had one that liked to run, I guess

[disneymomma1978]

we had one for our daughter for awhile, she was in a phase of not holding hands without fighting and the backpack was the only way we could let her out of the stroller to walk around a bit. I'd say we used it on/off while she was b/w 18 months and 2 years old. Fortunately she listens a bit better these days!!
of course some people will presume to be better parents than you and tell you it's wrong but if something affords your child a little more enjoyment while you know they're staying safe, who's to tell you it's not right?!

[MagicKingdom05]

We used one 2 weeks ago on vacation and it worked great. Our almost 2 year old likes to run when out of the stoller, and this way we know that she can't get very far. We plan to take it with us to Disney in the fall incase she wants to walk in Disney instead of traveling around in the stroller. We know that when were in the parks, she will want to see everything and dart away.

[supersuperwendy]

When our oldest daughter was little we had to have one for her. She has ADHD and as a small child she was so impulsive she would take off in public situations and we were scared to death so often. Once in our local mall she ran away and hid in a store's fitting room. We couldn't find her anywhere for what seemed like hours. It was the scariest day of my life. After that we used a leash until she got a little older. For us it was a total safety issue. She is 12 now and thinks the stories of her on a leash as a preschooler are funny. If she only knew how scared she made me back then!