who believes in putting their child on a leash?

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

i never used them. but my daughter has used one for our grandson. its like a little monkey or doggie pack. its cute. i think its great. my grandson likes to just go , go and run also. she has had to fly alone a few times , so it came in handy. i would def. use one on him and especially at Disney. it would just take a second in the crowds. i see them being used all the time. i think it would also ease your mind.

[MinnieMousePink]

My daughter loved her doggie back pack when she was 18 months and we had our first trip to the world. Sometimes she would ride in the stroller and sometimes she would be able to explore! I have read the many threads on how awful they are, but then I have been in public and people have asked me where I got it and told me how great it is. I got mine at walmart. I have also read that well behaved kids don't need a leash....well my kids are well behaved, but they like to run when they get excited and have fun, they just want to be a kid. I would rather give them the space to explore and have their safety in mind also. Think of how easy it is for a kid to run away and get lost in a crowd of thousands. No way, not for me. I would rather take the dirty looks as long as my kid doesn't mind the leash and can have fun!!

It is your decision and don't worry what others say.

[Deedlbugg]

I'm for whatever keeps my child SAFE and my anxiety level DOWN! If a "leash" is needed, go for it!

[twoDISNEYfans]

hi! while my dd13mos. and i dont live in a big city or walk to many places,she is a beginner walker and refuses to sit in her stroller in public places- we got the monkey back pack so that she can feel like a big girl and she learns to walk with us- also I think it helps her with balance because she has to walk in the direction we are... so far she loves monkey and we plan on taking it on our trip in november!

[mommy2theAteam]

I ignore people who 'frown' upon the idea of the leashes. I have 3 boys - our oldest is 11 and we never needed anything like this with him. However, we now have 2 1/2 year old twin boys -- and I bought Safety First harness sets for our trip to Florida in Feb 08. I like them because you can use it around their wrist, or use it as a harness. My 2 like to walk (really run -- and in different directions too!) and I like that it gives them a chance to get exercise and tire them out -- but it's just not practical to think that we'll be able to walk them through the mall or someplace on vacation without having their harness on. They don't mind wearing it, and I like that it keeps them within reach of me and not running off. So yes, it's a safety issue - and Safety is much more important to me than a bunch of people who may 'frown' upon it. Since having twins we always get unsolicited advice and comments and questions about everything and anything and most of the time I politely ignore it. After all - until you've had multiples, you have no idea what it's like. You know your kids best - Do what works best for you and your kids.

We'll be bringing our harnesses with us Disney and we'll also have our stroller, because I know they'll get tired out and want to sit in the stroller to get some rest.

--Kim
Mom to the A Team
Aaron & Aidan (2 1/2), Alex (11)

[toy]

I'm so glad to see that this didn't turn into a flaming thread. You have to do what is best for your child. We have three. My first was a runner but got over it quickly. My second tried it out (running) once or twice and realized it wasn't worth angry/freaked out mommy. By the time my son came along the girls must have warned him . We bought a leash for my oldest but we only used it a few times. I didn't notice how other people reacted to it. It didn't matter. So, take your leash and anchor your child safely to you and enjoy your vacation without police intervention.

[Marty Moose]

I'll be honest and tell you that whenever I see a kid with one on, I do get a giggle out of it Especially if the kid is doing one of those "feet firmly on the ground, leaning at a 45 degree angle" moves!

But whatever you need to do to keep your kid safe is nobody's business but your own! Honestly, if someone is going to take the time from their own Disney vacation to give you a dirty look or make a snarky comment then they've got bigger problems!

BTW - I've never had to use one...but my kids haven't hit their teen years yet. Do they come in large??

[MyPeanut&Bug]

I was also pretty judgemental and against them...then I actually had kids. I have two of the backpack kind from WalMart already set aside with our Disney World stuff. With my son, we've only ever used it a few times - he's pretty shy, wants to keep close to one, not adventurous enough to want to wander very far from us. Our daughter is totally the opposite - very independent, not a good hand holder, etc. They both love backpacks so they both do good with the backpack kind of leash - they way I see it, I'm meeting their needs for a little independence and both our needs for their safety so people can shoot all the looks they want! :

[laneyandmacsmom]

I think they're wonderful inventions, and anyone who thinks otherwise either doesn't have kids at all, or got really really lucky. My daughter is 6, and from birth to this day she would never even think of taking a step away from me without asking first, she's just one of those easy never do wrong kind of kids. My son is my repayment for having had it so easy the first time around. He's been houdini-ing his way out of strollers and shopping carts since before he could walk, and when he busts loose, he's running as fast as he can in the opposite direction and hiding. If I was going to be on my own with them in disney, I'd attach him to me in a bjorn if I could.

[here757]

we might as well stick together and get flammed as a group huh??
i used the leash on my son til he was 4..
he too had the doggy back pack and loved it.. hes still got it stuffed full of matchbox cars . uses it for road trips and such..
my son refused a stroller.. he was out by the time he could walk real good.
and he was my first child.. so i worried about him all the time.


he got lost in walmart one time.. he was about 2 it was a quick trip..
by the time i found him i was shaking and upset.. my husband was visably shaken too. he was at the front desk eatting gummy bears..
by the time we got home.. 2 miles way he knew my mine and my husband first name.. and the city he lived in..

by the time we got to disney. this is when he outgrew the leash.. he ended up walkin himself.. so i took off the tail LOL

[Mama to Three]

Ooooh I just remembered something funny. My oldest LOVED her "leash"! She would immediately become a dog and pant and paw and bark. She was quite the attention getter!

[here757]

Originally Posted by Mama to Three

Ooooh I just remembered something funny. My oldest LOVED her "leash"! She would immediately become a dog and pant and paw and bark. She was quite the attention getter!

LOL that would have embarrassed me to no end.


i usually had to hold the leash..my son has short legs LOL and my husband is 6'1 LOL poor kid was sprinting everywhere he went..
no wonder these kids are so fast..
its our fault! LOL

[Nicky's_Mommy]

Glad to see so many people do this. My DS will be 25mo when we go to WDW in May and we've really never had to use the "leash". I bought a "Safety First" one, that kind that goes around his chest because I thought it would help us help him walk, way back when. But I was planning on bringing it with us for when he doesn't want to be in the stroller, if he wants to walk it's fine, but he's putting that thing on! I'm not running after him around the park, or dealing with him breaking into a sprint, running into something and getting hurt. Nevermind even thinking about him wondering off and not finding him. I'm a cautious parent and if we say he goes on a leash (even tho I wish there was a better word for it! LOL) then that's it. I don't care what anyone else thinks or says. Now that I think about it, maybe I'll pull it out and let him play with it around the house so it doesn't seem so foreign to him when I actually need him to put it on.

[DISNEYNV]

I like to call I'd a harness not a leash....my DS likes to act like a puppy at times but he isn't one I hated these things prior to giving birth to a nine pound bundle of energy!!! I thought DD was robust... boy was I in for a surprise when DS arrived. He will take off to run in the grass, climb on anything, hide, and just to make you chase him around for kicks. We took DDs barely used Monkey harness with us to Disney this past December and it worked great. He got to be out of his stroller and walk while not taking off in the crowds... The little guy can weave in between people faster than a marathon runner I use it for safety reasons only and do not keep the thing on him constantly. I don't think anyone clshould judge a parent in a negative fashion for using a harness to keep their wandered by their side. On the contrary... If something would happen that would be the same person to condem them for NOT using one.

As a parent you do what you feel is best for your child! And if it makes you feel better I got a lot of compliments on DSs cute Monkey harness. That Monkey will be in our suitcase again this May for another trip to Disney. That's one lucky little guy....and Monkey

[fortheluvofpooh]

been through this done this topic. UGH it is a heated discussion i must say. I am a believer in the safety of my child comes before what anyone thinks. We have used harnesses for each of our children. They have certainly come along way over 13 yrs and now our 3 yr old dd has the cutest monkey harness. DS who is now 13, when he was little just had a plain blue one, but it did the job..