Kid Harness

[SplshMtnLvr28]

It's just my opinion, but I always laugh at the people that use those. I think it's hilarious you actually have to put a leash on your kid. No offense.

 

[snowwite]

Alright, I've been to Walmart (not my favorite story but thats another thread) and purchased the "Goldbug 2 in 1 Harness Buddy". Now these are the cute ones that look like a puppy dog or a monkey, and I couldn't decide which one so I bought both. Someone has asked about the lead, and if it would be a tripping hazard, I am happy to report that it is barely 36" long and if anyone is that close to me or my child, they need to back off!

Thank you all for the words of support. I am looking forward to my "sane" trip next week and now I know that I have this as a back up in case he grows tired of the stroller. FYI, he loves the thing! He wouldn't let go of it in the store so when I put it on him here at home he was thrilled! We are going to let him use it as a backpack for this next week and occasionally put the lead on it to let him get used to it.

BTW, for the one single person in this whole thread who thought I should respect my child and give him my undivided attention, I think that you could have given your opinion without personally attacking me and you have NO CLUE! If I didn't respect my child, I wouldn't have even put this much thought into wether he wanted to sit or walk and I certainly wouldn't have looked at all the options that were out there. I was a working Mom with a good career and I chose to stay home and give my boys my undivided attention 24/7. I respect and love my children deeply and would be devastated if something happened to any of them. As a child I was abducted by a family member and I don't ever want to go through that with my own child. Whheeew, okay I feel better now!

Hope everyone has a Magical Vacation!

Good luvk Oh and hode the bras,just in case

 

[Accentuate+]

My mother is adamantly opposed to these and is one of the dirty look givers. I like to think it is because I was such a perfect child.

I'm firmly in the "do what you need to do to keep your child safe and yourself sane"...and I don't have any kids.
I went with a friend and her 11 year old last month. He's a good kid, not a wanderer and old enough to get help if he should get lost and I was still paranoid about losing him. Duct tape them to your leg if you have to. Whatever works.
If someone gives you a nasty look/comment:
1. Who really cares, they're your kids and you're not hurting them or breaking any rules.
2. Say "hey, look, a kid wearing heelies" point in the other direction and leave

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

Good luvk Oh and hode the bras,just in case

Hitting the bottle a little too much tonight?

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I wouldn't worry about looking like a bad parent. All kids are different. I used to think shoulder straps on a highchair were overkill - until I found my second child wiggled out of the waist strap and standing on the highchair tray !

 

[autumnbaby9]

Have some respect for your children, please do not treat them like the family dog. If your child requires your full attention then it is your job as a parent to provide it.

Why do people put there dogs on a leash? Too keep them safe and so they don't run away.

Why is your dog more important to you than your child?

Some people have children that dissapear in a blink of an eye (my bother was one of them) a child harness seems like a much better option than leaving the child behind or the child getting lost in somewhere the size of Disneyworld.

 

[NotUrsula]

Something to consider re: the issue of using a clip-rein on an older child -- she'll just reach back and ditch it in about 5 seconds flat unless her fine motor skills are are delayed. If it is really necessary, use a d-ring assembly to attach it; that is much harder, though not impossible, to undo from behind your back.

The average healthy 8 yo would not need a rein; they can communicate the problem to a CM if they get separated from parents.

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

duplicate, sorry!

 

[PocahontasLookALike]

As someone with no children, I commend you for knowing what your childs capabilities/limitations are. Even if the child is older (8,9, whatever!) there could be behavioral problems not obvious to the eye (autism, etc.) that some families struggle with. In certain cases, 'child tethers' could be a godsend for the family and others around you.

I think you should do whatever would be best for YOU and YOUR family.

 

[TheDisneyBunch]

We just got back and we kept our 3 year wearing his puppy backpack for just about the whole time. People were always asking where we got it and talking about how great it was and how happy he looked wearing it. He did look happy, he liked to hold the end of it himself sometimes but when we got to a crowded or dangerous area we held that end. Everyday when we got up he asked for his backpack. He loves that thing. We got it at Target. Best thing I could have bought for the trip. I had many tell us how nice it was to see parents who actually cared enough about their childs well being to bring something like that. I did not really see any dirty looks but I was not looking for them either.

Now had I noticed any or anyone would have said anything to me about it in a negative way I would have had to go off on them. I am trying to keep my kid safe from getting hurt or from going through the scare of loosing him. How could anyone in their right mind think anything bad about that?

Last year when we went my son (then 2) almost ran off the dock at downtown Disney trying to get to the boat. Scared me to death and THAT I got dirty looks for so I was sure to make certain this time that nothing like that was going to happen.

I will never get why anyone feels the need to put this down. We are trying to take care of our kids for goodness sakes!

 

[poohluvr]

Why do people put there dogs on a leash? Too keep them safe and so they don't run away.

Why is your dog more important to you than your child?

Some people have children that dissapear in a blink of an eye (my bother was one of them) a child harness seems like a much better option than leaving the child behind or the child getting lost in somewhere the size of Disneyworld.

Very good point. My eldest son has ADHD so I used to use the wrist thing when he was younger. He's 19 now, so he doesn't need it anymore. lol

 

[chr1972]

We used harnesses on both of my boys. It gave the them a sense of freedom because they didn't have to hold our hand but it kept us in control of them. I think Babies R Us sells them.

 

[mla2177]

I used one of these in WDW for my 2 yr old this past July, and I actually had a lot of positive feedback from it! I was very surprised! Years ago, when my sister was little, my parents used one for her and she said a lot of people frowned upon her for it.

I'm glad to see people are putting safety first nowadays

 

[tammyandtommy]

note to OP: you do what you feel fit for your child, only you will know if its truly needed or not

 

[kawaba]

Alright, I've been to Walmart (not my favorite story but thats another thread) and purchased the "Goldbug 2 in 1 Harness Buddy". Now these are the cute ones that look like a puppy dog or a monkey, and I couldn't decide which one so I bought both. Someone has asked about the lead, and if it would be a tripping hazard, I am happy to report that it is barely 36" long and if anyone is that close to me or my child, they need to back off!

Thank you all for the words of support. I am looking forward to my "sane" trip next week and now I know that I have this as a back up in case he grows tired of the stroller. FYI, he loves the thing! He wouldn't let go of it in the store so when I put it on him here at home he was thrilled! We are going to let him use it as a backpack for this next week and occasionally put the lead on it to let him get used to it.

BTW, for the one single person in this whole thread who thought I should respect my child and give him my undivided attention, I think that you could have given your opinion without personally attacking me and you have NO CLUE! If I didn't respect my child, I wouldn't have even put this much thought into wether he wanted to sit or walk and I certainly wouldn't have looked at all the options that were out there. I was a working Mom with a good career and I chose to stay home and give my boys my undivided attention 24/7. I respect and love my children deeply and would be devastated if something happened to any of them. As a child I was abducted by a family member and I don't ever want to go through that with my own child. Whheeew, okay I feel better now!

Hope everyone has a Magical Vacation!

You took this as a personal attack because you know it is wrong and you are starting to feel the guilt already

 

[Mo-Yo]

KAWABA -
You said - "Have some respect for your children, please do not treat them like the family dog. If your child requires your full attention then it is your job as a parent to provide it."

There is no other way to construe that comment than as a personal attack.

I never liked leases much, and I never needed them for my three kids, but I have friends and family members whose kids require different strategies to keep them safe/manage their behavior. My mother talks about all the hours I spent in the playpen as a child...that's not a strategy I used on my kids, but, hey, it worked for her...and I turned out O.K.

I applaud parents for knowing what is right for their families and making decisions based on that. The harness-thingie is well-accepted in some cultures/circles...not so much in others....but honestly who died and left you to be the PARENT-GOD of the Universe?

A simple "I don't care for harnesses. They seem degrading/strange/unnecessary/(whatever)" would have sufficed. Passing judgement on the poster's parenting skills for asking a question is WAY OVER THE LINE.

 

[DreaminDisney]

No, You will not look like an awful Mom!! I personally don't care for harnesses, and I do not judge those who use them and I think you should do whatever you think is right for your family. Who cares what everyone else thinks. Life's too short. Have a great vacation!

 

[WillCAD]

Why do people put there dogs on a leash? Too keep them safe and so they don't run away.

Why is your dog more important to you than your child?

Some people have children that dissapear in a blink of an eye (my bother was one of them) a child harness seems like a much better option than leaving the child behind or the child getting lost in somewhere the size of Disneyworld.

Some people see the kid leashes as being degrading in some way to the child because it's a method used on dogs and other lower animals. They think that using the same method on a child that you would use on a lower animal implies that you think of your child as a pet rather than a person.

I understand that argument, but I vehemently disagree with it in the case of kid leashes.

Anyone who has experience with children knows that an infant runs purely on instinct. An infant's cognitive process is not yet developed to the point where he can think, so instead he reacts to his surroundings and to the needs of his own body (hungry/tired/cold/need changing).

As a child grows, so does the cognitive process. The growth of the cognitive process progresses at a different rate for each individual; some kids have great problem-solving capabilities at age 1, while others take a bit longer to develop. But during this phase, the toddler years, a kid still runs partly on instinct and partly on thinking.


That's where the leash comes into play. While a child is still unable to think as well as an adult, it's the parents' responsibility to do the thinking for him. Parents are responsible for establishing rules of behavior and enforcing those rules, both for the child’s safety and for the safety and comfort of those around him. One method for keeping a child safe is to lock kitchen cabinets, refrigerators, and other small spaces where a small kid might become trapped while playing. Another is to remove any potentially dangerous objects such as knives, toxic cleaning chemicals, or small objects that pose a choking hazard, from teh child's reach. Another is to use physical restraints such as play pens, baby gates, car seats, and yes, even leashes.

You took this as a personal attack because you know it is wrong and you are starting to feel the guilt already

Perhaps it's you who are feeling guilt over your own lack of proper precautions to keep your child safe, and you are projecting those feelings of guilt onto others. Perhaps you resent the fact that others are doing a better and more conscientious job of caring for their children than you are, and you are attempting to assuage your own conscience by disparaging their methods.


I could be wrong, of course. You could simply be one of those new-age yuppie fru-fru parents who tries to use reason and logic on a 2-year old and then wonders why the kid never listens to you.

Please understand, I don't mean these comments as a personal attack. I'm simply speculating on the possible reasons why you dislike the leash so much.