kids with harness leashes?

[debdebdebby13]

I just wanted to say, completely OT, that I haven't been on DIS very long and I already started a somewhat heated thread, haha

 

[becca1125]

Ive been thinking of getting something for my dd who will be almost 20 months. I dont want her confined to the stroller all day for 5 days. Ive always thought they were mean and have never used them on my other 2 dd's but then again we never went to Disney with them either. I like the monkey one, cute!

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

Sometimes I believe some of you people on here take things too personally on THE INTERNET.

 

[mjkacmom]

Ive been thinking of getting something for my dd who will be almost 20 months. I dont want her confined to the stroller all day for 5 days. Ive always thought they were mean and have never used them on my other 2 dd's but then again we never went to Disney with them either. I like the monkey one, cute!

I always felt it was mean to confine a toddler in a stroller. When my twins started walking, I felt horrible that I couldn't let them out - clearly, they wanted to walk. Thank goodness for those harnesses!

 

[all4fun]

OP, just do what you need to and don't worry about what someone else might think. You'll never see those people again anyway. I found something kind of interesting when ds was that age. He was a "runner" too but when he had the harness on, he would actually calmly hold my hand for the most part. I guess when he had it on, he knew there was no point in trying to run off. So for us, it aided us in training ds to hold our hand and stay with us. He also loved climbing the stairs on Tarzans Tree House (and later at DL, the Swiss Family Robinson tree house) and it was a nice added safety measure to hold his hand and have the harness on. The harness got us through a phase.

Totally OT, because the OP was talking about their 2yr old, but I also wouldn't judge someone with an 8yr old in a harness because I don't think the average 8 yr old would allow a parent to put one on them. I would probably think that person has an unseen disability (like autism) and the parents are doing what they deem necessary to keep their kid safe. I agree, I would be judgemental if I saw them using the item to mistreat said kid though. I've never seen that happen.

Not that I'm doubting the other posters, because maybe I'm just in my own world when I'm on vacation, but I've only seen one instance of "leash misuse" when at WDW in all our trips there. That was with one of those stretchy leashes that look like a phone cord that stretch about 20' and attach to the childs wrist. Poor child was lagging about 15' behind the attached parent, and the parent didn't seem to be aware. They all looked pretty tired, actually, lol. My thought at the time was that it was a tripping accident waiting to happen. I think the nature of those types of leashes makes it too easy for the parent to lose their attention on their child and "forget" them. Totally different than the one the OP is considering.

 

[chigirl]

EXACTLY!!!!!!

True.

The problem is, if you spend any amount of time serving the public, you become witness to the worst in human behavior. The job I have put me in contact with hundreds, if not thousands, of families a day and I see all kinds of bad parenting, usually stemming from self-absorbed parents. My place of employment has at least 4-5 CODE ADAM alerts a day, which is where we lock down the business and search for a lost child. I can tell you I have never once searched for a child who had a harness on...I also can honestly say (sorry!) that 9 times out of 10, the people who've used them on their children in my business are using them "the bad way", yanking the kid around and treating them like an animal. I think it is just difficult for the 90% of society who doesn't use them and has no need for them to find them palatable. Then again, as people have said, who cares what people think? Its YOUR trip...I am so happy at WDW, I've honestly never noticed if people use them there. I am hyper-sensitive at my work because the safety of my customers is my responsibility, and bad parenting is the cause of a majority of our safety problems.

 

[kymmyk13]

my DD 4 has special needs, you would not know by looking at her. We do use the Monkey leash because she will run off in a second. No, she does not listen like she should because she can't, her mind is moving a mile a minute and she has impulse issues. Her therapist says do what works, and a leash for her works, she loves to wear it around the house. I would rather my child be safe and on a leash then run off and something happen to her.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I didn't read all of the responses, but I wanted to say that I used a leash for my 3yo at DL and it was a lifesaver. He is the youngest of 4 kids and before I had him I always thought I would NEVER use one of those things, why can't the parent just hold their hand, etc. DS at 3 was almost stronger than me and much faster and could very easily slip away, would very easily run off if he saw something that caught his eye and we could not keep up with him. I got one of the Eddie Bauer puppy ones (he called it his "dog backpack") and I would slip the loop around my wrist and hold his hand, that way if he let go I would still have ahold of him. It worked wonderfully, he could stay out of the stroller in the areas where he was going to ride, then he would go back in at lunch time and nap while the older kids rode the bigger rides. If he was being fussy we would give him a choice "do you want Daddy to hold your tail or Mommy?"

I think you need to do what you have to do to keep your child safe and not worry about what others think. What would those same judgemental people think if your child got away from you and ran out in front of a car in the parking lot?

 

[ameemom]

we used it last trip, and plan on using it on our next. I don't use it anywhere else but disney, because I want her to learn to stay with me. The practice outside of the parks helps in the parks.

 

[Miss LD]

we have used a leash for DS (4) in the past. And, we've gotten "the look". I have to admit I was really surprised by how many leashes we saw when we were in WDW this summer.
I always had stood out using one in the past but here it was pretty common practice, especially in Fantasyland.
FWIW, when we got ours it was because I was taking DS on a vacation on my own. We made a big deal of it and told him you ONLY get to use it on special occasions. He totally went for it.
I wouldn't hesitate for a second to use one when necessary.
But, I used to babysit a little girl who would run away, and her mom got her a wrist band. She'd run really fast and trip people. It was kind of funny (thank goodness no one got hurt)

 

[TENIA66]

use it and don't apologize for keeping your kids safe, those who carry on about it don't have any business doing so............

 

[CLR4321]

With these just be really careful of people who may cross in between you and your kid, not realizing there is a strap there. I tripped over one once at Disneyland and almost knocked down the little girl who was attached to it.

 

[MarriedToAPrince]

We have one for DD who is just about 17 months. We only use it occasionally for those times we are out and she absolutely refuses to sit in the stroller. We are planning to go to Disney in Sept for her 2nd birthday and plan to bring it with us for when she won't stay in her stroller. What I usually do is put the loop of the lease part on my wrist and try to hold her hand knowing that the lease is there in case she darts. I plan to do the same thing in Disney because I know she could get hurt with people tripping over it. I am hopeful with all the sights to see she will be more likely to stay in her stroller.

 

[ilovemyjj]

My daughter was 4 when we went, and we got her a dog harness, she called the part the adult holds the doggies tail.

As far as people hating them, I am protecting my child, who is a runner, and I will do so in any way I can. Most people who even say anything don't even have kids!! But, it worked really well! They have reg ones at Walmart for 10 bucks now!! They come in dog, monkey or another animal, they even have a small pocket for trinkets the kids collect during the time!!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

A few questions for those who use them. Many here say that their kids run off so that is why they use them So say you have the leash on and the child tries to run off, do you just yank them back? Does the child run at full speed straining against the harness while trying to drag you? Or when you feel them starting to get ready to run do you give it a quick yank to remind them not to run?
I am not being fecitious. I do not use leashs. I truly am curious as to how it is used in those situations. I get letting them walk next to you etc., but I am curious about those who say their kids just take off. TIA!

 

[Corjack]

I bought the puppy at Target and we intend to use it. My DS is 18mo and is just to little to be expectd to stay right there every second. I am not going to pretend I am perfect and my kid could never get away from me. I feel it will be better for us both if he can get out and walk and we are "connected".

I can see how some parents would use it as free reign to ignore thier child but I seriously doubt that the OP will be one of those. That parent would probably never have inquired in the first place.

I used mine the other day when we took a walk and I felt really stupid. He does fairly well holding your hand but at a place like Disney i will not chance it. At home, I would never use it.

 

[aestapa]

Our 3 (almost 4) year old disappeared for over an hour in AK. He zigged when we zagged. It was terrifying and I would never want anyone to go through that. When our youngest was old enough to walk, we did the harness thing. I got one that is supposed to hook to the wrist, but I attached it to his back beltloop. He felt like he had a little more freedom and I was happy he was close.