Toddler "leash"

[princess-rn]

Ok..so I've made fun of people who do this all my life....but I have a VEYR VERY fast and active 2 year old who LOVES to walk around. I know WDW will be crowded and he moves fast....So I did it...I bought one of those Baby "leashes" (That's not what they are called..but you all know what I am talking about) I refuse to use it anywhere but WDW..so I don't know how my son is going to react to it. It's a harness style or you can attach it to his wrist. (I'll prob go with the harness...looks safer) My question is.....Do you guys think this is a good idea or not? We are bringing a stroller with us also...but I know my DS is going to want to walk/run. I'm just terrified of "losing" him.

 

[alloyd1170]

It is a very good idea when dealing with crowds and standing in lines. My 2 yr old tried to bolt out of line so many times, but thanks to the rigging I did, he went nowhere! The wrist thing is not a good idea as it restricts their movement and if its elastic they make a game out of pulling away and springing back. I didnt like the idea of a harness being in photos, so what I did was to take the leash part of the harness and clip it to the back of a childs fanny pack. My son was able to carry his snacks, etc and I was able to hold on to him. When we didnt need to use it (rides/photos/stroller/eating) I just tucked the leash into the back of his shirt. You never knew he was wearing any restraining device when looking at the pictures. Please dont forget to still put some id on your child just in case. My husband refuses to put a leash on our child and said he wouldnt be around him if I did. He wasnt on the trip with us so it wasnt a problem. Many people commented on my contraption and said it was a great idea. Some women joked saying they needed one for their husbands! There is a similar setup available on the internet, but the leash wasnt long enough (Im tall) and you really couldnt carry anything in the pouch since it did not zip close. Dont worry about what others think. You childs security is more important and 2 yr olds are quite the bolters. You will see many kids leashed to their parents in WDW. Hope this helps!

alison

 

[princess-rn]

Thank you so much. I don't feel so bad now. You have a great idea with the fanny pack thing.

Thank you!!!!!

 

[Rowlf]

I'm ordering the Tot Tether from 4CoolKids.com - it's a kind of animal backpack that happens to have a tail that is a leash. It's cute for the kid to wear - kids love having their own backpack, and you can tuck the leash away if you want.

 

[Cailin'sMom]

Some friends of ours went to WDW in April. Her DH said that he would NOT use a leash/harness on their DD 2. However, they did use it. They also had their stroller, but they kept the harness on her for when she wanted to get out and walk. They said that it was a lifesaver. She would have gotten separated from them in crowds a few times if not for the harness (her Mom was holding her hand one time and an overzealous women knocked into them and if it had not been for the harness, the child would have been knocked from her grasp into the crowd.) And they said that it was not really crowded when they were there.

They have already loaned us the harness for our Dec. trip ( they don't use the harness anywhere other than Disney). I did not think that my DH would go for the harness, but after hearing their stories, he is ok with it. I am still not sure what to do about pictures, I really don't want the harness in the pictures, but they had pictures of her with the harness and it did not look bad.

 

[SandrainNC]

I bought a fanny pack/leash thing from onestepahead.com because my son is a wanderer. It is similar to the homemade one that Alison posted about. The only thing is, nothing is going to fit in the fanny pack. I thought it was a real fanny pack, but actually maybe a chapstick will fit in that little pouch. But it will still suit our purpose and I can just unhook the strap when we don't need it.

Sandra

 

[crazywig]

used a harness with ds (2) in june. best thing i ever did, especially while in a ride queue.

he had never worn one before (or since actually) but he only complained for about the first 10 minutes. when he realized he didn't have to hold my hand and he actually had more freedom, he didn't mind it at all.


most of my pics of him he's wearing the harness (i'd unsnap the leash part) but i don't care, he was SAFE and that's all that matters to me.

i had a lot of parents tell me what a great idea that was....also a lot of little kids asking why he had it on LOL

i bought the red one with elmo on it that you can find in walmart for about $6. it has a swivel hook on the back that helps the leash part not to tangle.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Originally posted by princess-rn
Ok..so I've made fun of people who do this all my life....

I don't make fun of people who use a leash for a child but I would never use one on my children. In my opinion, leashes are for pets, not children. I do not like them. I understand why people use them but for us we never will.

 

[lucy_love_]

two words

leash godsend

 

[DisneyNutMary]

Originally posted by lucy_love_
two words

leash godsend

I couldn't agree more.
I guess one has to actually have an active 2 year old to appreciate the toddler leash! When my now 6 year old was 2, I used a leash with him. Let me tell you, I ignored every funny look, becuase I was happy knowing that my son was no more that 3 feet away at all times.
So I say, don't knock it unless you've been there. A kid on a leash is a lot better than a lost kid.

 

[eeyore kelly]

Originally posted by lucy_love_
two words

leash godsend

ITA

 

[gigibeans1]

I agree 100%. I have 3 children and will be going to WDW very soon and plan on using the child harness. Both boys are very active and do wander off. It takes only one second to lose a child in a crowd.

I used it this past weekend when we went to an animal farm. I ignored the looks.

Also, this was the first time my 3 yo wore one. When he attempted to run off, he pulled the leash tight and fell on his butt. Let you child(ren) get used to wearing it! LOL

When we go to a crowded place, it is extremely difficult and stressfull attempting to keep your eye on 3 children.

I agree....a harness is better than losing a child!

We're also getting whistles. Let them know they are not for play, only emergencies. When/if they lose sight of us....blow that whistle as hard and as long as you can.

Have fun, and don't feel bad protecting your child!

 

[MelodyMack]

I struggled with this decision as well. I have never used a child "leash" for my DD3, and only when we started planning for our WDW trip did I start to seriously consider it.

The deciding push came one afternoon when I mentioned the "leash" debate to my Pop, a retired Police Officer. I said "Pop, I'm actually thinking about putting munchkin in a child leash while at Disney. I'm embarrassed to admit it."

I thought surely my tough as nails New York father would admonish me for even CONSIDERING placing his precious granddaughter in a leash.....to my surprise, in a coldly serious voice he said " Embarrassed? I can't tell you how many parents have come to me over the years crying and terrfied because their kid was lost. I'd take embarrassed over terrified any day."

Case closed. I got the leash, and I'm thrilled for the peace of mine.

 

[princess-rn]

Originally posted by POOH&PIGLET
I don't make fun of people who use a leash for a child but I would never use one on my children. In my opinion, leashes are for pets, not children. I do not like them. I understand why people use them but for us we never will.

You, obviously, have very well behaved children that completely listen to you and would NEVER run away from you in crowds. I , meanwhile, have a two year old who 1. doesn't listen to a word I say if it's not what he wants to hear (we are working on this by the way) and 2. Is as fast as lightning and LOVES to run. I'm going to take the advice of the ladies on this board who have said that it is a good idea. Too almost quote Disneynutmary...I'm going to ignore the looks (if I get any) and feel good knowing my precious DS is no more than 3 feet away from me at all times.

 

[sconnell]

We had the Elmo one from Walmart. We used it for the first and only time at WDW. Actually, in the petting zoo at Rafiki's Planet Watch in AK. It worked fine, until DD2 realized she was on it when we left the petting zoo. My DH was holding the other end of the leash and Katie was just pulling on it with all of her might. DH jokes that he felt like Jaba the Hut when he had Princess Laya in chains. If you knew DH, you would be ROFL! He's a big guy anyway!
Ok, back to the point. After that, we just had to mention the thing and Katie straightend up immediately!

 

[Lollipop Mom]

My 2 year old is the same way. TOTAL opposite of how my 4 year old was at that age. I thougt for sure DS 4 was so well behaved b/c of my outstanding parenting skills but DS 2, who has been subject to the same parenting methods, didn't follow in his brother's footsteps! We used one of the ones that hooks to a fanny pack on him in the ride lines but not as much just walking around. The main reason is that if you let them get 3 feet from you on it in a crowded area, you run the risk of "catching" someone else in the line stretched between you. My DSs biggest thing is that he HATES to have someone hold his hand. On the rare occasion that we were using it with him not in a line, I just made sure to hold it so that he was not far enough away from me for anyone to consider trying to walk between us. He had no one holding his hand but he was right there next to me so we were both happy.

These things are like so many other "baby containment products," you can use them with love to help keep your child safe or you can use them as a way to avoid having to pay attention and parent your child. I see no problem with the people who are using them "with love" (as I'm sure you will ); it's the people who are either dragging their child around with it or are paying ZERO attention to the child wearing it.

 

[sweet angel]

I had a harness with a "leash" for my son when he was little. I also had the wrist thing. The harness worked much better. You really do need to develop a thick skin though.

I had an elderly man ask me in the mall, "Don't you know that's a child, not a dog?" At which point, my little guy hears "dog", drops to all fours in the mall and starts barking.

I was mortified....but at least he was safe.

For those that are above using a leash, I hope no one ever tries to snatch your child while you glance away for just a second.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Originally posted by princess-rn
You, obviously, have very well behaved children that completely listen to you and would NEVER run away from you in crowds.

For the most part, my kids are well behaved. My kids have never have run away in a crowd. Will they at some point? Its possibly. If they do, I'll run after them. If it's crowded, they are holding my hand or walking in front of me so I can see them.

I am not trying to dissuade you from using a child leash. Even if I were, you shouldn't listen to me. I just feel that a child leash is (for lack of a better work) unnatural.

 

[BevS97]

I just feel that a child leash is (for lack of a better work) unnatural.

it really depends on where you live and what you see around you.

To me using a safety harness is as natural as using a carseat - I wouldn't dream of letting my young toddler walk without one - why? because we frequently walk along the sidewalk next to traffic. If my child is distracted or runs off for one second, then she could be hit by a car or a bus. Frankly, it's not a risk I am prepared to take. I strap her in the car everytime we drive anywhere, just in case we have an accident - we never have but I still strap her in every time. She will wear the reins everytime too - she may never run in front of a bus, but I'm not going to wait and find out.
It is my responsibility as a parent to keep her safe, and that is why we use the reins.

Incidently - we also use the same harness in highchairs - it is completely normal and usual to strap our babys in to their highchairs so that they can't climb out (the highchair comes with a waist strap, but nearly every parent I know supplements this with a full harness, since most kids are capable of getting out of the waist strap). The same harness used in the highchair, also has reins which can be attached so you can use it in 2 ways..

 

[beattyfamily]

Originally posted by POOH&PIGLET
I don't make fun of people who use a leash for a child but I would never use one on my children. In my opinion, leashes are for pets, not children. I do not like them. I understand why people use them but for us we never will.

ITA

My DD is either in the stroller, holding my hand, or daddy is carrying her.

To each their own.