who believes in putting their child on a leash?

[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]

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

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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..

 

[dancin'girl]

I will be purchasing a harness for DS (22 mos.) for our upcoming trip. They have Disney ones on the TRU website. I think I'm going to order the Mickey one.

 

[CruisingCamper]

We just got back from WDW with a 2.5 year old. We used the harness and loved it. It gave him freedom to be out of his stroller and still safely walking with us. The crowds were something and It was so much better to have it than not!! Last year, I did not consider it, but this year, I seen the Mickey Harness on Ebay and got it. He loves his Mickey and we got so many compliments on it. They should sell them at the World!! It is great and I will be using it again in May.


I also did not think they were good...until I actually had kids too!!

 

[my3sons77]

I have nothing against somebody using a "leash" for their child. It is for safety reasons and I put on one my 2 year old when the need calls for it. He is getting to where he wants to be out of the stroller and with his older brothers and you better believe that I have his little cow harness on him for those times. The kid is FAST and very independent. I get nothing but giggles and comments like "Very smart", "Great idea", "I should have done that too!"

We went to Vegas back in 2003 and I had a harness on both of my boys (they were younger then) Even then I did not get any weird looks or negative feedback. Everybody that saw them said how cute they were and the harnesses were a great idea.

I keep a close eye on my kids and they can still sometimes slip away by people cutting them off in the crowd, them stopping to look at something in a store, etc.

I, of course, no longer need to put a harness on my older boys but when I am at some type of place where my 2 year old wants to walk and there are just way too many people around for him to do so safely, the harness gets put on.

We don't do it to humiliate our kids, we do it for their safety.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I never used htem but I have seen the backpack things and love them and if I known about them when my kids were a bit younger you bet I would of used them. My three youngest are close in age (twins plus my dd is one year older then them) so I would of went off on someone telling me not to use them you keep them together when they were younger. I used the double stroller for along time and wouldn't have if I would of have these.
I say go for it. You can never keep your child too safe.

 

[all4fun]

Watch out for the flames on here!!!

I am one of those people who thought they were horrible!!! Until now. I have a 19 month old that DOES NOT LISTEN!!! But then again when do they ever listen? I am purchasing a harness for my son for our D.C. trip in two weeks and plan on using it on our Disney trip in September. I have been trying to teach him to hold hands to no avail.
Someone showed me this harness:
http://www.tommiguard.com/buyoriginal.htm

I am hoping that by me not holding onto a "leash" I can concentrate more on teaching him to hold my hand.

Also, this topic has been hotly debated on here. Someone once said this: "You hold your hand up for an hour straight and tell me you're not cranky because your arm is tired". That IS what it's like for a toddler holding your hand.

I think using the safety harness actually helped with teaching hand holding. DS knew he couldn't get very far when he had it on, and he would actually hold my hand. W/out the harness on, he would just pull his hand out of mine and run. He was very stubborn. lol

Tread lightly. There are many of us that have special needs children that use leashes for safety reasons. My dd would bolt in crowds at Disneyland and was non-verbal at the time. She was also tall for her age which led to many pleasant looks and comments from strangers.

I purchased her leash at Wal-Mart. It was worth the negative looks to keep her safe.

I also frowned on leashes until I had a child who needed one. I also frowned on children being at a theme park or mall with a Nintendo, I also understand that now.

My ds had developmental delays as well, and I think that is why we found the harness such a necessity! The harness saved him from so many tumbles and falls since I could "catch" him with it (I always kept the leash short so he was very close to me even if he wasn't holding my hand). His delays were both physical and verbal, although he has done a great deal of catching up in the last few years. We used the simple nylon harness, I think it was Parents brand, bought at Target. The little stuffed animal ones are cute, but I do think they look pretty warm to wear in the Florida heat, just something to keep in mind!


Anyway, OP, you know your child the best. Do what you feel is necessary to keep your LO safe and keep you sane, as well! You'll see lots of other parents using one of these devices at WDW I'm sure.

 

[Jenvenza]

I think the people who tend to flame these kinds of threads either don't have kids OR don't have kids who don't like to hold your hand or be in a stroller. I used to HATE the harnesses I would see on some kids, but we have one for our daughter. We have hardly used it, except once at the zoo and she LOVED it. Whatever keeps them safe. If people don't like the idea of you keeping your child safe, who cares what they think anyway?

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

I have 4 children. I only used a leash (monkey backpack/harness) on one of them. The 3rd in order- my youngest daughter. She was a WILD THING. I was very fearful of losing her. Actually she is the only child that we have ever lost at WDW..... She walked up to the ride that she knew that we were going to ride next and told them that one of the ECV's had separated us. The (stupid) CM then walked her all over the park for 1.5 hours while we waited with the supervisor next to said ride. BOY, were we ever angry with that CM (as was her supervisor...) I have never had a problem with others having their children on leashes as long as they weren't abusing their children ( beating them senseless etc...) A leash is generally for safety purposes. My daughter felt safer with her leash. She ASKED to wear it in crowded places....

 

[smurfie]

we have a monkey backpack that I used for my son a few times. I am planning on using it this week with my daughter on our trip to PR since I won't be bringing her stroller.

 

[JeninTN]

I would have never used one for DS, but w/ twins now, I don't see how I could NOT use one. I have one that thinks outside means running & I can hardly keep up with her in the church crowd, so I know I will not be able to keep up at DW. I think of it as a must in our case, for the safety of DD and the person she is going to make fall when she runs into them.

 

[bumbershoot]

Believes in? Yes.

Does son believe in it too? No.

Leash? No, I don't call it that, even though I have NO problem comparing it to taking care of a dog...people LOVE their dogs and want them to stay alive, which is why people use collars and leashes...I love my son and want him to stay alive...unfortunately the way he behaves when he has a chest harness and lead on isn't conducive to him not getting a head injury (runs to the end and tries to slam the lead out of my hands and I wasn't willing to deal with that long enough to stop him doing it b/c it HURT me)...so we had to go different ways.