Would You Use a Child "Leash" at WDW?

[justKim]

Originally posted by moinab
For now, I still carry her in the sling (which she loves) when we go to WDW, but I think I'll be looking into harness options next year.

I am jealous. DD used to love being carried around, but once she started walking, that was all over. She is a great girl, but boy was I unprepared for such a "high energy" child! A lot of people think that we're crazy taking her to Disney, but I think she'll love all of the activity.

Kim

 

[KPmom]

The leash/ fanny pack option is called the tagalong it can be found here: http://www.netkidswear.com/tagalong.html I bought one for my almost 3 year old DD. Against my several of my family members opinions. My husband both agree that it is better to be safe than sorry. We plan on using it for parades and fireworks. My daughter is very well behaved, but I am affraid that with all the distractions she will not be as close to us as we are comfortable with. The fanny pack is very small and can only hold maybe a pack of fruit snacks or so and the strap on mine is not elastic. I plan on having her wear the fanny pack all day and only clipping the leash on when needed. I think you could make the same thing with a small fanny pack and a small nylon leash from the petstore. Hope that helps. ~KPmom

 

[moinab]

I just did a google search and came up with these right away.

https://sslserver.com/inventiveparent.com/opair.htm
These are adorable, but not sure how practical they would be.

http://www.babyant.com/bv022098.html
I think this is what you are looking for.

 

[justKim]

Thanks moinab and KPmom! I ordered mine just now. This way, if the leash proves to be unnecessary, she'll just think that she has a new purse! Heaven help me, but she already loves carrying a purse...

Kim

 

[Lollipop Mom]

used to think that my son, who is now 4, minded me so well because of my firm and consistent parenting. We stressed staying with his parents, not grabbing things or people, and always hold hands. My DD has shown me that it may not have been the parenting that caused her brother to be so pleasant and careful.

This is exactly the same as in our house! My first is the most easy going, pleasant kid you've ever wanted to be around. He says please and thank you all the time without needing to be reminded (as a matter of fact on Halloween last year he'd say thank you and stand there waiting for a "you're welcome" if he didn't get one he'd say "you are supposed to say "you're welcome" to me now please." ). He has been even tempered and well behaved since birth. He was a preemie and had to stay in the NICU for a while after birth. He NEVER cried. I remember being so worried the night before he was discharged that I would bring him home and he'd be starving at night b/c he wouldn't cry to wake me when he needed to eat (turns out he did wake me but other than that he hardly ever cried as a baby). He is the kid who helps the preschool teacher clean up everyday, tells his friends "I don't think we should run inside" etc. All you have to do to get him to stop doing things he's not supposed to be doing is to look at him and furrow your brow. His little brother on the other hand...TOTALLY different situation! It was like my oldest gave me all the trouble during pregnancy (morning sickness, preterm labor, preeclampsia, stopped breathing at birth) and was an angel once he was outside his brother gave me a perfect easy pregnancy, quick (relatively) painless delivery but has been hell on wheels since he took his first breath! I stay home with them and have practiced the same parenting style with both but boy are they night and day different!

We don't use a leash everywhere we go but I have no qualms about using one when I do feel we need it. I could care less if someone else has a problem with it. I'm more at ease knowing I have that one extra safeguard, my son is happier not having to hold my hand (but still knowing he can't get more than an arms length away) and we have yet to get anyone caught up in our strap or even come CLOSE to having that happen. My son has never had a fall b/c of being on the leash and people don't have to cut a wide turn around us b/c he's running out at the end of it. We're happy, he's safe and we're not inconveniencing anyone else. What's the harm in that????

 

[justKim]

I feel your pain, Lollipop mom. We will be at the WL on the 26th! This is our first trip and we can't wait!

Kim

 

[Schmeck]

The leash at netkidswear has a 5 foot elastic, stretchy strap. I think that's too long, and the fact that it stretches means that the child can pull away farther than 5 feet.

After a parade, there will be a mob of people trying to get through any space available to get out, including that 5+ foot stretched out cord. At that time, I would think (and hope!) that most parents would be carrying their small ones, but it was after Spectro at MK that I saw one of the two accidents involving toddlers on leashes getting knocked down by passerby.

Of course you want to keep your child safe, but please remember that there are 'commando' vacationers at WDW that are just trying to get from point A to point B in record time, and might even attempt to jump over that stretched out leash! (Yes, I've seen that happen too!)

 

[KPmom]

I have every intention of watching my child. But I also plan on arriving early for such events and I know that she is going to want to walk around some. This way she can walk around between me and her father and not be able to bolt away without being caught in time. I have major feet problems and I am sure that a chance to sit for a few moments will be very welcome. As I stated in the post the strap on the tag a long that we have is not strechy. It is just nylon. And I have shortned it to only 3 feet. I plan to carry her after the parades and fireworks, or have her back in her stroller. I am aware of the comandos that are oblivious to kids and others around them. I plan on being within reaching distance at all times of my DD and I feel that the tag-a-long is just an extra step to protecting her. Not a babysitter while I am doing my own thing. ~KPmom

 

[wdwdvcdad]

Absolutely not. The sight of them makes me cringe. I think they are dehumanizing, & do nothing to teach the idea of limits and boundaries. Flame away, but the question was asked.

 

[my3princes]

I bought a safety 1st Harness for my ds last weekend. I truly hope that I will not need to use it, but I want it in the diaper bag in case I need to resort to it. My Child's safety is my only concern and while I hear the many pros and cons of harness it altimately comes down to my dh and the situation that we find ourselves in. I have done WDW with is 2 older brother's and only used the lease one day. Maybe I will be lucky with this one too, but I would rather be safe than sorry. As far as the comments about the harness being dehumanizing ... this is my response. A harness is a way to physically keep my child close to me other parents chose words to keep their children close to them, however constantly yelling at a child can be much more dehumanizing and cause a permanent trauma. When I see parents yelling at their children at WDW I find myself wondering what kind of a life these children have at home. Mental child abuse perhaps. My comments are not directed at anyone in particular, but for those of you that have strong feeling on a subject one way or another please remember that there is always someone out there looking at your choices in a very different way than you do. Altimately you know what is best for you and your child. People that use harnesses at Disney probably have not ever used them before, people pushing older children in stroller probably do not do that outside of WDW and people yelling at the top of their lungs at misbehaving children probably do not do so on an everyday basis so rather than passing judgement lets just accept choices for what they are and move on.

 

[Chris22]

I would never use a harness! We have three young children and they're either buckled in the stroller or holding our hands, no exceptions.

 

[Kapp]

but I really dislike these things. I think they are dangerous, not only for the child but also anyone that gets caught up in one. I have never seen very many of these at WDW and when I do, it is usually an unpleasant situation (child gets hurt, someone trips over the 'leash', child is going beserk, etc.).

Regardless of what you do...good luck and enjoy!

 

[robinb]

I used to think that the toddler leashes were terrible. That was before I had my very active daughter. While we never used one, I sure wish I had one on our trip to Lyon, France when my DD had just turned 3 years old. She would bolt from us in very dangerous situations ... like where a 3 year old could not tell the difference between the sidewalk and street. We ended up strapping her in the stroller a lot. I think that you should go ahead and buy one and keep it with you in your bag just in case you need it. Your son may be fine without it and you have a large adult to child ratio.

 

[cmonroe]

we brought one last year for my daughter who was 2 then. She's loves to walk and doesn't prefer the stroller so much. Some people on this board appear to have a negative opinion of these. That's fine, however, it worked well for us and we saw others with them.

For clarification, when she has the "leash" on, it looks like a fanny pack with a pocket on it. She could put money, candy, etc. in there. It made her feel "big". Next, we would not use the "leash" like a dog leash. She would hold one of our hands while walking in the park.

In truth, we did have to use it a couple of times. 2 year olds don't exactly listen or look where they are going. A couple times, the leash helped avoid her crashing into other people, children and also stopped her from lunging near a disney vehicle.

It worked for us. She liked it and we didn't use like she was a dog.
Just one man's opinion.

 

[justKim]

I ordered my tag along fanny pack/leash last week, but now they are telling me that they are backordered and we leave Sunday. I am trying to find a tiny fanny pack that I could just loop a leash onto in an emergency. I worry about her trying to take off while we are in line.

 

[justKim]

please kind administrator delete this double post

 

[anditoo72]

)The only people who look at others in disgust for using a toddler harness are those who either never had children or forget how active a toddler can get. I would rather put up with a few frowns than have a lost child! Besides I used one last time we went for my daughter (who was two then) and people were comming up to me asking if I got it in the park and disappointed when I told them I brought it from home. They wish they had thought of it! I also plan on using one again for my son when we go back in August (he is two now, hmmm must be the age )

 

[riopooh]

I used one with my son when ww went on outings into NYC. I didn't use it our 1st trip to WDW when he was 5. We lost hime once - it was awful. My DH took him to get Ice cream and he was gone. A CM found him in a shop - DS's response was "I wasn't lost - I'm right here." I brought the leash with DD3 last year but mainly as a threat if either disappeared (DS was 9 - but we reminded him of his last solo adventure.) - no one wandered our last trip (They know I would have used it - I don't make idle threats!)

 

[C.Ann]

If you feel it will add to the safety of your child, by all means, use it!

My Mom used a harness on me waaaaaaaay back in the 50's, and I didn't find it "dehumanizing" at all..

What I find interesting is that people who have well-trained DOGS will still walk them on a leash as an added safety feature, but a well-trained CHILD is expected to never get distracted and possibly run off in the crowd.. It can - and does - happen - sometimes with dire consequences - so you need to put the safety of your child FIRST and totally disregard any negativity you may encounter..

 

[Schmeck]

Gee, we have a leash law in our town for the dogs, C.Ann, are you saying we should have one for our kids too?