sorry, double post

It really pisses me off when people say that using a leash is being lazy and not watching your child.

YES, I PROUDLY USE A LEASH  

My son still holds my hand, but when we are in places with lots of people, or parking lots with lots of traffic, he ALSO has the harness on. Why? Because unfortunatly my hands are not made of glue! He can slip away if he decides to pull suddenly, or sometimes my hands are really full (a lot of the stores around here don't have shopping carts you can take out of the store, so I have him and my bags) and I'm not always so sure that I have a good enough grib on him.

So, what is better? Do I go and put him in the car and leave him alone to go back and get my bags? Do I leave him witha stranger in the store to take my stuff out? Or do I put a leash on my kid so that incase my hand slips or he decides to not listen when mommy says "Stand still" while I'm opening the door, I know that he's safe?

I use the harness as an extra precaution, not a means of "controlling" my child in anyway. It's no different then bringing ablanket along to cover a baby - I could say to that "Well, you shouldn't have been so lazy and dressed them warmer and you wouldn't need a blanket!" Stupid, right? It's not being lazy to take care of my kid, and big surprise, 2 years olds don't always listen.

For the ones that say "I'll teach my child to listen" - GOOD LUCK! It's not full proof, they will have moments where they are going to be defiant. At least I know if my son tries to pull his hand away and take off, that he isn't going anywhere because I have a backup!

I would use one if I felt I needed to. I've already considered getting one since my child is a child and a wild animal. I love his feisty escapist spirit but I can only keep up for so long and there will always be times where I look away for a moment and he's gone.

I don't have one now because I currently make do. My friend is a single mother of 4 kids and at one point those children were all 1-5 in age. She sure as hell had a harness on the younger two when she had to go out in public and they weren't in strollers.

Lmao at the dog comments. How does it make a child a dog? I've never seen a parent who uses harnesses call their child a dog or a pet. I let my son lay on the beach but that doesn't make him a beached whale either. To each their own on the harness issue but if others parents use one and you don't like it get over it. The same as the other 100 issues not every parent agrees on as long as the child is safe loved, cared for and not in harm who cares.

Quoting Brycen&Livi ♥:“ No . .the dog is being treated like a human baby. . .which is equally as silly.”

Do you not 'cage' your child with a crib? Do you not 'house train' them to use the bathroom in a designated area?

Again...why is what other parents are doing of any concern to anyone else??

personally i dislike the leashing of children. i understand where many parents are coming from i simply don't feel comfortable doing so to my child. with that being said i am only 8 months preggo and have yet to see his temperment so this may change as im sure many of my other parenting ideals will. but i would rather put my child in a sling, stroller, front of a shopping cart, carry them ifi had too (with in reason of course) before i would go so far as to leash them.

Quoting Nikki-D:“ personally i dislike the leashing of children. i understand where many parents are coming from i simply ... [snip!] ... front of a shopping cart, carry them ifi had too (with in reason of course) before i would go so far as to leash them.”

That's how I was too until my child decided that it's funny to drive mommy nuts. I put my son in carrier until he was too big/violent, in a stroller until he learned to escape the straps no matter how tight and he climbs out of it now, he does the same in shopping carts and when he wants down he arches his back, goes limp, fails, etc... until he's down on the ground. He also crawls at 90pmh.

My son is who they had in mind when they designed them haha.

Quoting I heart Mr. Farts:“ Do you not 'cage' your child with a crib? Do you not 'house train' them to use the bathroom in a designated area? Again...why is what other parents are doing of any concern to anyone else??”

She has NO room to talk either.