I belong to a little community chatroom and recently someone posted a thread about how much it irritates them when they see children on leashes.  A bunch of people jumped on board with that, saying, "Children aren't pets; they are people.  Putting them on leashes is warped."  Thankfully, several people (including my mom and my girls' mommy-n-me teacher!) were on my side too saying that safety first, sometimes children can't be controlled, some kids are mentally challenged, etc.

Being the mom of twins, I have made a 180 degree turn in my view on child harnesses, especially now that they are darling little backpack harnesses with stuffed animals on the back and the tail is the "leash" (they go for $10 on Target.com!)   I don't think I'll use them every single day like to go to their classroom or to church, but I will definitely use them come time for Disneyland, day long mall trips, etc. 

This is my post:

My twins will be in the toddler stage of life very soon. Although I am looking forward to watching them grow and explore their new freedoms, I am dreading the "one runs this way, the other runs that way" scenario, especially in a very crowded area (Disneyland!) or in dangerous places (busy streets, parking lots).

Now, I have seen some animals behave better than some children! But most people leash their animals to ensure their safety (and to follow local ordinances). But generally speaking, pets are not reasonable beings. They don't think "hey, a car is coming, maybe I won't chase my favorite ball into the street." A 2 year-old doesn't have that ability either.

Honestly, I am very nervous about the toddler stage... I hope my girls will listen to mommy and not bolt into the street for a dropped ball or to chase a kitty. No matter how many times toddlers are told not to run in the street and/or to look both ways, if they are focused on the object of their desire, sometimes all reason is tossed aside. And what if, heaven forbid, one of them goes off with a nice man with candy when you took one moment to dig through your purse for their afternoon snack?

If I only had 1 kid in this phase, I would probably still be on your side saying that the parents should control their kids or hang onto them so that they don't misbehave or run amok. (Actually, I still believe kids shouldn't be running around unattended -- that's just poor parenting!) However, with two active toddlers... I couldn't imagine not using a "leash" in situations where parental control can be easily lost.

That being said, you are right... children are people, not pets. But it's for that reason alone that you absolutely want to ensure your kids' safety in certain situations. No one likes to lose a cat or dog because it ran in front of a car, but the death or harm of a child in a split second can devastate someone's life forever. I'd rather have a few people look at me in disgust than to lose a child unnecessarily. 

Thoughts?

Tags: child harnesses, leashes, toddlers, control

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