Lack of Parenting skills

[myswtghst]

I was a PITA as a child (still am, I suppose ) and I am not at all traumatized from the fact that my parents had a wrist leash for me. Heck, if I wasn't supervised, I was talking to strangers, climbing on anything I could, and wandering off to catch bugs. If my kids are anything like me, they will all be on leashes as well.

Granted, I hope my kids turn out more like my brother--he was always quiet, sweet and perfectly behaved. Guess which one of us my mom had less trouble with?

[LadyAndreca]

My sister and I had harnesses as kids. Mine was white, hers was pink. Our favorite trick was to convince whichever of our parents' friends was with us on a given day that we reeeeeeeally wanted them to hold our leashes...then drop to all fours and attempt to tear around the store, barking the whole time.

You'd be surprised how much pull a pair of little kids can have. I think only my dad and one of my uncles could hold both of us when we were really determined.

Traumatized? Heck no. I still laugh thinking about it!

[carlyn]

This may sound barbaric but have any of you seen the new kid leash backpacks?

ahh, those aren't new
My parents used one on me and my siblings in the 70's . I am perfectly fine and well-adjusted (*twitch*)..
Seriously, if it hadn't been so darn non-PC in the 90's when my oldest - who is also Autistic- was little, I would have used one with him.
I totally believe it's ok in large pubic places like malls, amusement parks, airports, grocery stores, etc..

[Dips]

There's a picture in the family album of us on an outing. Probably in the late 60s or early 70s. Kid #1 (me) is hanging onto the double stroller; I was 6 or 7 and minded my parents. Kids #2 and #3 are on leashes tied to the stroller handle. Kids #4 and #5 are in the double stroller and kid #6 is in my mom's belly. Not to mention my aunt was with us with her baby (her only child) and her husband hadn't accompanied us.

According to my parents nobody was looking funny at Mom because of the leashes, but my dad was getting quite a few unbelieving glares thrown his way.

If I get a scanner, I promise to post the picture.

[GingerBiscuit]

I was never leashed, but then I probably should have been. I used to drift off into a fantasy world and lose people. I lost my childminder once and my mum twice- neither were very happy about it.
One of those times was one of the three times my mum smacked me.

[MamaMootz]

I used a harness for my daughter until she was 3. I actually had mixed reactions from people.

In the car dealership, I had a woman come up to me and tell me that she thought the harnesses were a wonderful idea because so often, she saw children running amok around the cars and through the parking lot with no supervision, and it was nice to see a parent taking responsbility.

In the mall, I actually had a lady stop me, tell me I was treating my daughter like a dog, and that I wasn't fit to be a parent. I just laughed at her and walked away.

My daughter loved to run off but wasn't nearly as bad as my friend's kid - I'll never forget this, either:

We were sitting at Starbucks' one day taking a break. Had settled my kid down at the table and she was happily coloring with crayons. I taught her from a very young age that when we are in the restaurant, we always stay at the table - plus I also carry stuff with me to keep her busy.

Friend let her son run amok. Which was pretty embarrassing as I think the kid was three at the time. Well, kid made a break for the front door of the Starbucks, and ran out into the parking lot (very busy lot, very fast cars) and right out into the middle of traffic. My friend turned white and I never saw her move so fast, as she ran to get her son.

That kid had an angel looking out for him, that day - he should have been a splat on the pavement. But even after that incident, she still teased me about having DD on a harness. Go figure. If anyone needed containment, it was her son.

[kibbles]

I could never understand people saying you are treating your child like a dog. Isn't the most important thing is that your child is protected and not able to get snatched or run off. Would these people who are butting their noses into good parent's business rather see a child get hurt?

I don't think there is anything wrong at all with the harness.

[Gurndigarn]

I could never understand people saying you are treating your child like a dog.

In general, you get two types:

People with no practical child-rearing experience, and

Helicopter parents who stress over every possible impact of and on their child's development other than actually looking at their child as a person. IE, people who would say "Classical music assists a child's cognitive development" rather than "My kid likes Bach".


Of the two, you generally get more of the first than the second, because with most people, after their first three-year-old, practicality tends to trump stuffed-shirtedness. But not all, which just shows that education is no substitute for common sense.

[blas]

Hell I think even at age 20 I need a leash.

I see anything bright or shiny or with big heels, and I go running for it.

[MamaMootz]

I could never understand people saying you are treating your child like a dog. .

Sometimes, I really think some people just have to put in their .02 on everything. And it probably makes them feel better (superior) to pass judgement on someone else. I'm thinking the people who say the dog thing have never had a very active 3 year old to contend with.

[blas]

Allow me to help...

Mama, I'm pretty sure those people HAVE had a todder to deal with before, it's just that these are the types of people who we make threads about, the stories involving toddlers and children running amock and parents laughing, thinking it's "so cute" and they are the types of parents who scream at employees who dare ask them to watch their children.

[MamaMootz]

, the stories involving toddlers and children running amock and parents laughing, thinking it's "so cute" and they are the types of parents who scream at employees who dare ask them to watch their children.

Ah... so they are better parents than me because they give little Johnny his FREEDOM. I get it now! /sarcasm off

[DesignFox]

I had the leash as a kid, too. I very vaguely remember it...it was the rainbow one for the wrist.

Judging how I am as an adult, I don't find it surprising that my Mom had one for me as a toddler...

Just ask my BF how many times he's almost lost sight of me because I wandered over to something shiny...

I think more parents need those leashes.

I was talking to one Dad with two little boys...he had them each on their own leash. I hadn't seen the animal backpack ones before, so I commented to him that I thought they were great! He mentioned that he often gets dirty looks from people, but he didn't care- he knew where his kids were, and he was in control. I applauded him and told him I thought more Dad's should be like him.