Poll: Leashing/Harnassing children.

[Dags90]

We haven't had this thread in years, and I figured I'd bring it back up again.

What are your thoughts on child leashes and/or harnesses? Were you ever leashed as a kid? Any specific events shape your opinion? Etc., etc. If you've never seen a kid on a leash, I've provided a picture, just for you.

Spoiler

I was never leashed as a kid. My mother was and swore to never do it to me and my brother. We're only 15 months apart so she had to deal with two kids at once, and she managed fine. Instead of leashing we held hands in crowded places, or were carried on top of shoulders when we were tired.

I think they're mostly a crutch. I don't mind bad parents using them so much. If you're not going to pay attention to your child anyway, I'd rather him/her be strapped to you. Most of the parents I see with kids on leashes aren't paying attention to their kids, they're on their cell phone, talking to other adults, etc.. I have a cousin with pretty bad ADHD and I've managed to keep track of him in a crowded public place before. It wasn't fun, but it was manageable.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Ljs1121]

Everything in me wants to say no, but I guess it can be a good thing in some cases. Like you said, I'd prefer an unwatchful parent have some way to know where their child is at rather than letting them wander about freely.

Also, inb4 someone saying that all children are unsanitary wild animals and need to be purged from the earth.

 

[Soundwave]

It's my experience that people who have the strongest opinions about child-rearing have the least experience in the matter. It's folly to think of children as tiny adults, or that they're capable of being demeaned the way adults would be. The kid might not like a harness but if it's keeping them from being hit by a car you really can't argue with the results.

 

[Phasmal]

I was gonna vote no but then I remembered my mum had one of these for my little brother when he was still very small and not used to walking.
Pretty much to stop him faceplanting.
It was pretty good, I remember using it once to stop him smacking his face on the concrete.
We only used it for like a month or two when he was a kidlet.

So, other than perhaps in that situation, I wouldn't use one myself, but I can see why people do use them.
Though I do feel bad when I see them on older kids.

 

[Shadowstar38]

If someone is such a horrible parent they need the child to be leashed up they probably shouldn't have children at all.

 

[Muspelheim]

Depends on the child, I suppose. Some toddlers seem to lack any sense of self-preservation whatsoever, so I can't really deny someone an aid with keeping the kid away from angry shepherds and razorwire. Honestly, some kids just happen to be runners, and I don't think it's particularly cruel to "cheat" a bit if you want to keep them alive.

Not to mention, they're toddlers. Unless you plan to regurally upgrade the harnessing gear up to the teenage years or something, I can't really see the problem. Of course, it does become a problem if you use it as a substitute for using your eyes...

 

[Dags90]

It's my experience that people who have the strongest opinions about child-rearing have the least experience in the matter. It's folly to think of children as tiny adults, or that they're capable of being demeaned the way adults would be. The kid might not like a harness but if it's keeping them from being hit by a car you really can't argue with the results.

IDK. My mother remembers being on a leash and finding it humiliating. I'm not exactly sure how old she was, but I've seen kids anywhere from toddler to about aged seven on a leash, and most people form permanent memories by seven. Even if they aren't aware of it then, they'll remember the experience.

 

[JoJo]

Wow... I'm surprised at all the hate for leashs here, I mean if you were doing it to an child older than about 3 then I see your point but there's nothing wrong to keep a toddler close to hand by one if you're laden down with shopping or something, better than leaving them in a pushchair. Whether I'd use one myself... probably, only when they were just beginning to learn how to walk and before they could be trusted to be safe around roads, no child is perfect and having seen two of my three siblings come very close to being hit by cars because they didn't check for traffic, I'm not betting my hypothetical child's life on them being road-safe.

 

[WolfThomas]

I've been told (don't actually remember) that when I was about two and living in the UK (I'm Australian) with my parents that they were seeing a tourist site and I was on a leash. There was a large American woman who saw me and said quite loudly "Oh my Gawd hes on a leash like a dawg" and my response was to run at her barking and growling as if the leash was the only thing keeping me from savaging her.

I think it's probably okay up to 2-3 years old. Especially if you have more than one kid to keep track of.

 

[Lilani]

Granted, I have never raised any children and at this point hope I never will, but as far as I can tell it is supposed to be used as an alternative to hand-holding. Hand-holding is a bit more labor-intensive than a leash (or having a good enough handle on your kids for them to hold still for a minute when you tell them to), but it worked for my parents so I don't see why it shouldn't work for me. Besides, there's a little extra in that hand-holding--the physical touch, your child being aware that you are holding onto them and not some random rope. I feel like that physical connection is important, and makes them respect that security more than whatever "security" they're supposed to be experiencing at the end of a rope.

Actually, that's just it--holding hands is a symbol of security for children. When they're scared, they go up and hold onto their parents. When they cross the street with their parents, they hold hands. When they're in a crowded place, they hold hands. The leash, on the other hand, doesn't give any of that security. Sure they can only go so far, but simply limiting how far they can stray from the parent is not the same as that mutual and conscious lock. It isn't meant to give the child any feelings of security, only the parent.

I doubt the leash actually causes any psychological damage to children, per se, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had different feelings about hand-holding and how much they regard their parent as a beacon of security.

 

[Atrocious Joystick]

What the fuck? I've never even heard of kid leashes before this post. Is it an american thing or british or something?

Now I'm not a parent, but I am the eldest brother of my family and I know enough about carting around younger siblings to know that it's not a hard task to keep them from running into traffic as long as you are half aware what they're doing.

Plus you know, at least nine out of ten leashed kids turn out to be serial killers when they grow up.

 

[hazabaza1]

It always seemed kind of silly to me.
Me and all of my siblings have either just had their hands held, or left to walk by themselves. Individual experiences and all that, but we haven't been hit by a car yet.

 

[Soundwave]

The kid might not like a harness but if it's keeping them from being hit by a car you really can't argue with the results.

But the chance of a child accidentally running off somewhere a car hits them is tiny. It's probably along the same lines as the chance of getting struck by lightning.

And even if, my parents always taught me to never run into the street without looking. That seems preferable an option to treating your child like some sort of animal.

So to answer the OP post, there's never a justified reason for putting your child on a leash.

It's not like people go around leashing their children without trying other options first. It's embarrassing more to the parent than the child. It's hardly treating your child like an animal.

 

[soren7550]

I'm inclined to say no, since your kid isn't a damn dog, but then again, kids can be stupid and run off a lot. Then again, parents could just be lazy.

 

[scw55]

If the child will harm themselves seriously or others and instructing them won't help, then yes.

But then again, holding their hand securely is often better.

 

[Kae]

Well I really hated it when my parents did it, as I kinda thought they treated me like a dog, but considering there were 4 of us, so it was kind of ridiculous to expect them to keep an eye on all of us, and it was kind off my fault since I refused to hold hands and wouldn't let them carry me...
[sub][sub]Besides considering that they often forgot me at school when they went to pick us up, they probably wouldn't have noticed I was lost until it was too late...[/sub][/sub]

 

[EeveeElectro]

If the parents are doing it because they can't even be bothered keeping a hold of their kids and just want to rag them about like a sack of spuds, letting them wander about without keeping an eye on them, I don't like them.
(I've seen parents who have these leashes on their kids out shopping. The parent and a friend or whatever have been gabbing and not paying attention and the kid has been filling their pockets with stuff or other nuisance things.)

If it's any other reason, you want them to have more confidence in walking, you want to make sure they don't tumble over, you want to keep them close but still give them a bit of freedom then I have no problem with them.

 

[Womplord]

I don't think it's really a good thing because if kids can't wander around at least a bit how are they going to learn independence, and it would suck to be walked around like a dog. I was one of four kids and my parents didn't see the need.