Kids on leashes

WindSock

Is it cruel or practical? I think it's a fantastic idea myself, what would you say to me If I were taking my dog and kiddie out for walkies?

Nevyn

They are not leashes they are baby reins and they are a gods send.
The let a kid way but you can yank them back when they make a run for somehing and you can if they go to fall hoist them up before the hit the ground.

I did get sniped at one day on o'connell street by some dried up old spinster who looked down her nose at my child on the baby reins and said how could I tie them up like a dog.
I faced her down and told her better on baby reins then dead under a bus or fat in a buggy.

Puck

I've no problem with the ones with the proper harness but I'm a bit concerned about the few I've seen where it's just a leash on the child's wrist. If the child takes off running, or there is a sudden jerk on the leash, then snap goes the little wrist.

Karoma

Thaedydal wrote:

They are not leashes they are baby reigns and they are a gods send.
The let a kid way but you can yank them back when they make a run for somehing and you can if they go to fall hoist them up before the hit the ground.

I did get sniped at one day on o'connell street by some dried up old spinster who looked down her nose at my child on the baby reigns and said how could I tie them up like a dog.
I faced her down and told her better on baby reigns then dead under a bus or fat in a buggy.

And there's no option 3+ ...like ...I dunno...teaching the kid what not to do?
It's tiring watching/chasing the little bastards, but most things worth doing right are.

monkeyfudge

I can't help but wonder if they'll grow up to be bondage fetishists or not.

AdMMM

I think I used to be restrained in one. The sore wrist is annoying but you soon realise that running away = pain so you quickly learn not to run at something - however shiny it maybe!

dame

I think they're great too. The child feels all grown up because they are walking and I found she talked to me more than when she was in her buggy. I think she just felt more involved. It's also a hell of a lot handier to have a child walking beside you than to be pushing a buggy through crowds of people!

I never hauled my daughter around with it, rather it was there as a little bit of security and a reminder to her to stay beside me. Most of the time she just held my hand but if I stopped to look at something or was in a queue then it gave her some freedom to go a little bit away. We only used it for a couple of months and then she just accepted the holding hands and not ging far business.

I had one of those women say to me one day "don't put your child on a leash!" too and I was also told by another that I shouldn't let her walk so much because it'll tire her out and might "damage her legs". I tend not to listen to strange older women who feel the need to give out to mothers (or fathers).

I'd far rather see a toddler on reigns than a four year old still sitting in a buggy looking bored and with their knees bent up in front of them!

Nevyn

When they are big enough to take for a walk ie age 2+ they just dont' have the sense to stop when you yell at them and no matter how much you watch them they can take off like a frickin rocket and you can't always reach them.

The reins allow for the learning curve and limits a lot of the dangers.
A lot of parent's don't bother with them and leave the child in a buggy until it is nearly 4 or in some cases old hell I saw a kid being dropped to school in a buggy and not a thing wrong with the child health wise.

The reins also foster independance the toddler and decide with in limits were to go and if you keep up with them they hardly notice the reins until they are needed to stop them, and eventually they stop with out the reins being used.

The wrist band are a step up from the reigns and I used one on my eldest when I had my little in in the buggy that way he could roam a little distance but not make a dash away and under a bus leaving me to try catch up with the buggy.

A child will only test and try out the wrist strap to see the limit and they won't do themselves an injury if you are being mindful of them.
The only danger there would be if you tried dragging a kid along by them which to my mind would be abusive.

ixoy

I saw a child in Edinburgh on one and a load of Japanese tourists appeared fascinated by the concept and were snapping photos and pointing. They seemed most amused...

Karoma

It is actually quite worrying that the impression given by those 'for' child leashes is that the options are limited to 'bad parent with leash' or 'bad parent with buggy'.

Nevyn

Two posters who are parents is not a qurom for all the parents on boards or all the parent in the country :P

Karoma

Odd; I could have sworn I didn't type "all the parents in the country 'for' child leashes..."
I would never accuse you of being 'teh n0rm'.

Nevyn

Karoma wrote:

It is actually quite worrying that the impression given by those 'for' child leashes is that the options are limited to 'bad parent with leash' or 'bad parent with buggy'.

Well then please clarify.

Karoma

Attempt two:
It is actually quite worrying that the impression given by those 'for' child leashes here, now, replying to this thread, expressing / giving their 'for' vote in this thread and hereafter known as the party of the Foolish Party, and in the obvious context of this thread is that the options are limited to 'bad parent with leash' or 'bad parent with buggy'.

Nevyn

Any parenting tool depends on the parent using it to parent thier child and there are parents who are more of a tool then the parenting tool the are attempting to parent with.

Why would you have the impression that those are bad parent's with reins stories ? I certainly only ever had that one wagon make a negative comment about the reigns and I certainly had plenty of people remark on how sensible they were and how it was great to see them still in use.

Rovi

[pedentary]
reins
[/pedentary]

Carry on.

dame

There are other options besides reins and buggy of course. We also used a baby harness and a bigger toddler backpack-type harness for going on long walks. Little kids do like to get on their own two feet every chance they get though!

simu

I'm not sure yet what I'll do when my son starts to walk but given that we live in a city centre and that he's very energetic, I can see that a harness might come in handy.

Nevyn

Any parks nearby Simu ?

simu

Thaedydal wrote:

Any parks nearby Simu ?

Well, there's one in the city centre but it's a bit dodgy and one further out that's nice. Plus both sets of grandparents have big gardens - they will come in handy, I'd say!

hunnymonster

Thaedydal wrote:

......better on baby reins then dead under a bus .......

I think the arguement should have ended here.

luckat

Depends on the child, as well as the parent. I'd certainly sooner see a big child walking than sitting in a buggy.

<pedantary>
ped*a*ntary, argument
</pedantary>

run_Forrest_run

|.Murderer.| wrote:

I think I used to be restrained in one. The sore wrist is annoying but you soon realise that running away = pain so you quickly learn not to run at something - however shiny it maybe!

hmm, just like Pavlov's dogs eh!

run_Forrest_run

simu wrote:

I'm not sure yet what I'll do when my son starts to walk but given that we live in a city centre and that he's very energetic, I can see that a harness might come in handy.

good luck, start saving for your osteopath visits now!

BoozyBabe

I personally think it's a great idea.

The children feel like they've a bit of freedom as they don't have to hold your hand, but at the same time, you're not worried about them making a dart for the road.

run_Forrest_run

luckat wrote:

Depends on the child, as well as the parent. I'd certainly sooner see a big child walking than sitting in a buggy.

<pedantary>
ped*a*ntary, argument
</pedantary>

yeah me too, I am often shocked when I see 'big' toddlers sitting in buggy's drinking from a baby's bottle! sure why not just throw them the Playstation and the happy meal while ur at it!

Saruman

Im sure i had one of these when i was a kid back in the early 80's

Rovi

luckat wrote:

<pedantary>
ped*a*ntary, argument
</pedantary>

Oops!

NextSteps

<pedantry>
<pedantary>
ped*a*ntary, argument
</pedantary>
</pedantry>

luckat

Hah! Hoist on my own pedantard!

Dreamer 7

Personally i think they are awful, i have never used them and hate to see kids trapped in them. I know its hard to keep an eye on them at all times but it can be done