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

kelle

My son hated being in his buggy so I tried using reins, but it backfired as he'd refuse to walk and go horizontal! I can't believe others are so against them.

Nevyn

It can take a while for a child to get used to them.
I weaned mine into them but having them on while they pottered about the garden with the gat locked and then taking them for a short walk two or three houses down the road and back again.

You can't just start out with a 10 min walk to the nearest shop.

WindSock

run_Forrest_run wrote:

hmm, just like Pavlov's dogs eh!

Yes, but will the child salvitate everytime he/she sees the lead and thinks it's walkies time?

luckat

I rather like the wrist version. It allows the child to walk freely, but be safer and stay comfortable - ever tried walking along with your hand stretched up in the air, the way a toddler holding its parent's hand must?

As for buggies - have you seen those lunatics who stand at the side of a busy road, holding the buggy with the child in it sticking out into the traffic?

simu

run_Forrest_run wrote:

good luck, start saving for your osteopath visits now!

What are you on about?

BostonB

Dreamer 7 wrote:

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

Eye is one thing catching them is another. A fast 2 yr old can easily get a jump start of a couple of meters on a fit adult. never mind someone with more than one child, or not able to sprint for whatever reason. Eventually kids grow out of them. Kids of all ages can run out unpredictably, never mind a toddler/preschooler with little or no sense.

iguana

Dreamer 7 wrote:

Personally i think they are awful, i have never used them and hate to see kids trapped in them.

You realise that toddlers in buggies tend to be strapped into the buggy too. In fact every buggy I have ever seen comes with straps attached - see. So exactly why is it ok to strap a child in a pram, but not strap them to you while they are walking?

I was walked in a rein when I was a baby. As were both my brothers. I can't say it has done any of us any harm. Though I'm not adverse to a little bondage from time to time.

kleefarr

Thaedydal wrote:

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.

Yep. Pretty much what I would have said!

Better safe than sorry.

Actually I would just like to add that they come in handy when your young one is taking their first steps as well. Not many sore knees, bumps and brusies.

kleefarr

Dreamer 7 wrote:

Personally i think they are awful, i have never used them and hate to see kids trapped in them.

I think they would rather that than be trapped in a buggy.

nesf

kleefarr wrote:

I think they would rather that than be trapped in a buggy.

I can imagine a particularly fat and lazy 2 year old preferring the buggy.

MyBaby

We use one with our son. Its a god send. We live in Dublin city centre, so to let my 18mth old just walk down the road, would be a definite no. 1 split second and he could be dead under a car. I dont like having him locked up in his pram all the time either so the harness is good because we can go for a walk without him running out on the road or falling and splitting his head open.

The one we have goes around his chest and then comes up behind him. We would get the one that straps to the hand because we knew he wouldnt like getting his hand pulled every 2seconds and he hands would be free to move around.

WindSock

I just asked my Mother about this and she said I had one! I absolutely don't recall having one, but she was quite sure she used one for us all. Funny that, it obviously didn't leave much damage on me...:)

nobodythere

First off, I'm going to say that I'm not a parent, but it really angers me to see parents who bring their kids around on leashes, literally DRAGGING them around the place like they're walking their dogs.

I don't even know where to begin with it. It's in kids nature to explore everything around them, yes they'll get bumped and bruised but that's just a part of life. It KILLS me to see parents chatting away like gob****es and yanking the leash when their kids are trying to explore.

Thoughts please...

Nevyn

If the parents are gobeens then that is the problem not the baby reins.

Oryx

Agreed. You can be an irresponsible parent dragging your child like a dog, or just as irresponsible with the same child vegetating in a buggy or running around like a wild thing on a busy street. Or you be a 'good' parent while still using leashes buggies or holding your child by the hand, as long as your first interest is the safety and wellbeing of your child.

Its all down to the parent, not the tools they use.

di11on

Man, I am so uncomfortable with these things. Everytime I see a kid on a leash it disturbs me.

I think it's a cop-out. It's harder but better to teach a child to do what you say rather than treat them like an animal that can't understand direction. A leash is the easy way out which disadvantages the child. Surely you need to teach your children to listen to you and to allow them to learn that what you say is generally in their interests. They need to learn that you provide directions which are for their good. Putting them on a leash conveys the message that they are not capable of heeding direction and the only way of keeping them safe is by tieing them up.

When do you let them off the leash? It's going to be so much harder then.

My feelings obviously - not backed up by scientific research :-)

Nevyn

it is not a leash , it is a harness.

and have you ever tired to get a 2 year old to understand in the way you seem to think they should be able to ?

Be safe not sorry

mossieh

Thaedydal wrote:

it is not a leash , it is a harness.

and have you ever tired to get a 2 year old to understand in the way you seem to think they should be able to ?

Be safe not sorry

Wow, I find myself in agreement with Thaedydal...I don't see where the debate is here folks, the harness is incredibly handy as a compromise between where the kid wants to walk and where you want them to. They have enough freedom to feel grown-up and you know that they're safe as well as the fact that they're getting good exercise for little legs. What's the problem?

If the harness is being compared to a leash for a dog, is having a baby sleep in a cot with high sides like keeping an animal in a cage?

di11on

Kind of like this harness here:



It's principle that makes me uncomfortable, doesn't matter weather you call it a leash or a harness or a restraint or whatever. I don't believe there is a need for these things and that everything these harnesses do can be achieved with a little more attention and care to the child.

I agree with previous posters that it all depends on the parent and on the child and that obviously, using one of these things doesn't make you a bad parent. I'm just saying that I don't feel its the best way to keep your child safe.

Just like they say with baby monitors etc. - they aren't a substitute for a loving, caring parent that is paying attention to what their child is doing.

Scofflaw

di11on wrote:

Just like they say with baby monitors etc. - they aren't a substitute for a loving, caring parent that is paying attention to what their child is doing.

And just like with baby monitors, they can be a godsend to a loving, caring parent who is paying attention to what their child is doing...


cordially,
Scofflaw