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Before we had children, I saw people who would be following their children while holding them on a baby leash. I would look at them and wonder how they could treat their own children like a pet. Often, I thought to myself that there would be no way on earth that when I had children of my own that I would put them on a baby leash. Then I had a baby, and wanted to do everything in my power to protect him. So when he became a curious and strong willed toddler, I gave in and purchased my own baby leash.
While this is technically a leash, I prefer to look at it as a harness, but it’s all a matter of semantics. I originally purchased my own baby leash when my son turned one; because even though he had just begun walking he was determined to not be pushed around in a stroller any more and just wanted to explore the world around him. He was also a bolter and would run off at the drop of a hat, and as he was getting older and faster it was becoming scarier whenever I took him into public. I first tried to useing the leash when we went to the outlet mall, which is semi outdoors and is quite scary when you have a child that will just take off and does not understand the consequences. I felt awful for the first fifteen minutes that he had it on, because it DID feel like I was walking my dog. It seemed as though everyone was looking at me and glaring, but in reality there was probably only one person. After awhile, we both got more used to it, and the shopping trip was much less stressful than usual, and my son was actually enjoying himself rather than fighting me the entire time. When it comes to it, it may be like putting your dog on a leash. However, if you care enough about your dog to prevent it from running into traffic, wouldn’t you feel the same about your own child? Sure, they should learn to listen and stay by you, but at one year old that task is quite difficult. Not to mention, it only takes one second for a child to be taken, even if you are keeping a watchful eye. I’ve come to the conclusion that strangers will judge me for just about every decision I make about parenting in public, so as long as I am keeping my child safe I will do what ever is necessary, even if that includes using a harmless baby leash.
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