Walking harness/"leash"

[5 Little Monkeys]

In the past week or so I've seen these come up for discussion on other forums and Facebook groups. I'm wondering what your thoughts are on them?

Personally, I see them no different than a stroller, wagon or shopping cart. They are all a form of restraint and used for convenience and safety. I use them when we go for a leisure walk and I want the littles to get exercise or if we are going somewhere busy and the risk of losing a child is high risk. They either have to hold my hand, their partners hand or the cart/wagon/stroller if I have one. I think they can be used to teach boundaries, rules and how to walk nice but they have the added bonus of extra safety with them and they offer the child some freedom and independence to explore

[babydom]

I hate them. Hahaha. I know some love them and swear by them. My new boy that started a mth ago, his mom gave me one and said use it, he's a runner. I haven't used it yet. And he has never even tried to run away from me. I can't get over the thought that it's like a dog leash. But I don't judge others that use it, to each their own :)

[5 Little Monkeys]

Lol. Yes, for some the "leash" part really trips them up! A friend of mine said she hates that term but uses them herself.

I rarely need to use mine now since this group has been the same for 2 years and the youngest are now both almost 3. They all know the rules and expectations and are fantastic to walk with. But when starting new or young kids, I'm not taking the chance of letting them walk freely until I know their personality and they know the rules. It's just common sense to me but I know others do things differently.

I just don't really get why some are so against them but yet strollers/wagons/carts don't have the same negative stigma attached. It's something that I find interesting

[5 Little Monkeys]

Just a question, what if he DID run off once and something happened? How do you think mom would react given that she told you and gave a personal harness to use?

I'm just curious not arguing lol

[BlueRose]

I love the walking harnesses. I used them for both my boys and for dc kids. When using them for dc kids I have the parents fill out a permission form stating they will allow me to use one one their child. To date I haven't had a problem.

side note: when I was a kid my parents used a dog harness (on backwards) and a lease to keep me from running off. It didn't hurt me at all, in fact I don't even remember it. It kept me safe and I thank my parents for that.

[babydom]

Just a question, what if he DID run off once and something happened? How do you think mom would react given that she told you and gave a personal harness to use?

I'm just curious not arguing lol

Good question! Lol. I told mom i don't like them nor use them but she can leave it here if she wants, which she did. He is over 3yrs old so I think with his age I didn't have a problem. As I could just yell and he'd understand to come back. The first wk we didn't go anywhere and I could see what he's like. Very quiet, very good and a great listener inside. Second wk we went out and I'm on a quiet dead end street so if he did run I wasn't to concerned. He never tired though. He'd walk alittle to far ahead and I'd yell stop or come back to far and he'd listen right away. If it was a fresh one yr old then ya. But I still wouldn't use the leash I use a stroller or if I just have one baby and the rest are older then we all walk and I follow the baby around while the older kids follow us too :). I'd feel awful if something happen but again I wasn't setting myself up so something could. Like if it were day one, we went out on a busy street to playgroup then I would have used the stroller. But I tested him. Went out on second wk and on our quiet street. So if he ran I'd get him!!!! Lol

[5 Little Monkeys]

Yes, with him being older he should definitely know that when you yell "stop!", he needs to stop!

When we go for walks with no harness, stroller or wagon, I'm just naturally more anxious lol so I have to say, I do prefer the harnesses. However, now that they all bigger, it just isn't a need for them, but it does calm my nerves! We live in a fairly quiet area with lots of bays but I live on a BUSY street (and near a super busy corner) and it's a nerve racking couple minutes until we get on the side streets haha.

Blue rose...I can remember my brother (8years younger) having the wrist leash but my husband's family didn't have those types of things and when they'd be up at their cabin, they just tied him to a tree!!! LOL He has no memory of it so it obviously didn't scar him lol

[Lee-Bee]

While I can't stand them I can see the value of them at times.

I really don't like them and I think that they allow lazy parents to just be lazier, rather than be the adult and train the child they just tie them up and yank them in.

But, I do recognize that in a group setting sometimes the caregiver really doesn't have the means to teach an otherwise untrained child and they have other children to focus on too. And I also try to remind myself when I see a parent out with one child on it that the child may have special needs that makes them an actual flight risk.

But, I think there are very few cases where it is actually needed. It is up to the adult to train the child to never leave their side...it takes time and patience but we need to train the children at a young age so they just know this.

At some point all children outgrow the harness and if they haven't yet been trained how to function in public then there will just be a bigger problem.

I'll note that my husbands family were farmers. His mom, and her sister and brother grew up on a large working farm (with extra hired workers). His grandma was recently telling me that she used to tie his uncle (now in his 60's) up to a tree on a large rope so he could play outside while everyone worked. The imagine in my head makes me laugh (and cringe). But, I think all generations and all situations just kind of use the means they have at hand to survive day to day!

[mickyc]

Never use one and never will. If we go out I only have 1-3 kids and it would only be to somewhere indoors. If we ever go for a walk I am never worried has traffic is very very minimal.

I am all about teaching kids boundaries and expectations. I can see though why others use them as 4 or more kids walking down a busy street would make me nervous too.

[5 Little Monkeys]

I think if used right, teaching boundaries is the same without a harness BUT you have the added reassurance of the leash if they dart off.

It actually annoys me more to see a child in a stroller/wagon/shopping cart that can clearly walk on their own and are old enough to know the expectations. Of course, different situations and kids require different techniques though.

It's just odd/funny to me that for the most part, harnesses are the only form of restraint that are looked at with such controversy even though IMO, they're all the same

[Lee-Bee]

I think if used right, teaching boundaries is the same without a harness BUT you have the added reassurance of the leash if they dart off.

It actually annoys me more to see a child in a stroller/wagon/shopping cart that can clearly walk on their own and are old enough to know the expectations. Of course, different situations and kids require different techniques though.

It's just odd/funny to me that for the most part, harnesses are the only form of restraint that are looked at with such controversy even though IMO, they're all the same

I don't care for strollers for walking age kids either. There is a time and place for them but kids really shouldn't be in them more than needed. I think we need to get kids used to being active really young as it also doesn't get any easier when they are older. Our just turned 3yr old can bike (balance bike, no peddles) 4km roundtrip to the park on her own because she's been working up to it since she could first walk. She can walk (and snowshoe) equally long distances (2+ hrs) when we provide the time she needs.

It all depends on whether we use these instruments (strollers and leashes) as a teaching tool or as a 'make life easier for adult' tool. Again, we need to be thinking ahead as to what we want and expect the child to be capable of in the coming years and work towards that now.

While I think the look of the harness elicits negative reactions I suppose it would in fact be better than a 3 yr old strapped in a stroller because at least they are moving!

[Suzie_Homemaker]

I use them for older children if walk on main road. It only take split second for something bad happen and when more children than hands, these are useful. That said, once we off road on onto tracks they come off but children know that whenever their traffic, these are used. Once child is 3+ depend on personality, I not so rigid with using. For me, it's more about the wobbly 2-3 year old that stumble and can easily trip into road.

[5 Little Monkeys]

Lee bee, I agree, kids need to be active as young as possible so it becomes their lifestyle! Obesity and lack of exercise in kids is rising. Yes, the strollers/wagons come in handy and are sometimes needed but I don't think they should be used all or even most of the time.

Suzie, we sound alike :) I think I've told this story before but one day when crossing the street, 2 of my kids would have been run over by a car with a distracted driver. Had they not been wearing harnesses and I pulled them back, things would have been very different! It's not just the kids that we need to trust/watch over, it's the idiotic drivers too!!

[Van]

I LOVE them LOL I take care of infants and toddlers so it comes in very handy for me as the children learn how to walk and be safe on a street even if it is quiet
distracted drivers are just the worst !!!! they should turn off their phones as it is just not worth being on the phone for a second and then killing or injuring a child or person while they try to cross the street

[flowerchild]

I was never a fan of them until I had three kids under 4 and my 21 month old ran away twice between the car and the front door to Walmart. I went right in and bought one of those animal backpacks with the tail that is a leash. My youngest was a runner...the kind that would catch your eye, laugh, and then deliberately run into the street.

They didn't like wearing it, so my rule was if they could walk nicely beside me and hold my hand I wouldn't hold the tail. If they started to run away or fool around, I held the tail. My middle child only had to wear it a few times until he caught on and would walk safely. My youngest had to wear it a lot. She was (and still is) a limit pusher and has to learn things the hard way.

Quite frankly, I don't care if people think using that made me a lazy parent. I'd rather people judge me for "leashing" my child than be burying my child because she ran into the street and was hit by a car.