Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Curiosity
I am wondering, to all that read this, what do you think of those backpack leash/harnesses for young kids? My younger sister was horrified when I registered for one, and I have read a lot of negative feedback on mom message boards about them, but in my opinion a toddler who is ready to explore will not be happy sitting restrained in a stroller. Nor do I think they should be restrained in a stroller all the time. I have a good friend whose 2 year old refuses to hold her hand in public places. She screams, pulls, twists, and sometimes even bites to get away. Now I acknowlege (as does my friend) that this is a behavioral issue, but this little girl is completely well behaved if she's allowed to walk on her own and be free. Toddlers are learning that there is a big wide world out there, and they want to see it, and they are not able to comprehend the idea that there are people out there who might take them or hurt them so they should stick close to mom or dad. Toddlers live in the moment without thinking of the future or the past. If you have a toddler you understand this in that you have to constantly repeat every instruction. Even if it's something they do everyday. While sitting at a restaurant with my husband's family, my sister in law had to remind my 2 1/2 year old nephew several times that if he needed help, rather than screaming, he needed to use his words and ask for help. They had the same conversation 20 times!! She would say "Caleb do you need help?" He would answer, "yeah." She would reply, "Then you need to say 'help me Mommy'." He would say "help me Mommy." Then she would help him with what he needed. Because of their short attention spans and instant gratification way of thinking, it can be a difficult process to train a toddler to stay close enough to you in a public place to let them walk by themselves. It would seem to me that a harness/leash would be a good alternative. It would give them a certain measure of freedom without jeapordizing their safety. That's just how it seems to me. People use the argument "they're kids, not dogs!" but I don't think you use a leash because you have the intent of treating your kid like a dog. If you think about it, why do you put a leash on your dog? You put a leash on a dog you do it to keep your dog close to you, and to keep the dog safe (preventing him/her from chasing cars, running away etc.) and to keep those around you safe (preventing the dog from jumping, biting etc.). The same goes for your child. You might use a leash to keep your child close to you, and to keep him/her safe. I don't know, it just seems like a pretty controversial thing, and people really look down on those who choose to use them. So, I am asking for feedback from people who read this blog. To leash or not to leash??? :)
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Not that I have any kiddos, but I think that "leashing your child" is a great alternative to the stroller. When I see moms using them, I never think bad of them. So, yes, when Derek can walk, I'd say "leash him!" Haha :)
ReplyDeletehmm... I wonder about this sometimes. I've seen alot of kids with a little "leash" on and they are perfectly happy, as are their parents because they don't have to worry about them running off. I'd say leash if he/she is a little too explorative and/or has a tendency to run off and be wild. Sometimes I see kids run off from their parents and their parents don't notice but when they do sometimes the kids run harder/faster than the parents can. In those cases I'd definitely get a leash so they don't always have to be confined to the stroller. I'm not sure what we will do but I like the idea of a leash, it's up to Nick too. Oh and you'll most likely know this already, but on those message boards that there are WIDELY varying opinions on almost every subject and some people are just plain rude when someone has a different opinion than them! So maybe those ladies who are in favor of leashing are scared to get harrassed by those who are openly not in favor of leashing.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that when Kaitlyn was a young toddler, I loved her leash. It kept her close to me with some freedom to walk on her own. It kept her from running away from me (remember I was BIG pregnant when she was a young toddler). The leash also taught her how to stay close to me. I haven't used her "monkey backpack" on a walk or in a store for quite a long time...probably since she was around 20 months old or so. She does not run away from me and she stays very close, even without holding my hand.
ReplyDeleteAll that to say, I was glad I had her "monkey backpack". It was a very good training tool. I'll use it for Zach when he gets a bit older. I think if I were at a zoo by myself with my kids, I'd still use it for Kaitlyn. It's all too easy for them to wander off without realizing it in big crowds. And with two, it's almost impossible to always have your eye on them both. :-)
~Marci