Kids on Chains

[MrNonacho]

My only problem with the straps/leashes/whatever is when the child walks alongside with the parent a few feet away, blocking a good part of the walkway. This doesn't happen that often, though, so I really don't mind them at all.

I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about here. :veryconfu

 

[GenerationX]

mompueitemtnod

Hmmm... let's see how clever this little one is:
Backwards:
dont me tie up mom


A. Shouldn't it be Don't tie me up mom? Learn english.

B. *cough*TROLL*cough*

My guess would be a long-time member who didn't want to post under their regular screen name for fear of negative rep points.

As an alternative to leashes, we use the "have the kids wear matching bright colored shirts" strategy.

 

[Laura]

Wow this thread is really ruffling my feathers!!!!

First of all, I bet all of you making the nasty comments about the child harnesses don't have kids!! I can't believe how judgemental some of you are. Makes me sick.

I have 2 children. A just turned 1 year old and a soon to be 3 year old. I do NOT have more children than I can handle, but it is impossible to keep 2 babies by your side at all times, no matter how good of a parent you are, unless you are holding them. If you think a harness is cruel where a child actually has the freedom to walk around, then you must think strollers and carseats are barbaric, because then the strapped in child can't even move!

My husband is in the military and a lot of times I have to travel alone because he is away. I would like to see any one of you "leash-bashers" single-handedly push a 2 month old in a stroller though the airport while carrying a diaper bag, a backpack, another bag, and 2 carseats AND ON TOP OF THAT keep tabs on a curious wandering 2 year old. When I was in that situation you BETCHA I had my son in the harness. I love him so much that I would just die if he was ever lost or kidnapped. And I think you'd have to be some kind of idiot to let a 2 year old run free in an airport when your hands are full of luggage and you're pushing around a newborn at the same time.

That was the only time I ever used the harness, but it was absolutely necessary and as a parent it is my responsibility to keep my child safe and doing so is the most loving thing I can do for him. And if I am ever in another situation like that I would pull the harness out in a heartbeat, in fact I carry it in my diaper bag "just in case", but since we've bought a double stroller we don't really need it.

Some people keep their dogs on leashes because they love their dogs and they want to keep their dogs safe, while giving the dog the freedom to run around and enjoy his surroundings. Why is it wrong to do the same with a child?

What I think is horrible is letting your small child walk through the theme parks in flip flops. I saw so many parents doing this last week and I couldn't imagine how uncomfortable that must be for the poor kids. If they are going to walk around, put them in socks and sneakers, idiots.

 

[DDuckFan130]

the quote by mompueitemtnod was:

"If you cannot control your children without tying them up, you obviously have more children than you can handle. If your child is reared well, you wouldn't need to restrain them with leashes - children need to be taught how to behave in public, and parents need to learn how not to treat children as common housepets but as human beings."

I don't see how it's directed towards Kadee at all, and I agree people have differences of oppinion, but saying "You wouldn't want to get a bad rep." sounds like a mean remark and almost threatening to me. Granted the statement was ignorantly written, but I don't believe it was directed at anyone. I am not defending the statement, I did not say I defended it in my original post, I am saying that it sounds mean the way Kadee responded to it, which is what I said in the previous post.

as DDuckFan130 said:

"You can disagree with us if you want, but if you're going to be a jerk about it, you're going to be treated like one."

If that is pointed towards me, I would like to know how I am a jerk, because I don't think my actions were wrong really. I know people have different views and I respect that but the fact of me being a jerk I am not understanding. I stated my oppinion and I didn't agree with someone going right back at someone else, especially someone new.

Don't worry, Kopp. That wasn't directed towards you. I was speaking in general terms, with mom's post as a starting point. I apologize for not saying that. I was afraid you'd think it was directed towards you. The only part directed to you was the part with your name on it :lol:.

 

[Kopp8699]

lol oh ok thanks. I was afraid I had really offended some of you. I'm glad I didn't. Sorry for misunderstanding. :hammer: :lol: :wave:

 

[Buzzforprez]

No offense (and if you are offended, good), but that is about the most moronic thing I think I have seen somebody type on these boards.

I could think of many things to say but for some reason A HOLE is all I can come up with.

My fault, I appolgize. Maybye I didn't introduce the subject correctly. Sarcasm, people, people, sarcasm. Now that you two have met...

Many of the "parents" that I see using these things in the parks border on abuse. I have seen many kids dragged around and taken to the ground, not to mention other innocent guests. Teach your kids manners and how to behave, use strollers, and keep a vigilant eye on them and you will be fine. And let's face it, a child seeing you "walk" him/her around on the same mechanism that you do with the dog has got to have some psychological impact.

 

[jeffgn]

I've gotta put my two cents in on this one. I've had my kid on a leash. Not because I could not control my kid, but because I could not control the crowd around us. The Magic Kingdom at Christmas is a zoo. I've been pushed and shoved trying to get passed small world in the great bottle neck area with a four year old. We put ours on the leash to make sure there is NO way we will get seperated. We did the stoller thing for awhile but our four year old hates it. I don't see anything wrong with the leash.

I have to say before I started using it I used to laugh when I saw a kid on it. Now I think it's not a bad thing. If people think its stupid so be it. At least I know my kid isn't going to be away from us.

I've been going to WDW since I was 4 back in 1976. There were smaller crowds than there is now. I can't use that as a comparison. Things were different then.

 

[mrtoad]

Just one more thing on this. With all the responses to use a stroller instead. Many also complain about being banged into by strollers. It is very hard when you are pushing a stroller in a crowd not to bang somebody. Crowds slow or stop and it is very easy for people to get banged by the strollers. When a child is big enough to walk but not old enough to wander freely, the harness is a good alternative to use.

Just another 2 cents from me. I figure if I keep going, by the end of this thread, I will have contributed a dollar.

 

[Ringo8n24]

Just one more thing on this. With all the responses to use a stroller instead. Many also complain about being banged into by strollers. It is very hard when you are pushing a stroller in a crowd not to bang somebody. Crowds slow or stop and it is very easy for people to get banged by the strollers. When a child is big enough to walk but not old enough to wander freely, the harness is a good alternative to use.

Just another 2 cents from me. I figure if I keep going, by the end of this thread, I will have contributed a dollar.

That is what I was going to say, mrtoad. You cannot win for losing with some people. The leash is bad, the stroller is bad, and probably in some eyes letting the child walk leashless next to you is bad. What many are coming across as you need to leave your child at home so they do not get in my way. Come on people, these parks were meant for kids and let the parents do what is best to try to keep the child from getting in your way.

 

[disneydummy125]

Maybe if they made leashes look more humane than I might not disagree to them as much. I dunno, something like a pretty flower design, or a camoflage themed leash would be better. Oooh, maybe Disney could sell Mickey Mouse leashes in the gift shop!

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

Maybe if they made leashes look more humane than I might not disagree to them as much. I dunno, something like a pretty flower design, or a camoflage themed leash would be better. Oooh, maybe Disney could sell Mickey Mouse leashes in the gift shop!

You might be onto something here with the Mickey Mouse leashes in the gift shop. I don't see why they don't, unless maybe they already do. I think it's a good idea personally, as funny as I think it is seeing parents have a leash on their child. :lol:

 

[Kadee]

That is what I was going to say, mrtoad. You cannot win for losing with some people. The leash is bad, the stroller is bad, and probably in some eyes letting the child walk leashless next to you is bad. What many are coming across as you need to leave your child at home so they do not get in my way. Come on people, these parks were meant for kids and let the parents do what is best to try to keep the child from getting in your way.

Ditto! It seems like children are expected to be left at home at all times, everywhere you go. And if you do take them, they expect them to act like adults. That doesn't happen. They are kids and will act like kids, no matter where they are. THat is why they have nurseries at church.

We, parents who are using/ have used leashes are just trying to keep the most precious things in our lives (our children) safe. If you can't see that now, you will one day no matter what means you use.

ANd for those who thought my comment was a threat.....No, it wasn't. In the short time I've been on here, I've read many posts about people getting bad reps and not even knowing about the rep points. And considering he was new (It was his first post), I assumed that he did not know about it either. Now, he does.

 

[shakes20]

I thought I'd had my say, but since some of you insist on bashing leashes, I just have to respond again...
If you want to know why this thread is going on so long, it is because our parenting skills and choices are being questioned. There is nothing that I hold more dear than my children, and if you question how I am trying to raise them, then you are attacking who I am at my core. That is why some of the posts on this thread have made me so angry (especially if those posts are made by someone who has no children).
To suggest that I have too many children is just plain ignorant. You don't know me or my children! You want a taste of my life? I have four children and three of them have special needs. My two youngest children were adopted through the state, both had biological mothers who drank alcohol, smoked, and did meth during their pregnancies. Are you saying I should have left them in the foster system? Or that they don't have a right to go out in public because you think that leashes are sending the wrong message? Don't question what I do. I do what is best for my family, for them. I don't use a leash because it's fun, or convinient for me, or because I'm lazy, and I don't need to listen to ignorant people tell me that I'm wrong.
Do you have a right to your opinion? Yes you do. Feel free to say "I don't like leashes." "I don't use leashes" or "I don't believe in leashes." Fine, that's your opinion. But don't you dare tell me what I should think or how I should raise my children. Talk to me when you've been through what I have.

shakes20

 

[shakes20]

I had to step away for a moment to calm down a bit. I'm sorry that I've been so negative, after all, this board is about sharing the fun of Disney.
To that end, I'd like to share a positive story about leashes in WDW...
One of my all time favorite memories comes from Disney/MGM. We were at a character meet and greet in front of the Chinese Theater and my daughter went up to Balloo to give him a big, well, bear hug. He took the leash from my hand and began walking around with Madilyn. It's one of those perfect moments at WDW. The look of pure joy on her face as she led Baloo around was just magical. The cast member chaperoning Baloo soon had to tell the him that Madilyn was not his cub, and that her should return her to her father. It was all over too soon, but I will never forget it. That is what Disney is all about.

shakes20

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

I had to step away for a moment to calm down a bit. I'm sorry that I've been so negative, after all, this board is about sharing the fun of Disney.
To that end, I'd like to share a positive story about leashes in WDW...
One of my all time favorite memories comes from Disney/MGM. We were at a character meet and greet in front of the Chinese Theater and my daughter went up to Balloo to give him a big, well, bear hug. He took the leash from my hand and began walking around with Madilyn. It's one of those perfect moments at WDW. The look of pure joy on her face as she led Baloo around was just magical. The cast member chaperoning Baloo soon had to tell the him that Madilyn was not his cub, and that her should return her to her father. It was all over too soon, but I will never forget it. That is what Disney is all about.

shakes20

That's an excellent story Shakes, thanks for sharing that with us. Shows everyone that leashes can serve a purpose, even if it's the characters that end up getting all the fun out of it. I'm going to have to agree with your previous posts as well about don't talk the talk unless you can walk the walk. I guess I'm saying, don't put others down for their doings unless you've been in their exact position! Let's be positive folks!

 

[Laura]

I thought I'd had my say, but since some of you insist on bashing leashes, I just have to respond again...
If you want to know why this thread is going on so long, it is because our parenting skills and choices are being questioned. There is nothing that I hold more dear than my children, and if you question how I am trying to raise them, then you are attacking who I am at my core. That is why some of the posts on this thread have made me so angry (especially if those posts are made by someone who has no children).
To suggest that I have too many children is just plain ignorant. You don't know me or my children! You want a taste of my life? I have four children and three of them have special needs. My two youngest children were adopted through the state, both had biological mothers who drank alcohol, smoked, and did meth during their pregnancies. Are you saying I should have left them in the foster system? Or that they don't have a right to go out in public because you think that leashes are sending the wrong message? Don't question what I do. I do what is best for my family, for them. I don't use a leash because it's fun, or convinient for me, or because I'm lazy, and I don't need to listen to ignorant people tell me that I'm wrong.
Do you have a right to your opinion? Yes you do. Feel free to say "I don't like leashes." "I don't use leashes" or "I don't believe in leashes." Fine, that's your opinion. But don't you dare tell me what I should think or how I should raise my children. Talk to me when you've been through what I have.

shakes20

I TOTALLY AGREE!!! There is nothing worse than a childless person bashing on perfectly good parents for things they don't understand. It's one of the most judgemental things someone can do and it stems from ignorance.

In fact, the one time I used the child harness with my older son everyone kept coming up to me saying what a great device it was to keep him safe when my hands were so full.

 

[Pigtails]

My son is not walking yet, but he will be soon. I take him to WDW all the time, sometimes once or twice a week. I already know that I will be getting some sort of harness for him when we are at the parks. He is a very active boy, just like his dad is! He almost never is still! When he is able to walk on his own, there's no way he'll want to be stuck in a stroller for the whole day, and I worry about him getting lost, stepped on, or somehow causing accidents for others. He's getting heavy even now, and there's no way I could hold him for a long period of time. [EDIT: I meant to say "carry him". It kind of sounded like I was saying I couldn't hold him, like hold his hand, if he were walking.]

I don't think I'm a bad parent in anyway for putting my child in a harness in a very crowded theme park. I'm trying to protect him and others. It's not like having a leash on him will mean I don't have to pay attention anymore! It's just an extra bit of security. And I don't think that people who don't have kids should make judgements of others' parenting abilities in regards to things they just don't understand.

Hmm, in my opinion, people who leave their toddlers confined and strapped to strollers for the whole day, instead of letting them walk sometimes, just because they're afraid of the kid running off, and think harnesses are "evil", or those who let the kid run loose, running into and under other people, possibly hurting themselves or others, have far more questionable parenting than those using harnesses.

 

[DDuckFan130]

Ok, reading some of your posts have gotten me confused. What exactly do you guys visualize a leash looking like? Or for those that have seen them used or whatever, are they actual metal like the chains used on dogs? When I was young my mother used a nice colorful "leash" that wasn't metal and one end wrapped around my wrist while the other end wrapped around hers. In a sense, I was sometimes dragging HER around. I don't even use the metal chain things with my dog, but that's another story altogether :lol:.

 

[Pigtails]

I don't think any child harnesses are made with metal chains. The ones I've seen are either the type you described, that go around the child's wrist, or the ones that are more of a harness, with cloth straps attaching around the child's torso, and over his/her shoulders. Maybe someone else can decribe it better.

 

[Laura]

I don't think any child harnesses are made with metal chains. The ones I've seen are either the type you described, that go around the child's wrist, or the ones that are more of a harness, with cloth straps attaching around the child's torso, and over his/her shoulders. Maybe someone else can decribe it better.

Here's a link to one I found in a google search. The one we have looks just like this only it's red and has Elmo on it.