Kids on Chains

[DisneyrazZ]

do these leashes come in adult sizes? because I think someone needs to put a leash on Michael Eisner to control him

-=DisneyrazZ=-

 

[will_hsv]

Without causing a stir, I am going to have to go with the anti-leash crowd except in extreme cases(such as the autistic example). For my personal preference I think that the leash is to impersonal at some times and to constrictive at others. I have a 3 year old boy and a 6 year old girl. If we are in a crowd they are either in the stroller, holding my hand, riding on my shoulders, or I have my hand on either there shoulder or head, this way I am always in contact with them. If I am doing looking at something that requires two hands, they hold onto my pocket. The only time that I am not in contact with them is if it is not very crowded I will let them walk a few steps ahead of me, or go up to the railing, glass or whatever barrier to view something, especially at AK. I like to give them a little room to be kids, but if I am not in direct contact with them I am watching every move they make and everyone around them as well. Unfortunately as someone stated earlier the world is not as safe as it once was. I remember being able to wonder much more freely then I allow my children to, but I guess that is the price of "progress".

 

[Tim G]

Guess I'm a bit older than you here, but when I was 4 (in mideval times 1954) I had a harness...My dad always said (and still does) I needed one...
And see what's become of me...

MY 2 girls, on the other hand, never needed any, when they were that age...

IMO the youngest needs one NOW... (sometimes) :lol:

So... Dunno, I think it's all a matter of control...

 

[General Grizz]

And see what's become of me...

Good gracious, these chains should be banned!

:lookaroun

 

[Laura]

You have absolutely no idea how utterly stupid that comment was. Or how much it angers me to have someone say that I don't value my children because I think badly of a harness.

I am DONE with this thread. It is serving absolutely no purpose other than to anger everyone. I hope everyone can just take their opinion and walk away.

How is that any different than you telling all the parents who have used harnesses that they don't know how to discipline their kids and that their kids are out of control??

But just to clarify, that comment I made was more directed to the childless people who are judging all of us with children because of our parenting choices when they have no clue what it is like to be a parent and they have no clue what it is like to value a child enough to do whatever it takes to protect them.

But on a side note, lets say there WAS a parent who had a hard time controlling their child. That doesn't necessarily make them a bad parent - sometimes kids can be difficult regardless of how much you work with them. What if their child is the type that tends to "bolt" when they throw a tantrum (I've seen a lot of kids who do this). Now would you rather see this kid bolt out into a crowd and then the parent loses the kid, therefore putting the kid in an extremely dangerous situation, or would you rather see the kid connected to the parent by a harness so he can't escape, therefore staying safe? Again, the harness is not CONTROLLING the child, as the child is already throwing a tantrum and out of control. Instead the harness is keeping the 'out of control' child SAFE because he can't run away and get lost.

No matter how you look at it, unless you are using the harness to tie your kid to a tree, it is primarily there for saftey. And I just can't understand how anyone would think a safety device is BAD, or how you would prefer that a well behaved or even a badly behaved child be in a situation where he could be seperated from his parents and lost.

It seems like most of the reasons people don't like the harnesses is because of how they LOOK. It looks like a dog leash - so what! It's keeping kids safe and that is all that matters, and if you're judging people by looks and appearances then that says a lot about you!

 

[Laura]

I think that the leash is to impersonal at some times and to constrictive at others.

One more comment (sorry I can't shut up in parenting threads!)

How can you think negatively of a leash because it's impersonal and constrictive, but in the next sentence you confess to using a stroller. How is a stroller any more personal and any less restrictive than a harness? If anything, a stroller is MORE restrictive than a harness.

 

[The Mom]

Interestingly, I have an old photo of myself wearing my harness, which is attached to a clothesline. I'm playing quite nicely with my dog. So I guess my mother didn't have a problem with them, and I seem to be untraumatized by the experience. :animwink:

I did use one with my daughter between the ages of 1 and about 4. After that, she was too well-behaved to wander away. The one time she did get "lost", she told me where she was going, but I had my back to her and it was noisy. BTW, I should add that my husband is not a big WDW fan, so at least half, if not more, of my trips have been without him.

I didn't use one with my son because I had an extra pair of hands, ie "Sissy" (My children are 10 years apart in age)

My feeling has always been that a parent's responsibility is to keep their children as safe as possible, and do everything possible to raise them to be educated, productive, moral citizens who will make the world better for their being in it. My daughter is well on her way toward achieving that goal (she'll be 21 in about 10 weeks) and my son still has a way to go. (but so far, so good) He's not perfect, by any stretch, but is becoming more civilized every day. Unfortunately, puberty is just around the corner, so I expect some setbacks! Maybe it's time to look for an extra large harness!!! :lol:

 

[eboothecat]

As a mother of two grown children my vote goes to it's fine to use a "leash", but what isn't okay is to have the "leash" stretched out or dragging on the ground so it can trip someone. It can also be dangerous for the child's safety.

 

[MichRX7]

My feeling has always been that a parent's responsibility is to keep their children as safe as possible, and do everything possible to raise them to be educated, productive, moral citizens who will make the world better for their being in it.

You mean there are other parents who feel this way? :lol: And to think I was starting to feel lonely standing out here on my soapbox.

My daughter is well on her way toward achieving that goal (she'll be 21 in about 10 weeks) and my son still has a way to go. (but so far, so good) He's not perfect, by any stretch, but is becoming more civilized every day. Unfortunately, puberty is just around the corner, so I expect some setbacks! Maybe it's time to look for an extra large harness!!! :lol:

Hmm...now honestly Mom, I am against putting teens into Chastity Belts. :lookaroun

Sorry to hear about your husband. No marriage is perfect. My wife isn't the biggest WDW fan either. But she isn't going to let me go there alone and have all the fun with the kids by myself.

 

[will_hsv]

One more comment (sorry I can't shut up in parenting threads!)

How can you think negatively of a leash because it's impersonal and constrictive, but in the next sentence you confess to using a stroller. How is a stroller any more personal and any less restrictive than a harness? If anything, a stroller is MORE restrictive than a harness.

Like I said, it is what I think, I am not bashing anyone for using a lease, just not my preference. The purpose for the stroller is that my son gets awful nose bleeds if he exerts himself to much in the heat. We rent one of the big double strollers so that he can lay down in the shade. Our last trip after a day at the parks, we got back to the hotel and his nose started bleeding and did not stop for 30 minutes. My wife called the paramedics, they came and it finally stopped and they recommended keeping him a little less active and in the shade.

Which leads me to something else I did not know. At home when you have a call to emergency services there is a charge, well my wife was told by the hotel(Coronado Springs) that the cost of emergency services were covered by Disney. It is good to know that they will go the extra mile to see that the guests are well taken care of.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

And here we are at the crux of the issue.

If you are a parent, you get to choose how to care for your child.

will_hsv may very well have his 8 year old in a stroller if he doesn't outgrow the nosebleed issue.

I think that children that old look silly in a stroller, but I don't know the entire story, so I can't criticize.

There are increasing numbers of ADD, ADHD, and autisitic kids these days who, despite good parenting, cannot (I didn't say will not, but cannot) stay with their parents. I would challenge you to spend an afternoon with an autistic child and endure just ONE meltdown. You would have some understanding about the situation and see the need for some kind of restraint.

Long long ago, cars did not have seat belts. As a child, I always rode standing on the hump in the back seat with my chin on the front seat. Absolutely no one would allow their child to do that today.

Are car seats restrictive? You betcha. How can they be otherwise?
Are car seats cruel? Of course not.
Are car seats the safest way to transport your child? Of course.

I would much rather see a child on a harness than see a parent hit the child for getting lost.

 

[WDWScottieBoy]

WOT, but I wanted to wish you a happy birthda Yellow Shoes (it is today correct?)

 

[JBSLJames]

The only problem I have with it is if you are too cheap to go out and buy a set-up just for your kids. There is something terrribly wrong seeing a kid with a Studded Collar or a Black Leather Collar with fuzzy red trim being led about with a bull whip style chain. . .

For God's sake, stop the insanity :hammer:

 

[Yellow Shoes]

WOT, but I wanted to wish you a happy birthda Yellow Shoes (it is today correct?)

It is, and thank you.
Far too busy at work to celebrate, however.