-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
To leash your children or not in the parks
- Thread starter muggle148
- Start date
- Status
ChrisFL
Premium Member
Oh Snap!
I think having a stun collar for kids would do the trick...walk more than 10 feet away from your parents? ZAP!!!
(please note, none of the commentary above is meant to be taken seriously at all)
BigRedDad
Well-Known Member
I just spent 8 days at my parks with my daughter. Most of the time it was just her and I. Yes, she is 7 and a little older. I think leashes are for dogs, not children. If you are not going to watch your child 100% of the time, then put them in a stroller so you know where they are.
DVC4bestvacations
Well-Known Member
I agree that every child is different. So is every parent. My parents were strick howerver I give my kids more latitude then I ever had. We mold our children in many ways without realizing it. good and bad The earlier we start teaching the better. Being on vacation is not a reason to stop parenting.
Go ahead FLAME ME!
That being said: I have twin neice and nephew we always said we would take them to WDW when the were ready (old enough). Now they are 7 yr old. Let me tell you hell would freeze over before I would vacation with them. In this case its all due to how their parents interact or don't interact with them.
DVC4bestvacations
Well-Known Member
DVC4bestvacations
Well-Known Member
Aurora1
Well-Known Member
It definitely depends on the temperament of the child, but it definitely worked for us. We went to Disney once as a group of 1,2, 4, 6 year olds and my younger brother (2) threw a tantrum, from how the story goes. My mom is no-nonsense, and she walked him towards the park entrance, all the way to to the car. Between knowing that the rest of us got to stay and enjoy the rides and he would end up going home, he was a complete angel for the rest of the time. It might not work for every child, but theres a good chance that discipline & consequences will work well. So many of my students have grown up without set rules and consequences and you can REALLY tell which ones they are.
Poofiesdream
Well-Known Member
Better a leash than losing a kid! I see nothing wrong with them. When you are at Disney there is so much around that grabs your attention and it only takes a second to lose a kid!
openendedsky
Well-Known Member
And they might not even be necessarily badly behaved children, just over excitable. Up to a certain age I can justify it but any older than five, not so much.
Mrsdonaldduck
Well-Known Member
Ok I am sure I loose parenting points for this but I bought the leash..... With 3 boys under 5 my husband and I found ourselves no longer man to man but now facing zone defense. That coupled with my self diagnosed OCD And my worst fear of loosing one of my children I bought the leash....one of my little guys is one of those children that stays right at my side and the other two are like curious George - sometimes their curiosity gets the best of them and they can't resist exploring. I don't think we actually used the leash but it gave me
A little piece of mind packing it.
A little piece of mind packing it.
Britt
Well-Known Member
Too funny that we're talking about this. My friend just uploaded a pic to FB. They just moved into a new house and directly off the yard, they have a large dock/pier over a large body of water. It's absolutely gorgeous. However, there is no fencing yet. They have people scheduled to come out in about 2 months when the weather is better, to come and fence the yard. But as of right now, they are sitting on the pier, enjoying the ducks with their 2 year old, who's wearing a harness.
Another totally appropriate use, IMO : )
Another totally appropriate use, IMO : )
shannon12
Active Member
This is ridiculous. I can be standing there STARING at my daughter and she can see something as dumb as a squirrel and she is off faster than you can say stop. So because I don't want her running into the street, into a parade, into people I shouldn't have had her?
I guess you are super dad. Wish I could be you. You should clearly be writing child rearing books because I guess you know it all.
Prince-1
Well-Known Member
I have no problem with them. All it takes is 10 seconds of being distracted and your kid can be swallowed up by the crowd. Never used them myself but those who do are fine. Now my wife on the other hand would love to find an extra large one so she can keep me from wandering off!! 
draybook
Well-Known Member
Get mad all you want. I don't recall any leashes around kids when I was young and parents seem to have done a fine job back then. This generation has become a lazy one. Then, when something happens to the child that the parent should be watching, lawsuits are filed and companies have to post "common sense" signs on everything and make the whole fricking world childproof. I realize that I was a bit harsh with the words that I chose for that post, but this current generation is ridiculous. There's no accountability for anything and in my opinion, leashes are for lazy parents in MOST cases.
shannon12
Active Member
I get that there are a lot of lazy parents. But the fact of the matter is she is holding my hand 99.9 percent of the time she is walking about on her own. That .1% that she pulls her hand out of mine and takes off is what the "leash" is on her for. I never had to childproof my house for my son. He understood not to touch the stove and what not. My girl on the other hand could burn herself and then go back for more!
It's just not fair to paint every situation with the same broad strokes.
draybook
Well-Known Member
I would make the observation that most children that are prone to "run off" are under the age of 4. This is why I personally wouldn't take a child that is that age. I don't think that the basic foundations have been firmly set yet. I know exactly what you're going through, as my sister-in-law has a pair of kids that are rambunctious to say the least. I still don't approve of using a leash, as a leash is associated with an animal. That's just my opinion though. I'm not saying that people can't use one, I simply don't agree with the method.
karolena3
New Member
I haven't read this whole thread because it is making me a little upset. Obviously everyone is entitled to there own opinion and should accept that although it doesn't look like that is happening.
Yes, some parents will use the leash or harness because they are "lazy" but not most of them. As some people have said you don't know the reasoning behind the use and even if they are being "lazy" that is there choice as a parent.
As someone who was on a leash as a child (at home/not Disney) I can tell you it is not cruel. In fact it is one of the few things from my childhood I do remember. I did have a dog and I thought it was cool to be just like her. This was over 20 years ago and I can tell you that kids still like to "act" like animals. I have a young cousin who is constantly pretending to be a dog, she would probably love to be on a leash. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you make it seem cruel then that is how your kids will interpret it, but if you make if fun then your kid will see it that way.
Yes, some parents will use the leash or harness because they are "lazy" but not most of them. As some people have said you don't know the reasoning behind the use and even if they are being "lazy" that is there choice as a parent.
As someone who was on a leash as a child (at home/not Disney) I can tell you it is not cruel. In fact it is one of the few things from my childhood I do remember. I did have a dog and I thought it was cool to be just like her. This was over 20 years ago and I can tell you that kids still like to "act" like animals. I have a young cousin who is constantly pretending to be a dog, she would probably love to be on a leash. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you make it seem cruel then that is how your kids will interpret it, but if you make if fun then your kid will see it that way.
mamabunker
Active Member
Yes. Some kids are like this. Some are not. If you have a kid that is like this, it does NOT mean that it is the parents' fault. It has quite a bit to do with the child's personality.
The parks are quite busy places. When my daughter got lost in the MK, she unfastened the straps on the stroller and took off. She saw something that she wanted to investigate further. The person pushing the stroller didn't notice immediately. Not his fault, he was watching the best he could. Not her fault, she was little. It was her third birthday.
These things happen.
That being said, I still will not use a harness for her this time (she is 4). Nor will I use one for my son, who is almost 2 1/2. But I will take other measures-- including drilling them with instructions on what to do if we get separated. I have temporary tattoos with a spot to write a cell phone number. And we will have four adults to watch two kids.
I would consider it in some situations. For example, if I was by myself with both of them in the airport.
All Disney All The Time
Well-Known Member
We have 3 sons, all grown now. The youngest one was 5 when he made his first trip to WDW. His brothers were 7 and 8. We had made the decision that 5 was the earliest that we were going to take them. We didn't want to have to deal with strollers, diapers, bottles, leashes/harnesses/restraints and all that jazz. Everybody makes their own decisions and choices; that was ours.
draybook
Well-Known Member
Please realize that I say the following in good humor and jest. But did you have to go into the backyard to use the restroom, and did you eat from a dish on the floor? I don't recall enjoying being treated like an animal nor do I remember wanting to be like our pets. True, everyone is different, but I would bet that wanting to be "animal-like" is not the norm.
- Status