I just realized, I'm going to be a bad mother... 'cos I will have a leash on the pup when shim gets old enough. Just read on one of the boards I roam that most people almost seems to think it equals child-abuse...
Seriously?
I love the leash! I started using it on the snowflake-girl when she at nearly 1½ years of age decided to start ripping her hand out of my grip and run down the street, CHASING DELIVERY-TRUCKS! And I mean the full-size ones. She started walking at 7 months, so at that time, she was also a fast runner in a crowd, not reaching above the knees of people. Fortunately the truck was stopping (or God knows what disaster that would have ended in) to deliver goods, and I caught up with her as she stood in front of it, sound like this: "Brrrr.... Brrrrrrrrrr..... Wrrrrrrrrr"
Snowflake-girl ended up under my arm as I stalked into the nearest baby shop and said:
"I need a leash, NOW!" She laughed and presented me with three choices. I chose the one with the smallest setting and ventured out again. We didn't get halfway down the block before she ripped free of my hand and ran after a truck again... Only, this time she didn't get far. She was blubbing under her breath at me for several minutes, but she never protested against the harness since she knew it meant she didn't need to hold my hand if she didn't want to.
The leash have been used in babysitting situations after that, and the children have never objected to the harness. So I really don't see what harm it would do them. It's not like I ignore the kid just 'cos it's on a leash...
And for all you leash-haters, not all leashes/harnesses looks like dog-chains... I think this one is really cute!
I think they're a great thing, my mum LOVED them for us. She said non-parents would tut tut and be muttering about abuse, and frazzled looking parents would come up and ask where they could get them! (They didn't have them in the US when I was little) She prefered the body harness over the wrist leash but from her stories that'll be my choice for mobile little ones!
ReplyDelete:)
thanks Becca-love!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen wrist leashes, only harnesses, but I don't think it would have done for the snowflake-girl since she wrestled out of my "safety" grip. A little bracelet would have been peace of cake for her to get out of.
On that other board there were tons of parents who meant you only needed a leash if you didn't wanna keep an eye on the kid...
Pish posh to only needing a leash if you don't want to keep an eye on your kid! Kids are wriggly little suckers, it takes one moment of blinking and they're running down the road (if they're like I was at least!) better to be safe and let them walk around if they want with you holding a harness instead of strapping them into pushchairs all day or not taking them with you.
ReplyDeleteGuess what I'm saying is, do what you think's best for your baby! <3