Strollerderby

I don't even have kids, but leashes don't seem like a terrible idea to me, if everyone if the family is comfortable with it. My sister had a leash almost 40 years ago, when she was a wild-child 3, I was an infant, and my mom couldn't keep her from running away while she was carrying me. Apparently my sister was well-behaved with the leash, and it was a lifesaver.

Also, I was at an *extremely* crowded museum this weekend, with a zillion kids. Seriously, it was tough to move If you had more than one toddler or under-7, I shudder to think of what it would be like to keep an eye on them both. So seriously, I've heard way worse ideas. My (limited) experience is that kids don't mind them, and even a well-behaved kid can easily get distracted and separated from their parents in that environment.

No no no, the child leash is the greatest invention ever. Before I had a kid, I thought they were silly too. However, my toddler is a bolter - he runs unexpectedly in any direction, usually the most dangerous one. (Like a street full of cars.) In general, It is impossible to completely avoid places like this. If I didn't have a leash, I would have to keep him strapped into the stroller, which he hates and would be screaming. Holding his hand is not an option either, as he knows how to get out of an adult's grip quickly.

If you are saying this is a bad product, you must have those kids I see who stand very nicely next to their parents. I am so jealous of you!

I'd rather have a child on a harness, than a child in a grave - which is exactly what would have happened with my 2 year old who seemed attracted to traffic.

by the same token, at first blush the baby keeper just seems wrong, but what are you supposed to do with the darn thing in a bathroom stall?  You don't want it crawling on the floor or under the divider.  Jumping off the toilet is not a pleasant thing.  I can think of some times when I would've liked having one.

@Mike Adamick - in the public restrooms I've been in - right under the door is where s/he's going to go!

Okay, I can see why some folks have such an aversion to child leashes.  My daughter is deaf and I had a leash for her, actually more like a harness, THANK GOODNESS!  She could not hear me holler if she was walking (running) into trouble.  Like most energetic toddlers, she was prone to bolting as well.  This was a good solution for us.

Ha! But seriously, how do you keep your 2 year old from running into traffic?

Thanks for responding!

I don't know if I'm too lazy or what, but my son is constantly trying to run where it is dangerous, and I get really exhausted trying to keep up with him. For me, I'm still sticking with the leash. (Oh and we live in San Francisco, where the drivers pay little attention to anything.)

I'm all on board with the leash. My daughter started walking at 10 mos, when she was intellectually not ready to handle it. She didn't hold hands and enjoyed walking and looking at shops next to a busy street. It was also great for hiking, when she would walk too close for Mom's comfort near a ledge, and airports--she liked the snuggly bear that was attached to it. At 2, she holds my hand, so we don't use it anymore, but for early walkers, it's a lifesaver.

And it was fear of other parents thinking I was a terrible parent that kept me from using earlier than I did!

I think the "leash" is a great idea. I would die if my child bolted from my side and got taken by some creep or ran into traffic and got killed! The leash is a far better alternative to your child ending up dead. Who cares what other parents think, at least you know yours is safe and and sound.

I wish I could have leashed Michael. I had one and he was totally onto me the minute I put it on.  He wanted to hold the leash part himself, refused to walk, it just didn't work.  

Otherwise, I agree.  

I also heard the wipe warmer dries the wipes out.

hell, i think the baby keeper looks like a great idea. seriously though, just yesterday i saw a mom with three kids on a leash outside dunkin' donuts. the kids ranged in age from what looked like 2 to 5 years old. with that many kids on leashes, the mom looked like she had a job as a "kid walker." it was bizarre.

cheers,

sarah

Melissa - I gave my son the tail of his bear harness, and just held the middle part.  Joke was on him - it just meant he had to walk twice as close to me =).

I have three kids (twins and one 10.5 mos younger) and they all had harnesses, until my flight risk son turned 2.5 and learned that mom was not beyond flying tackling him if the need arose.  An extra bonus: you can hang the handles on the purse hanger in a public bathroom, and they all have to stand inside with you.  Extra bonus - if they try to open the door, you have a built in screen instead of staring at yourself in the mirror across from you.  Trust me.

With the exception of the shoes, the only really dangerous product is the baby wipes.  I have been screaming for parents to stop using these highly toxic products.

According to Herbert L. Needleman, M.D., and Philip J. Landrigan, M. D. in their book Raising Children Toxic Free, "Since 1950, at least 70,000 new chemical compounds have been invented and dispersed into our environment through new consumer commodities, industrial products, and food. Only a fraction of these have been tested for human toxicity. We are, by default, conducting a massive clinical toxicological trial. And our children and their children are the experimental animals."

I don't think you would voluntarily take your children down to a laboratory and offer them as experimental subjects for toxic chemical testing. Yet that is exactly what is going on today, when we purchase many household products.