Child leash kids: you are not emotionally scarred, amirite?

If I hadn't been on a leash I'd probably have gotten hit by a car

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I just feel like parents should be able to pay close enough attention to their child that they do not have to resort to leasing them like an animal.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Or at least keep them in your line of sight.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

@Rainboots: *Your

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Clearly you've never taken care of unruly children.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Actually I have, thank you. And they did not disappear on my watch, because I know how to watch children without resorting to a leash. Teach your kids how to behave in public and teach yourself how to take care of your children and a leash will not be necessary.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Unfortunately, children are unreasonable and it is nearly impossible to explain proper behavior to a difficult child. Trust me, I try on a daily basis. Sometimes, for both their safety and your sanity, it is necessary to physically restrain them.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Like an animal or a criminal? discipline your kids if they are so unreasonable. My mother never had to physically restrain me.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Neither did mine, but I never wandered far from my parents. I do not equate putting a child on a leash with tying up an animal or criminal (though I do know some kids who would fit either description). It's not right when people judge parents for doing whatever it takes to keep their own children safe. 

by Anonymous 11 years ago

It's not right to physically restrain a child instead of actually watching them.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Ok, don't restrain them and watch them run into oncoming traffic. I actually like this idea; natural selection in action. 

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Ok, don't restrain them and actually watch your kids to make sure they don't run into oncoming traffic. I actually like this idea; parenting in action.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Exactly Rainboots. Also, why is it so easy to hold onto a leash but so difficult to hold a child's hand?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

A parent knows their own children better than anyone else. So you'll take care of your own children in whatever way YOU see fit and other people will take care their own children in whatever way THEY see fit. Just don't act like you're so much better than someone who feels the need to leash their child.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I never said I am better than someone who feels the need to leash their child, I just said I think leashing a child is wrong. Don't act like you're so much better than someone who feels the need to actually discipline their children or HOLD THEIR CHILD'S HAND even. Obviously everyone else is going to take care of their children how they see fit and I will take care of mine however I see fit, but that doesn't mean I cannot have an opinion on this.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Not all children can be disciplined as easily as you seem to think. It's not a magical cure-all that suddenly fixes bad behavior. Some children are vehemently opposed to reason, and for a time, all you can do is save them from themselves.  Now, I never said a thing about being better than anyone else. In fact, I've been the less judgmental one in this conversation, only saying that it is up to the individual to decide their own parenting style. 

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I never said it wasn't up to the individual to decide their parenting style, I was just stating my opinion that putting a leash on a child is wrong. Again, why is it so difficult to hold a child's hand instead of yanking them along on a leash?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I actually prefer just holding their hand to attaching a leash, but I do understand cases in which a leash would be more convenient.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Oh yes, it's all about convenience, is that it? Tell me, is it convenient to shove an 8 pound baby out of a tiny hole? Is it convenient to deal with dirty diapers and tons of bottles and being woken up every few hours and rarely having time for yourself? Since when has raising children been about convenience?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

As a parent, you will be tired. Tired people will do whatever they can to lighten their load. If they need to attach their child to a leash to keep their hands free and give them one less thing to worry about, they'll do it.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

They will still be holding onto the leash, so their hand will not be free.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

There are ways of tying a leash that keeps the hands free. Around the waist, for instance. Anyway, I grow tired of this conversation that is clearly going nowhere. I wish you the best of luck with your future parenting.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

And that is dangerous for both the child and the parent. The only reason you wish to not discuss this further is because for every point you bring up, I have a counter point. It is the generic way to get out of a discussion.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Well if your child is so unruly think about who raised it. Oh thats right. You.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I am one of four children in my family and let me tell you, though we were all raised by the same parents, we are all drastically different people. I did not require the same level of attention from them that my younger siblings do. How a child is raised is very much dependent on their own individual personality which can vary wildly even within the same family, with the same parents.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I must argue your point of "very much dependent." Nature vs nurture. Yes, individual personality does play a role, but the way a child behaves depends more on how the child is raised. It is not until later that nature starts taking over how a person acts. Any child that does not have serious behavior problems due to a disorder can behave in an orderly manner if they are disciplined. I am not saying your parents did not raise you or your siblings correctly, I am speaking in general.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

"Any child that does not have serious behavior problems due to a disorder can behave in an orderly manner if they are disciplined." I would love to see if you still hold this opinion after dealing with some of the kids I know.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yes, I would. However, it is not my responsibility to discipline the children you know, it is their parent's responsibility.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Do you honestly think that the parents never tried to control them in any other way beforehand? My parents ended up taking me to a child psychologist who actually RECOMMENDED the leash. They didn't just decide "Hmmm, don't feel like being a parent guess I'll go buy a leash for my shitty kid lol"

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Exactly! Of course a parent will do everything in their power to explain to their child the importance of staying close, but sometimes that just isn't feasible.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

So you give up, slap a leash on them, and drag them around instead?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Ummm... yes? Sometimes you just have to know when to give up and move on.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Or you have to know how to actually discipline your kids so they know right from wrong. If you can't control them at that age then I feel really bad for you when they are teenagers and you can't control them at all.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

The leash isn't a substitute for discipline, it's mainly a way to keep your child safe and everyone happier. Seriously, when my parents got the leash they had MUCH more control over me then when I was running up and down escalators. And I'd like to think I'm not a total failure of a person 12 years later.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

And those parents cannot possibly hold their child's hand or even hold the child for that matter?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

http://amirite.net/599852/1745152

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Okay, just to add something here. I'm one of five kids, and last time I checked, my mother only has two hands. My dad worked long hours when I was a kid, so often my mom was the only one there to watch all of us. My oldest brother was on a leash because it was my mom's way of keeping him from running off while she was busy being a good mother to the rest of her children.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

That seems to imply that she sacrificed her eldest to be a good mother to the rest.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Oh I get it! Wow, you're good; I didn't even know I was being trolled. Here I thought you were just some incredibly thick instigator with poor understanding and reasoning capabilities, so I thought it would be best to just walk away. You really got me. Well played, troll.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

How are you being trolled? I am not an "incredibly thick instigator with poor understanding and reasoning capabilities" just because I disagree with you. The quickest way to show that you have no real back up of your stance is to insult the person you are discussing it with, as you have now attempted to do several times. Yes, I disagree with you. I have stated that several times. You keep trying to refute that, which you have been unable to do. Don't start trying to insult me simply because you cannot think of something to say.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No no no, you have to be trolling. I shudder to think what kind of person you are if that's not the case. Anyone who cannot even begin to understand the other side of this discussion can hardly be a reasonable person. If you honestly believe every feeble comeback you've brought up, then I'm sorry I misinterpreted your argument as that of a troll. I was really hoping for the best.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yes, everyone who disagrees with you must be trolling. How are you trying to understand my side? The only comeback you have come up with is that children misbehave.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

My mother did not "sacrifice" her eldest to be a good mother to the rest of us. Like I said, she only has two hands. When my younger brother was born, my oldest brother was 8. An 8 year old will take an opportunity like my mother being busy with a baby to wander off. I'm sorry you seem to think she was a bad mom for trying to keep her kids together by any means possible. My mom was a fantastic mother and my brother is in no way emotionally scarred by this experience. I actually think he finds it hilarious.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

What do you want me to understand? All I see from your side is that you disagree with the idea of restraining a child, and that's fine. Everyone has their own idea of how to deal with their children. What I can't agree with is that you are seemingly incapable of understanding that some children require more than just a reasonable explanation of what constitutes good behavior.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I never said your mother was a bad mother. An 8 year old is old enough to know better than to wander off though.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Were you an only child?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

And he did know better. He just chose to not listen. My parents taught us correctly and we knew not to run off, but there are kids like my brother that just like to run off just because they can.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I agree, children do need more than an explanation, they need to be disciplined. If they do something bad, punish them for it. Put them in time out, spank them, take a toy away from them, whatever. But discipline your kid so that they know if you tell them something, they better listen.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No, I am not an only child.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

You don't think my parents did that? They did everything they could to discipline my oldest brother. He was just an especially unruly child that would wander off whenever he could, so my parents had to restrain him when they were out in public so he didn't run off and, you know, get kidnapped or hit by a car or something.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

And you see nothing wrong with the idea of restraining someone? Especially in public? Other people deal with their kids and keep their kids safe without leashing them. Leashes are not the only way to keep children safe, you know.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Well, I'm surprised! This sort of reasoning usually comes from those who have no memory of the formative years, nor any siblings with which to compare. Anyway, I've seen firsthand that you can discipline a child in any of the ways you describe and it will have no effect. It doesn't make much sense to me either, but some kids will just accept punishment can go right on doing whatever they want.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

No, I don't see anything wrong with it. My mom didn't always use it, and it was something that was extreme. Her "leash" for my brother was a strap that connected her wrist to his wrist. It's similar to kids in elementary school holding onto a rope when they're standing in line. NOTHING is wrong with what my mom did.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

You're surprised that someone with a sibling could find using a leash on a child wrong? Just because it is more difficult to discipline certain children doesn't mean you should resort to leashing them like an animal.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

That begs the question of whether or not a human child is an animal. I'd say they are. Why not treat them as such?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

But she didn't treat him like an animal. She treated him like a child. He was an unruly child, and nothing (and I do mean NOTHING) worked on him, so he was attached to my mom by the wrist so that he didn't get lost. I don't think keeping your child safe is cruel whatsoever.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

While you're at it then why not feed them from a bowl on the floor and stick them in a cage at night? A human child is not a dog, dear.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

That is a little extreme.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Putting a leash on a child like you would an animal is not right. That is my opinion. I understand that yours is different Stepharoo.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

@Stepharoo How did your brother turn out? From what you describe, he sounds just like my youngest sister. I'm really hoping she grows out of this unruly phase she's currently in.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Stepharoo, she is the one who said we should treat children as animals.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Hahaha I love it! You have no idea how much I'm laughing at what this whole discussion has devolved to.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

@emptymelodies: My brother turned out just fine. He had discipline problems his whole life, but he's not emotionally/psychologically damaged because my mother restrained him when he was eight.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Yes, thinking we should treat children like animals is simply hilarious.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

She's nine now, but I'm afraid my parents are in for a hell of a lot worse when she becomes a teenager. Maybe they'll have to get her a leash...

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I was an unruly kid, and my arms came out of the sockets if they even had a tiny bit of pressure put on them (like if I tried to run away while someone was holding my hand) so sometimes put a leash on a child is nessecary for medical reasons. You shouldn't judge without knowing the full story, and it sounds like many of you are.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Holy pointlessness. Using a leash on your child doesn't mean you're a bad parent and you need to pay more attention. Just because you didn't need one and your parents had you under control doesn't mean other kids don't need one and it's because their parents are lazy that they're on one. Different children need different things. My nephew will squirm out of my hand so I don't take him places, so a child leash for him may not be a bad idea. I, on the other hand, was attached to my mom's hip as a kid. Again, all children are different. You can't just judge other people's parenting choices based on the ones you grew up with. Unless you are just taking a stroll with your child, it is literally impossible to always be watching them and/or holding their hand if you want to do anything productive.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I wasn't a leash kid, but my life jacket had a big ol' handle on it so my mom could grab it and drag me back when I tried to run. Does that count?

by Anonymous 11 years ago

Did any leash kids vote no way? Or is it all people who have no prior experience in that area? Anyway, my parents did have to put me on a leash for a little. It wasn't that they were bad parents who didn't care enough to pay attention to me-I was just batshit insane. My older sister never needed a leash, so it's not like they had no idea how to be parents. They just didn't want to chase me through the mall, which I think is fair.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I was a leash kid because I would run away all the time, I'm thankful I was a leash kid. I probably would have been squished by a car or something from running into the street. I was a bit of a 'space cadet', I had no clue what was going on. ever.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

My mom said that one of her cousins had to have a leash when they went certain places just because he was freaking nuts and would run around all the time. It's not that they couldn't keep an eye on him or just hold his hand, it's that if they did just keep and eye on him or hold his hand and he pulled away, he would run away too fast for them to do anything about it. Once they went to a hotel that had a pool with no fence around it so they kept him on a leash because they had other kids to monitor and didn't want him running and falling into and drowning in the pool.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I found it hilarious that I was a leash kid. My mom had to get one because I always ran off in stores and slept in the bottom of people's shopping carts. I don't see how someone could be emotionally scarred by them.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I'm probably gonna have a leash kid one day. I'm disabled and need a service dog, and because it's a genetic disability any future kids I have have a good chance of inheriting it. I needed constant monitoring as a child 'cause people like me have a tendency to off and die at the drop of a hat given the right trigger, (monitoring that is now done by a service dog, which are expensive and not always feasible) so if my kid shows the slightest inclination to bolt in public I'll do whatever is necessary to keep them nearby. Even if society as a whole is agreed that your average child should not be leashed, it seems like common sense to me that an exception should be made in cases of disability. Not just for autistic or otherwise impaired kids, but for parents who are unable to run or who have limited vision and really can't track a three-year-old through a crowded department store.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I don't know why people have such a problem with leash kids. I mean I don't plan on putting leashes on my children but I have no issues with any parent that chooses to.

by Anonymous 11 years ago

I had a previous idea that child leashes were attached from neck to wrist. Since they aren't, I really don't see what the problem is, since it doesn't hurt the child in any way.

by Anonymous 11 years ago