No not at all -

I personally do not like the concept of leashing children. There are some people who do it because it's the easy way out of keeping a tot under control. However, I consider it similar to sedating children to get them to sleep - a last resort. Having said that, though, sometimes the behaviour of kids in public can be enough to turn your hair grey on the spot... If a child is genuinely uncontrollable, then maybe it is warranted. Then again, is it any different to strapping a child into a stroller or pram? It's still restraint (sometimes for the sake of restraint). Just a thought. EDIT: I don't condemn the use of leashes - but I'd have to justify it before I'd consider it. If you have a child who endangers themselves or acts in a way that requires a leash, then by all means do it. Safety and personal wellbeing comes first. All I'm saying is that I personally would look for alternatives before leashing a child.

It was right for me! I was an exploratory feller and very hard to keep within sight in a crowd. I had a leash and it stopped both me AND mum gettin' lost!

i think that they're a blessing and a curse. they're a blessing for safety concious parents like us, who simply want an extra insurance policy in highly public places such as amusement parks to be sure our enthusiastic little boy doesn't wander off or get snatched from us. they're a curse in that they enable lazy parents to be even lazier. it kind of irks me to see such a mom with a toddler or two on a leash too busy talking to a friend, on her cell phone, or flirting with men to pay attention to her kids. we don't use our harness on our son except in the most crowded of places. generally, a hand held or the stroller is enough for every day outings, and he listens pretty well. it was, however, indispensable recently at disneyland and i'm glad we had it, since it was insanely crowded and there's no way he could have spent all day in the stroller or being carried. it also saved our backs from bending down and hanging on to his hand all day, and gave him a little more freedom to explore in safety.

I think they are appropiate for amuzement parks are areas with lots of people...your attention sometimes gets distracted and before you know it you have the whole park looking for your child...So in that sence, yes i think they are appropiate

I find it comical. It's like we don't have enough pets already- so let's use our kids!

maybe for very young children but only until they can talk

No, unless they bite you and walk on all fours.

Being on a leash saved my son's life. We were camping near a river, and if he had not been on a leash, he would have slipped into the river and drowned. I was sitting right there with him, when he jumped up and ran for the edge. Before anyone could act, he slid right down the bank.

Leashes have their uses, especially by parents who have more than one child to look after and want to ensure the safety of their children in areas that could be potentially dangerous or difficult to find or chase after the child - such as places with a lot of people like shopping malls or supermarkets, fairs etc. They are a convenient tool for parents who have 'escape-artist' toddlers - no parent can be 100% vigilant, 100% of the time - it is far safer to have a child on a leash walking down the street at the parent's side than that child wandering off or running into traffic in that tiny split-second the parent isn't paying attention. The other side of the coin is that some parents abuse leash priviledges because they're lazy or because they're too controlling. I know the children in my relative's family come from one of the latter controlling families - while being on a leash isn't the only cause (far from it) - these kids lives have been controlled so much that they don't know how to make a decision. They don't know right from wrong - they just do something until they're told to stop it. So yes, I think they're right if used for the right reasons and in moderation - sooner or later the child's just got to learn not to run off, to stay away from the road etc.

If that is what the parent wants to use. There is no harm in that.

WE visited Washington DC a few years back. I was with my mom and my two girls age 7 and 5. Being in a strange city by ourselves,(my husband was TDY at the Pentagon)we were quite concrened about the safety of the girls. They each wore a harness with a leash as we toured the city,museums,and monuments. It was the best thing we could have done. We all enjoyed ourselves with little stress. I had piece of mind and the girls felt secure. We received many nice comments. The leashes helped make for a wonderful and memorable visit. Susan K

I believe that they are degrading for the child and the parent. They would be better suited for application on conservative pundits.

YES! When I see them I think FINALLY a parent cares where their child is at all times!

If you've got a child that won't listen and has put himself in danger from running off you kind of have no other choice, but a leash or to lock them down in a cart or stroller. It's not out of laziness or to be cruel it's to protect the child. If it's used as a tool to teach them a boundry it can be very usefull. The parent has less worries and the child learns how far they can go without getting lost. Plus the yget the excersise they wouldn't get being stuck in a stroller or cart. Remember too it only takes a second and they're gone.

It's a lot better then strapping them into a stroller all day. At least this way the kid can walk around and get some exercise.

Wow....Seriously? Now come on. What the hell is the world coming to now a days. That is just Sad.

Well, I can tell you it is better than having a toddler run away onto the road and get run over by a car and killed, it is better than having your toddler run away and picked up by strangers, it is better than having your toddler run away and fall into something and not get found. I used a harness and lead on both my boys because sometimes you have to let their hands go to do something else and off they would run.... A lead is for their safety. Some little kids will stay with their parents some won't. I had two adventurous boys...while attending to one the other could be off....and often was...so I used a lead to keep track of him. Much better than having him run of onto to road or into a pond or into a shop and be lost. As he got older and understood more the deal was he stayed by my side and no lead, run off and I would attach the lead. It made him think and after a couple of tries at running off he learnt to stay near me and in sight of me. I used the same technique on his brother and it worked for both of them. For my young boys the price of freedom was thinking about staying near mum and doing it.

When my kids were little (19 months apart) I WISHED I could put them on leashes. We couldn't afford a stroller, and sometimes I had to go to stores alone with them. (Couldn't always afford a sitter either.) I held on to them. That makes shopping VERY difficult. At some points, if I let go of them, they'd take off in different directions in the store, and I'd go get them instantly. But if they were feeling adventuresome that day, there was nothing to do but go home, without the shopping done. One kid - easy to hold onto. Two kids at once - god!!!! I think a leash is preferable to losing them in traffic.

Hmm I've seen this a lot and I think once you get over the arbitrary 'dog leash' association, it is less unusual. I mean it's for their safety, not to demean them, so I think it's entirely practical. Parents do a lot for their kids that if they did it to another adult it would be demeaning, so what's the big deal?

Why not we're already picking up their crap.

Round here, they are mostly used near roads, and it a mater of keeping them off the roads, not keeping up with them. The alternative would be to strap them into the buggy, because one pace is death on a busy street. OK, unnecessary in a park - though I had a toddler fall into a (shallow) river running through a park because my attention was distracted by a passing dog. We were 20 feet from the river when he started running - and he beat me to it.

I used a leash with daughter she was two. She just had so much energy and wanted to see and do everything. It was a good way to let her feel like she was exploring without holding mommy's hand and still be assured of her safety.

I can't see anything wrong with it, especially if they use those reins that go across the chest and under each arm. It's better that than have the kid run in front of a car or fall into a lake or get kidnapped (not likely but it has been known to happen eg. Jamie Bulger in the UK was murdered because two boys took him away when his mum was distracted for a moment). They are most useful when kids are very active or there are a couple close in age. Provided they are safely attached, they shouldn't be any problem.

I think they use these a lot in most other parts of the world from what I hear. I really think it is fairly pragmatic. I too was repulsed the first time I saw one, but after the shock wore off, I thought "Huh. That is a great idea!".

poor little kid, i'll never do that to my child...

leashes are a good thing. if only we could teach kids to heel.

My mom did this once when I was 2. Apparently in the middle of the store, I dot down on all fours, started barking, yelling 'I'm a doggie" and tried to lick people. She never put me on the leash again.

no i think that is abuse and it is completely unnecessary.

On the end of a pole would give you more control ;)

some should!lol

no

some definitely should be and some with a muzzle.. but i'm afraid its against the law most likely, and in no way would i ever do such a thing..heheh

no would you like it if someone put you on a leash?

I think it's a great idea. One was used on me in the 50s and I was quite the wiggling kid when outside, at least until I was about 6. I think in this day and age it's even more important for a child to stay with parents and they can learn to stay within range with a leash.

Yes, kids can behave much worst than dogs plus some should also wear a harness, because they can bite!! :)

HELL NO! Children are humans not animals. If parents aren't responsible enough to show their kids respect and how to act in public then that's a problem they need to fix, but putting a leash on a child is shameful and degrading.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, my son was very very hyperactive.. still is. We used a leash.. it was attaches to his wrist... It was only for HIS protection. To this day, he's 5, he still wanders off, but I don't need the leash for him. I don't use one with my daughter, well, because we just don't go out... lol. So, IMHO.. I think leashes are a great idea. I got lots of nasty looks, but I'd rather have my son safe than dead or picked up by some stranger.

I used to have to wear one when I was younger I hated it more than anything but considering I got lost in place like New York City and Disney World when I wasn't wearing it I guess it came in handy

only if they are for the purpose of not loosing your wallet when you are skating or being active!

I don't think it's bad at all. Some children are more difficult to keep in line regardless of which punishments you use. The ultimate goal is the child's safety.

I used a harness on my son until he was 2, it was great I never fretted about him wandering away, and as long as I had the time to visit the spots he wanted to see, he was quite content. Harness have ben used for years, its not like the child is even going to remember being tethered to mom or dad, Its a far cry better than han=ving the experience of a missing child or having your child step out into the street when you least expect it.

When a child is young enough that being "harnessed to their parent" is not embarrassing to them then what is the problem? Parents can not have 100% of their focus on a child (before anyone objects, can anyone have 100% of their focus on anything if they are doing more than one thing at a time?) Children who have been whisked away in the blink of an eye by a predator are not the children of neglective or lazy parents but the victim of an opportunist. Used correctly, harnesses are and should be an acceptable means of securing your child.

i think that taking children in places in which they're more likely to get lost, such as malls, amusement parks, etc., then it makes sense. responsive children maybe need it less, usually "tied to age". probability of adverse outcome also ought to be factored in - (e.g., less likely getting lost or hurt at church).

Whether it's right or wrong is moot. Do whatever it takes to keep your children safe!!!!

It wasn't necessary in the days before Political Correctness demanded that parents not discipline their children. We're simply reaping what we have sown. I have little hope for the future of this once-great nation. We have allowed our freedoms to be stripped away one by one. And now even our children must pay.

I think in some cases it is very appropiate. EVERY child has a tendancy to want to wonder off or wiggle out of their parents reach. Even when you teach your chilren public safety, they are still just kids. They don't fully understand the dangers. Everyone is there friend and most toddlers think they are big kids, it's an independance thing. I didn't need one for my first child, but have used one on my 2nd & 3rd child. So please everyone...stop judging us parents that only want to keep our children safe. It is not treating them like animals. And yesterday at WalMart, I saw a man pushing a cart, had 2 children walking along with him and he was carrying a baby. He had 2 leashes hooked to the cart. They started to spread out some and he politely asked them to hold onto the leash and walk with him and they did. I thought it was a great idea for the little bit older toddlers/kids who tend to stray. We love our children and only want them to be safe, happy and healthy. Besides that, each parent is entitled to use their own parenting strategy...right!

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I have never felt the need to use them; however, some mothers need them due to medical issues.

They're a great idea because toddlers, when you look away for half a second, can move very quickly.

leashes on children are good until they learn to heel.

overall, no.

Not on kids but they work great on a spouse that refuses to mind.

Right? No. Funny? Yes.

it looks kina weird...It sorta looks like you have an animal instead of a child..

No, I don't... they're kids and need to feel like they're free... even if they're too little for freedom.

In another time I could say, "No, it's not right." But in the world we live in today too many children disappear in an instant. As another user said, some children are little wanderers and need to be kept safe.

Personally I don't really like it. But I can how it could be useful for some people. Special alot of amercians, they seem to be so busy multi-tasking things that they forget how dangerious it is to even let their child leave there sight for two seconds. Its a shame really that there are people who are that lazy and irrisponable to the point that they feel they need to put a leash on there child just to feel safe. I and many of my friends and our parents never had problems keeping them close by and within grabbin range. Doesnt matter what your currently doing-shopping,talking to friends or wutever because for me as a parent there the first thing thats on my mind 24/7, i kant see how another parent can be distracted for even a second, thats your fresh and blood you have there! shame on the lazy people!

absolutely not...We pamper them too much as it is.. And no matter how much we try kids keep getting worse as they grow up.Violence among teens is an epidemic.

NO !!!

Not only right, but preferable.

3-22-2017 We're all just pets anyway. https://fee.org/articles/were-becoming-a-nation-of-pets/

No, I certainly do not.

Under the right circumstances, yes. I used to be an extremely hyper kid. A real handful to say the least. So, when my mom took me to fairs and places where I could get easily lost, she would put a harness and leash on me. I see nothing wrong with that. It kept me safe.

A leash might make the parent look like they are unreasonably treating the child like an animal (very subjective). In a crowded environment like a busy mall it could prevent the child from getting lost and/or being kidnapped. As a parent which is your preference: Being seen as unreasonable or losing your child forever.

Uh.. NOOO!!! Unless they are like carzy.

Course not. That kinda thing is for consenting adults.

Insulting.