Jodi and I are curious about something. We both think it is sad and unfortunate that kid leashes are not in vogue. My mom had two for Darin and Dustin (only 15 months apart) and I thought they were great! Once Ty starts walking everywhere he will be a force to be reckoned with and I am already wishing that I could use a toddler leash for Disneyland 🙂 . Jodi and I have talked at length about this and she is wishing she could use a kid leash for Karsyn in the future. We would both just feel safer – especially in public places that are really crowded.
I saw a family with toddler twins in the grocery store last week and they were using kid leashes. I walked up to these strangers and begged them to bring the practice back in vogue 🙂 . LOL!
So if you have a moment to give Jodi and I your feedback, we are really interested in what the “mommy” population in general thinks of kid leashes 🙂 . Click here for the poll.
42 responses to “Kid Leashes Poll”
Jodi and Doni,
Listen girls, I have six kids eight years old and under, so when we go to a public place like the fair, or even a busy shopping mall,
I have to always be aware of where all of my kids are at all times.
Yes, I believe that strollers are nice and I use them all the time because my two youngest cannot walk yet, but I also believe it is sometimes useful to break out the old “kid leash”. I use it for my three year old and sometimes even my five year old, and they don’t mind. Yes, I get funny looks every now and then, but I would rather get a dirty look then to end up on the ten o’clock news because I had lost my child. I see alot of people using them and I feel it should be looked at like a safty issue rather than an abuse form. I don’t believe that toddlers who have not walked long should use them only for the mere fact that, in some way you are giving them freedom when they are connected to the leash and as any parent knows toddlers love freedom and will try to use the leash to obtain any bounds they discover, which could lead to a serious fall. I was asked one time by an older lady why I was treating my child like a dog because of the use of the leash, although I remember wanting to act like a dog myself and attack her, I simply looked at her and asked her a reverse question;
Honey, you see all of these kids? There all mine and I don’t want to loose any of them, but how would you feel about going over to Sears and buying me a triple stroller or better yet why don;t you walk through this mall with me and help me out?! Of course she rolled her eyes and walked away……………….but hey ya just don’t mess with a mother who has been in a mall for over 2 hrs. and who is LOOKING OUT FOR HER CHILDRENS OWN SAFTY. I think the question we should be asking is: ” Why do parents let there children run wild through public places???????
I am so glad that the absolutely opinion is in the lead!!!
Hey Doni!
Funny you asked—I’ve been battling this in my mind lately too. I have a VERY active 22 month old boy and in July adopted a newborn baby boy. If I only had one child, I might feel different on this subject (but maybe not). My MIL brought a lease to our house recently because she is afraid to not use it with Jacob in our yard. She said he would run from her and that she’s too fat to catch him! Hee! Hee! Anyway, at first I thought good grief! I don’t like leashes!! This was an opinion probably obtained when I didn’t have an active 22 month old! Well, Jacob loves the leash! He has Mickey Mouse on his end (I have to remind my husband that Jacob gets the toy side. Ha!) Jacob thinks he has us leashed. He takes us wherever he wants us to go. I went to the mall last week with both children in our double stroller. That works great for a while, but then Jacob wanted out. I decided I did not care one bit what the public thought of me. I am too afraid to let him loose without it. He would run off for sure, and then I’d chase him, and one of the children would get lost. I can’t take that chance. He was so excited to see that I had it. He got to walk around like everyone else. I decided to use it as a training period though. I told him to stay with Mama, and hold my hand. If he didn’t stay with me, then I would pick him up and carry him or put him back in the stroller. I had to pick him up a couple of times, but I know it will take quite a bit of training. I just decided to not even worry about looks I might have gotten. I would just tell them to keep up with him while watching the newborn also, and pretty soon they’d come back wanting the leash too! So, you know what my vote is! At least until we can be assured they will stay right with us. When will that happen for these boys of ours?
~Jana
Doni, I swore I’d never use one. That was before I had a child! I used one for Bria at Disneyland when she was 3 and I have no regrets. With that many people, I didn’t feel safe not using one. Can you imagine having to try to find your toddler in a sea of people? I’d rather risk the stares and even any comments people may make, than go through the trauma of losing my child. So go for it!
I have to tell you about when I tried out the “kid leash”.
We were flying across the country and I was nervous and hesitant about my son Hayden- who was 2 at the time and how I would keep track of him in 2 busy airports. I saw the kid leash right before we were scheduled to leave and I was convinced it was the answer to my anxiety of taking my rambunctious toddler to a place where he could easily escape me. I put it on him, feeling secure and thankful I had found such a product and strolled through the airport. We did not so much as get to baggage check when I started noticing people blatantly STARING and flashing the dirtiest of looks! If this wasnt bad enough, Hayden started to figure out that he could lean all the way forward and the strap would allow him the security of knowing he wouldnt fall flat on his face. He thought this was so cool, but here I am on the other end trying to juggle my bags and diaper bag and purse and make sure I dont let any slack in the line. Its gets even worse when he starts to wrap himself around my leg, and under my heels making me just about topple on top of him. Another thing he did was pull me around, like I was walking an non-compliant dog! I think that got the most stares. I did get a lot of sympathetic glances from mothers who had been there, which was comforting. I am still shocked that people think that they can make comments under their breath to me when the whole purpose of my kid leash was to protect my child. One woman had the nerve to mutter”If you cant control your child, leave him at home”. How hurtful! I had my hands full that day and didnt want to risk my child being caught up in the commotion, being kidnapped or separated from me. How does that make me a mean mother?
With all that said, I think it is a personal choice and if others dont agree, so be it-They dont have to buy them for their kids. Id rather be safe than sorry. I know many mothers who use them, many of them have never experience negative reactions from others regarding them like I did, so I say go for it.
Okay I admit it I would be the one looking out the side of my eye at you. I have two kids 15 months and 5. I avoid crowded places just for this reason! Fear of losing those darn kids. I think if I had to go I would take the stroller and run over people. Its a lot more fun that way. I am not sure about when I get up the nerve to take the kids to Disneyland. I just might wait till I don’t have to worry about a stroller or leash. Where I live I don’t need one. We don’t have malls or crowded places. So right now I am not really avoiding crowded areas, I just don’t live in one.
So no I wouldn’t use one. I am sorry to say yes I would look at you funny but no I wouldn’t make rude comments. Please don’t attack me, its just an opinion and I am not oposed to people using them. I am admitting that I would do a douple take.
Jere’
I HATED those “leash” things until I had children. Now, I believe in the whole-heartedly.
I never had one for my oldest, & he was the worst at running off & following strangers wherever they went. We had a real serious problem with this. One time we did “lose” him, but praise God another church member “found” him (at a busy, crowded pumpkin patch of all places!!).
Now that Cason is here (& Cailyn) I want to purchase one. The thought of my children disappearing is more than my heart can bear. Can anyone please tell me where I can purchase a really cute one, or two?
Too many whackos are “stealing” kids now & if anyone wants to comment to me about my children being on a “leash”, bring it on. They sure will be sorry they said a word! 🙂
Doni, I found kid leashes at Wal-Mart that double as a backpack, and look like a monkey stuffed animal. My twins (2 years old ) love them! The ask for their backpacks every time we get out at the mall. They much prefer this to being strapped down in the stroller. To me, it is good thing that they can walk and explore, and I can know that they are safe, and I don’t stress out trying to keep up with both of them plus my 5 year old. I do have to tell you though that the first day we used them we were in Home Depot and both of them got down on all fours and crawled around like puppies. I did make them get up, but I had to laugh, after all – they thought it was funny. I haven’t had any rude comments so far, but I think it helps that the leashes don’t really look like a leash. The tail of the monkey is the leash, and it can come off so they can wear just the backpack.
I, for one (at least), am grateful that Jere was brave enough to be honest! Good girl Jere! When a mother like Doni asks a question like this in her personal journal I know she wants an honest answer. It helps a mama to prepare to talk to others who might feel differently should she decide to use a harness for her little guy too.
I lean 2 ways on this subject… actually… no, I can SEE both sides but lean one way. I understand why it looks strange. I understand the perspective of “If you can’t control your child keep them at home.” I do NOT, however, understand actually saying that to a mother – I have BEEEEEN the mother in the airport with a toddler, traveling alone, juggling bags, crying at the gate where the airline staff were so beyond rude to me that I called the manager who actually had the nerve to say, “You may just have to travel WITH someone in the future.” THE NERVE! FOR ALL SHE KNEW MY HUSBAND HAD DIED AND COULDN’T BE WITH ME! GGGGRR!!!! (A lot of complaints, letters, phone calls, later I got a $200 voucher for travel out of them!) 🙂 Anyway… Children should be taught to obey for their own safety – parents should keep a constant watch on them at every second of every day (even when reading a label at a store, filling out papers at the doctors office, paying for groceries…oh dear, we DO need eyes in the backs of our heads!) – children should hold Mama’s hand or shirt hem if mama’s hands aren’t free – strollers should be used regularly… All of these things are ideal but not always practical or possible (like when you are flying home from visiting relatives and you accidently leave your stroller in the trunk of their car (and NOT the car they used to drive you in for an hour from their house to the airport). Yup… me…
OK… the side I actually lean towards is why in the heck not? Especially for families with more than one child or a child that is so fast and busy that it’s hard to keep up with him/her, AND in crowded places… the child may even do well in a stroller for a while but needs a good energy break to explore for a while and why risk them getting swooped up with the crowd where noise and busy-ness can cloud vision? I can’t tell you how many times we’ve gone as a family to lull around a store and our little guy skips 2 aisles down before we can blink – and we watch him SO carefully! In a perfect world nothing would happen to him but it would only take a SECOND for someone to snatch our most precious gift and be gone while we think he’s hiding under a clothes rack… we’ve upped our diligence in watching him at the store immensely….and moreso with every scary story we hear. I’m not sure a leash would be a bad idea in this situation.
Sidenote that’s closely related – just today my husband talked to a man at work whose 6 year old daughter came home from school to say that a couple came to visit her friend. They said they were her grandparents but they weren’t – no one knows who they were. I don’t know the details but it basically was a stranger danger story indeed! The dad spoke to the principal, of course, and even did his own test. He walked into the school dressed pretty bummy (torn clothes, flip flops, real rugged) and walked the halls freely. He passed teachers and even the principal. No one asked him who he was. He spoke to the principal later who said that all visitors are supposed to sign in to the office first… well, what child thief is going to sign in to the front office?! My husband said, “So, you could have been waiting in the bathroom for a child and no one would have ever known?” Essentially, yes. HOW SCARY IS THAT! How many of your kids schools are the same way?
When child safety is put into that kind of light I think, now, what in the world is wrong with a leash? Whatever it takes to keep our kids safe and give parents a little extra confidence while doing so – ESPECIALLY in crowded places.
Now, anyone see that show with the family who has 11 children AAAND they even homeschool? Some of the most well-behaved kids on the planet. I’d love to spend a couple days in their house and see how they do it. I can not imagine! 🙂 One thing I did notice in the episode is that they don’t watch TV… how could they? With dinners to cook and laundry for 13 people… and all the kids have chores and school and playtime… I suppose they are just so busy and well-disciplined with their schedule. Amazing.
Jere – echoing what Heidi said. The only time I get frustrated with people posting their opinions on my site is when they get belligerant, unkind and hateful. That would NEVER define you. I WANTED your opinion and value it:).
Love Doni
Hmmm, my hubby and I had this exact conversation yesterday. We’ll be going to my parents home in 2 weeks for an annual festival that brings thousands of people. I have a 16 month old son who will sit in a stroller for a short amount of time but now that he’s proficient in walking/running he always wants down. If the child leashes weren’t taboo I think this would be a perfect opportunity to use one. I’m totally for teaching a child obedience but there’s only so much a 16 month old understands and hears. I, for one, AM afraid of the looks and comments so we probably will stick to the stroller and attempted hand holding but I would love to get beyond the stigma of this topic so we toddler moms could use what could be a safe and efficient device.
I agree Doni! Knowing Jere for a long time, I know that she could never be rude, but she is opinionated and thats why I love her! I can always get an honest answer out of Jere and I value that!
Plus, I know her kids personally, and have a hard time seeing the need for one in that family- Shay and Sage are so laid back! (I know she will disagree)
I think you have to have children to understand the reasons behing purchasing a backpack. I thought it was a little strange before I had kids too and thought they were for overprotective parents. But know I know of the dangers out there and how they relate to my children, so the leash is for my sound state of mind. My 5 year old Hayden is awesome now and it so much easier to take places, but I have a feling we may be breaking out the leash again with Camden (10 mos.) in a few months!
Doni,
You said you wish you could use one for Ty at disneyland. Why can’t you? (Walmart sells them, by the way… harness-style with elmo on it I think).
I am so appreciative of all these mommy comments. Love what you said too Chastity. I appreciate it when people lovingly lift other people up and express admiration even in the face of disagreement. If we all thought alike it would be an awfully boring world. I like opinionated people! Makes life interesing:)!
To add clarification to one point – my reason for wanting to use the leash is safety not disobedience. The whole “if you can’t control your child” issue. Well ladies – let’s be honest – who of us can control our children at every moment. Not I! Kids have a mind of their. Sometimes consequences work and sometimes you get a really stubborn kid who can tolerate anything you dish out and it is a real struggle to find their currency (as in Ty Jordan:). I think I try very hard to be a consistent parent but just as my kids fail….so do I!
At this stage in my life, I am really struggling with concentration because of my tasking issues. If I am in the grocery store with my very compliant child (Tanner), I am losing him. Why? He slowly wanders and I am absorbed in my task and it is a struggle for me to pay attention to Tanner on isle 3 checking out the fruit snacks, deciding what I need on isle 4, and keeping Ty out of the hamburger meat that he has just grabbed out of the back of the car and has bit into. Aaaaghh! I love the looks that mothers of small children give each other in the grocery store. We are literally pleading with each other for a rescue and compassion flows between tired eyes as we trudge along in this dreary duty.
I love the backpack idea. Brooke told me about those at Walmart too. I haven’t seen them but I’ll look. Brooke also said Walmart has little key fobs. Put one on child and mommy has the other. If they get too far away they beep. This could be great for Tanner in the store because it would help me focus on him approaching out of site range. It would also be a good reminder for him. He will get in trouble if his key fob beeps. Do both beep? I hope so. It would be helpful for the kid to hear it too. And Heidi, I am seriously contemplating using one for Ty at Disneyland. If he is walking well by then, I just can’t imagine keeping him glued to my side in such a public place without a little help.
My husband purchased “the leash” awhile ago and I couldn’t understand why on earth we would ever need such a thing until my mother asked if she could take our 20 month old to a water park with their church group. There was no way either my husband or I would feel comfortable without it with the crowds, the water and knowing how fast he is. My mother complied, but said that she got some strange looks – she blamed it on me of course (“My daughter said he couldn’t come unless he wore this”)!
I personally have never needed to use it because Parker is still really good about staying in the stroller. I would not hesitate to use it though and really don’t care what other people think about it or me, my childs safety comes first and why should the kids miss out on doing fun things and all we are doing is taking precautions!
Funny you should bring this subject up because Carter is about done w/ the stroller, but there is no way I could take him in a store and let him roam freely . . . I’d be running through the store chasing him! So, I’ve been wondering if you could even buy a kid leash in the US. The only one I’ve seen was last year when our Japanese friends brought one for their 18 month old. I thought it was great, especially for the summer crowds at Sea World. I’m going to Wal Mart! =)
We’ve done a lot of traveling and I usally let Carter run wherever he wants in the airport so that he’s tired out when we get on the plane. I suppose I’ve gotten some pretty nasty looks from people, but I don’t care . . . they are not in my shoes! I did have one Grandpa come up to me, though, and say “I want you to know that my wife and I have 5 kids and lots of grandchildren and we love all the sounds kids make. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel bad for traveling with your kids!” Boy did I appreciate that comment!
Courtney
Ok Doni, after reading your journals always I have come to the conclusion that your Ty is exactly like my Tyler…… My little guy is always out of control and very disobedient with a great smile to fix it all in the end. So as a quick bit of info. for ya when I tried using a leash for him as I do need him on one with all my sweet five kids wanting to go in 5 directions….I found that for a child that is active and wild he was causing me sooo much work because he was pulling against and not wanting to stay with the rest of the fam.??? This will not apply to all but does for my Tyler and may be something you want to keep in mind for you Disneyland trip. If we were heading to Disneyland (not brave enough with my crew yet) I would take a fantastic stroller either single or duo (so if Tanner gets pooped…..or you!!!!) and then have the leash on hand!
Its great to here how wonderful the kids are doing and how smart they are. Luv all
To add to the debate-when my grandmother came over on the Queen Mary after WWII 60 years ago she the boat rules said she HAD to have a leash on her son just one at the time! So good luck ladies. I would get the really cute backpack and paste on a great smile and off we go! I saw one lady who tethered her triplets at a concert in the park. I’ll admit to looking funny myself but then she knew where her children were. The backpack thing is so brilliant because the children like it-my dear daughter wouldn’t use the leash at two and made me look rather stupid by laying on the ground. Imagine that one for the dirty looks. Love you,
Ann Marie
i saw the monkey one one day but didn’t look closely – the idea that the tail is the leash is GREAT “got the monkey by the tail” and will look cuter to strangers. good one! i’d do that AND the key fobs at disneyland in a heartbeat.
Hello Doni~
I have used the leash for my child when he was younger (he will be 12 soon). He never minded it, so why should I. Kids don’t always want to ride in a stroller or hold your hand, they want to be independent, you want them to be safe. If I worried about what other people thought about what I do, I would never leave the house. Let them stare, you know that your child is safe.
Kristen
Doni, I bought the wrist leashes when the boys were about 2 and used them only a handful of times before they figured out how to take them off. I got the wrist ones because I didn’t like the harness style ones, but they probably would have worked better. The boys will be 4 next week and they still like to play with those leashes, but they haven’t been used in almost 2 years. I now wish I could have a better one for Matthew who has entered his terrible twos, two years late, but I know he would not like it.
Well girls thanks for not screaming at me…lol On this site Chas would know me best (6 years of friendship). Yes my kids are pretty well behavied in public. Actually I have shy kids and they only want to be near us anyhow. Sage is getting braver now days but seems to be okay with the cart. I don’t even use strollers here. Airports! I have had to travel with both kids by myself, and I swore I would never do it again. Good thing Shay was old enough to help me out. He pushed the stroller into people as I said Sorry about a million times…lol Those backpacks don’t seem that bad. I have never seen them myslef but they sound like the child will have fun with them. All kids love backpacks!
Jere’
My opinion only – “leashes” are not necessarily for me to control my child; the fact of the matter is, “leashes” are to prevent other people from controlling my child. (i.e. kidnapping) 🙂
Doni, ever thought about adding a message board to your site? 🙂
Ooooooohhhh good one Melissa!
It’s funny you wrote about this. The other day I took my son to his gym class and I saw a women with twins hook a belt thing around her and then strap on the twins harnesses to that. I thought it was little funny looking mainly because you can park right in front of the place. But I can hardly keep up with my ONE son so who am I to wonder anything! I definitely thought differently about leashes before I had a child. Let’s be honest they do look strange. But now I can see the need. People stare when my son is screaming in the stroller so they might as well be looking if he’s leashed. But I think I would be a closet leasher I wouldn’t go anywhere where my friends could see me and I wouldn’t tell people I use it. It’s ridiculous I know.
robin has me chuckling… how can you closet leash in public? hee hee! 😉 it sounds like the monkey backpack might be the closest form if the tail which doubles as the leash actually looks like a tail… THAT would be the way to go. actually…. if it didn’t – i’m sure doni could find someone in the family to turn it into a fuzzy tail so as not to appear so leash-ish. 🙂
also – the message board on doni’s site is also what i thought doni was referring to in the “good one!” 😉 category as it may have had her giggling.
once again i come to her aid to say this is as close as she can get. she can’t keep up enough to handle or moderate a message board. last i heard she still had a constant rotation of well over 100 (maybe even 300!) emails to read/answer (plus too many video projects waiting, Bible studies to teach, children to care for, house to clean… oh my!) and an average of about a dozen phone calls to return.
….. ask her what happened when she started getting messages about weight loss? ok, she doesn’t even have time to tell you so don’t ask… long story short, i became the moderator of the group and 9 months later i’m still not at my own personal goal! oh dear… we’ll just have to enjoy these opportunities to comment and read one another’s comments and comments on the comments of the comments. 🙂
doni – does that cover it? 😉
LOL – yep. As of this morning make that 400 emails though:). As soon as Ty is done with PT, Tanner, Jim and I are going downtown to tape a segement for the “Life Matters” show on Sky Angel. Any Sky Angel viewers out there? Pray that we represent life well:)
Hey all you other “Brinkman Junkies” out there…who cares what other people think!?!? Whose life is it, yours or theirs? If other people have nothing better to do than to talk about you & what you are doing, be flattered! And boy, they need to get a life! Ok, that’s my soapbox for the day….lol! 🙂
PS – Robin, you’re cracking me up! LOL 🙂 🙂
go melissa!
keep us posted on sky angel doni.
i saw the monkey AND DOGGIE backpacks at walmart today – the “leash” part of the “harness buddy” DOES actually LOOK like a tail. it’s pretty cute actually. if i needed one i would not have an issue using the doggie backpack with seth while traveling… after all – it’s just his backpack i’m holding on to -not a leash anyway. 😉
Is Sky Angel on Dish Network or Direct TV?
My understanding is that it is a satellite station and on a cable station. I’ll get more specifics though because I am confused too. I know that our church gets satellite to sky angel channels only but I don’t “get” how that works. I thought the taping seemed pretty comfortable and Sally (the host) did a good job of guiding the conversation to make it smooth so hopefully I didn’t mess it up too much:).
I’m sure you both did a great job.
First of all..thank you so much lady’s for your advice on the “leashes”..I’m kicking myself for forgetting about them the last couple of years! You’d think after having a few kids you’d remember all the cool gadgets and goodies that are out on the market,or better yet, see them when your in the baby isles at walmart but I’m more of a “drive by” kind of shopper and don’t see much along the way. I don’t really get a chance to browse,I’m usually on a mission because I can get so side tracked and scatterbrained,that I need to get me and 3 kids in and out of the store as soon as possible without anyone getting lost or hurt 🙂 -meaning my 3 yr old “monkey boy” himself who loves to walk but litterally can’t help but to jump,skip,run,hide,hop (he’s a mover and not a talker) but if put him in a shopping cart he won’t sit,any chance he gets he stands and he could easily fall out! I never liked the leashes before I had kids,but wow..I think I’ll be buying 2 of them! Last yr at our local fair I saw a friend of mine’s mom using 3 leashes for 3 kids: 4 yr old twin girls and a 7 yr old boy. She said there’s way too many people and too much caos around to chance losing one of her “precious baby’s”. Well said.
Doni-We recently went to the Zoo and took our double stroller for our 3 yr old & 16 month old. We also took along one of those hiking backpack thingy’s. We’d switch back and forth trying to keep her entertained. There were way too many people around to let her walk next to us AND focus on watching our other kids,plus everyone around etc..but had I had a leash (for both even) I would have felt 100% more safe to let her walk. Definately next time!
I say go for it..but bring a stroller too 🙂
Wow! There have been a total of 52 votes on this poll and you all have had plenty to contribute (which I have greatly appreciated). Looks like there are plenty of us that would love to reintroduce these parenting safeguards as the “in” thing to do!!! 🙂
Jodi – I vote we get leashes how bout you?
Got one! Actually, it’s a harness leash. 🙂
Used it at the mall last night with Cason (21 months). Even though Mitch was with me (what a shocker), it was nice not having to chase Cason. 🙂
Stares, comments, oh yea. The first comment was from a teenage girl as Mitch stood with Cade in the pretzel line. The girl was behind him, & I was off to the side “hooking up” Cason. Her comment? “Oh my! Look at that lady putting a leash on her kid!”. To which, my non-curt hubby snapped “you’d use one too if you had three children!”. End of that. Everyone else in line was smiling. 🙂
Comment number 2: “Is that your dog?”. To which didn’t even deserve an answer as the little girl asking was at least 10. Duh. Honestly, I felt like smacking her but refrained. Heehee….. 🙂
Stares? From everyone! Did I care? Nope. Did hubby care? Nope. Cason was very uneasy with his harness at first, realizing he couldn’t “take off” & run for miles. Mission #2 accomplished. More importantly, a stranger (mall was packed!) couldn’t grab my child & run for miles. Mission #1 accomplished. As the night went on, Cason was fine with his harness as I’m sure he promptly figured out it is much funner walking than being strapped down in the double stroller. 🙂
Will I use it again? Definitely! Everywhere. Vacations, zoo, mall, parks, etc., etc. So worth the $5! LOL! I say we all “hook up” our kids together & hit mall after mall with a string of children on leashes. We might just make the news! 🙂
And can we come up with another word other than “leash”? This is simply degrading to me (& the children), as our adorable & precious ones certainly are not animals (some of the time). 🙂
actually – leash is rather endearing to a girl who called her dogs children pre-human-baby-birth and still refers to her “human baby” and “canine babies” to differentiate. ha ha! ok, so that’s a LITTLE extreme but i thought it might be funny (or get some nasty comments, i’m not sure which). hee hee.
yah – leash isn’t the best term. the cute back-pack style harnesses with the animals on them at walmart are called “harness buddies” and i think that is a good way to say it.
however, if someone asked me about him being my dog i think i would simply say, “isn’t he the cutest puppy you ever did see?” and smile like crazy. what more could they say? after all, his best playmates ARE in fact our dogs and he likes to think of himself as a bit of a puppy anyway. ha ha! OH NO! I THOUGHT OF ONE EVEN BETTER!!!! if someone asks you if it is your dog or puppy you could warn them to keep their distance because he bites. 🙂 hee hee! can you imagine the look on someone’s face if you said that! oh dear… ok, maybe you shouldn’t do that. i’d be tempted.
maybe because we’re approaching halloween the kids could simply put some puppy ears on and we could get away with it. now THAT would be a site! (ok, no nasty remarks please, i’m teasing… come on… laugh with me ya’ll.) 🙂
How about a “safety line”? 🙂
Haha Heidi! You silly girl. I was also thinking maybe “guide”….? I don’t know. All I know is it worked! 🙂
Hi Ladies!
I’m new here. I just felt I needed to make a contribution.
I read the comment about the mom who had her 4 yr old twins and 7 yr old son on leashes. A few years back my mom and I with my daughters accompanied my husband to Washington DC on his TDY trip(military assignment). We were quite concerned about touring a strange city and sights with the girls (age 7 and 5). It was my husband who suggested leashes for the girls. After much discussion,I bought each of them a harness. It was the best thing I could have done. We had a wondeful time touring the sights with peace of mind. We all enjoyed the trip. The girls really liked wearing them. I know they seem a little old,but that it exactly my point. I think we need to ignore these negative attitudes and do what is best for our children. Kids any age often need some control and support. Iin this setting for us, the leashes were a godsend. I can’t say enough of how great they were on out trip. Go for it!
I had to drudge this one up! LOL
I’m getting ready for a rummage sale and found my two safety first child harnesses. I thought about his post right away.
Anyone want them? LOL