Are leashes and halters OK to use on children in dangerous situations?

I seen a lady using one today at the mall and didn't know what to think at first.

http://www.onestepahead.com/jump.jsp?lGen=detail&itemID=333&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=333&change=117&cm_ven=Google&cm_cat=Top100&cm_pla=Top100&cm_ite=null



The Kid Keeper
A chance you can't afford to take. It's all too easy to lose hold of your child's hand in a crowd, or lose track of him among clothing racks. That's why this patented tether is a must for adventurous tot! Very secure, with comfy padded shoulder straps. The detachable strap adjusts from 2'-31/2', and the waist adjusts from 14"-251/2" to fit explorers of all sizes. Imported.

My little brother was one of those kids who would charge out into traffic if you didn't keep an eye on him. Some kids are like that.

They cost about $5.00 and come in a variety of colors.

See post #94 about my use of them. Sometimes a child can just be controlled by putting the leash through the belt buckle of his pants trouser, or velcro-ed around a wrist.

They are extremely useful, especially for boys.

I got one in 1991, I think -- when my first grandson turned two years old. He ran down the aisle of a large hardware as fast as his chubby little legs could carry him -- turned right at the paint department and got lost.

That was it. I got that "Toddler Tether" and have never been without it for the past 14 years and four more grandkids. I just sold one to a neighbor for $2.00. Best thing I ever bought.

Yes.

We've never used one, but heaven knows we've wanted to!

They said it really was a lifesaver with us two young boys who were just full of the vinegar.

Don

anyway they had one for my brother because he liked to pull away from my mother and wander on his own.

I call them "Toddler Tethers" and encourage every young mother whom I see using them. These contraptions were a wonderful invention and absolutely necessary to control toddlers who didn't understand language -- and even a few who did! As a grandparent, I heartily recommend these devices.

By the way, there was a man I worked with whose daughter lost her 18 month old child. The kid dropped her hand hold, ran into the street, and was killed by a car.

Believe me, you wouldn't want to be without one these days with all that goes on in malls, on the sidewalk, in airports, etc.

Good luck!

are the only ones who haven't had to try to keep track of a very strong willed, very active toddler in a crowded public setting. It's shocking how quickly they can disappear.

looks bad but i don`t think it`s going to harm the kid

I don't think it is ideal, why can't parents just keep a better eye on their children, rather than treating them like dogs?

On the other, hand, if a parent knows that it will be difficult for them to keep an eye on their child, those harnesses are better than risking losing track, especially in a crowded situation and since children can slip away if one's attention is turned for a second (easy to happen in a crowd). Holding hands has limited effectiveness, it may be hard on toddlers to keep their arm extended so far up for a length of time, plus that gives the kid no freedom whereas the harness at least gives them a few feet.

was just "holding hands" -- the 18-month-old girl ran into the street and was killed by an oncoming car.

to watch a child every single minute. All it takes is for someone to say something to you, you turn to look at them, and if you are not holding onto your child at the moment - gone!

I posted below about my now 45 year old son. I lost him three times from HOME! Never lost him when we went out because I knew I had to watch him, hang onto him, or carry him. I did wind up chasing him a few times when we were out. At home, well, you just can't hold onto or carry a 2-4 year old all day long. Sometimes one of the other kids will need attention or you have to go to the bathroom, etc.

Some kids really are better off with a leash.

a friend has one for her 3 yo boy.... Helps a lot in stores

Kidding!

One zap and they never do it again. :evilgrin:

They get too far from mom or dad with the 'home' unit. Bam! Immobilized till they find him/her.

Actually never used the leash, but I point it out to my kids (10 and 11 now) everytime I see one and say, "wish we had one of those for you".

I would recommend them for active toddlers in airports.

M

O8)

most frequent requests we had was for "tracking devices" for lost children and laptop computers. This was in 1995 and 1996 when I was their radio advertising manager.

If you've never heard of LoJack Corporation, they market a small device that is hidden in your car. If your car is stolen, the police can activate the device and it begins to put out a signal, which the police can track. The company operates in large cities (NY, LA, Chicago, Boston, etc.) and has a good record of finding lost vehicles.

I know this is a bit off topic, but thought it was interesting anyway.

http://www.lojack.com

Me an my coworkers used to think of ways to keep kids around their parents and out of our displays. The best one we came up with was a reverse invisable fence. The kid would be fitted with a collar and the parent would have a transponder attached to their ankle (like house arrest people have to wear). If the kid got more than feet from the parent, the kid would get a shock.

We had a lot of time on our hands to think of stuff like this.

change it so the parent gets a mild shock or a buzzer instead of the kid, and you've got something I can live with.

the wireless shock collars for dogs work EXACTLY like you're describing--no "reverse invisible fence" at all to them.

:spank:

like the good old days....cheaper too.

We have used one in large crowds with both our kids. It keeps them close while giving us a little freedom to look around and not have to keep an eye on them at all times.

It was a lifesaver - literally. We're from a medium-sized town and there's little traffic in our neighborhood, so he simply wasn't used to all those people and automobiles.

I'm not a huge fan of them, but I can see that they can be necessary in certain situations.

(Kidding)

them.

There are grown people that PAY to use them! :)

and my bro & sis.

If she hadn't, I'd prolly be "deadsue" or "lostsue" instead of loudsue.

It wasn't at all traumatic, and was less frustrating than her holding my hand all the time. I was very independent, and had gotten "lost" more than once. Besides, there were 3 of us, and only one of her, and she didn't have 3 hands to hold all of us with.... expecially not if we were going shopping & she had to carry bags, too. We never felt embarrassed or diminished by the leashes. We only wished we were allowed to run free and terrorize the store clerks, play with everything on the shelves, or explore whatever city block we might be on.

My sister is in her late 50's, and a fundie repuke, but with a college education. My brother is in his early 50's, college educated, world travelled, and is a good liberal, stable and happy. I'm in my mid 50's and am a good liberal, college educated, world travelled, small business owner, etc., etc.

:popcorn: We turned out pretty good in spite of our restraints. And none of us were ever kidnapped or run over.

I wish more moms would use them.

:kick::kick::kick:

I just got off the phone with him -- asked him if he was psychically scarred by the harness I used when he was a toddler.
He said that the only thing that bothered him was being unable to climb over the 2nd story railing in the mall to jump into the fountain below.

Gee.

He was quick and quiet -- a scary combination.

I do remember a couple of older ladies (literal "blue hairs") who made a nasty crack about the harness once. I guess they figured I should just haul him by his short little arm -- I suppose that makes it easier to yank little ones around when you're feeling out of sorts in a crowded store . . .

I had forgotten about it until I bought a Fisher-Price wrist wrap leash thing for my 4-year-old before we went to Disneyland. She told me when we would go to the state or county fair or anywhere where there would be lots of people she hooked me up.

I don't think I or my now 20-year-old son suffered any ill effects.

I showed him this picture and he doesn't even remember having this.

So I think we can conclude he wasn't harmed.

I thought it said Freeper-Keeper at first..............

You can usually haul the kid back in the boat pretty quick.

thank God, I'd just swallowed....:rofl:

in a mall once, I would never presume to judge those who feel safer having their kid on a leash. You do what you got to do.

My Mom used something similar up at the cabin -- a harness and lead with a loop around the clothesline. My older sibs got to run back and forth but not disappear into the woods.

I've seen overprotective parents but I don't think this was one.

With our little girl at least, it worked as a training tool rather than a permanent "convenience." It helped teach her not to run away and to stay close and hold hands.

I can see why some kids might need to use this for extended periods if they refuse to learn to keep close or refuse to hold hands.

However, I don't think I like the idea of using it as a way to provide a parent the freedom to pay less attention.

My personal preference would be more as a training tool and/or precaution-- not as a convenient way to pay less attention.

Besides, if a pick-pocket can snatch your wallet from a zippered purse, then surely there are people talented enough to separate you from a tethered child.

You turn around, and you've got a park bench at the end of your tether instead of your child.

Especially in a place like a mall, where a kid just sees all that open space, and all he wants to go is rush off and explore!

:headbang:
rocknation

He crawled out of the stroller and hid under a rack of clothes. He was gone in less than 10 seconds and the few minutes it took to find him were some of the longest of my life. I bought one of these and used it on my son in public areas, malls, airports etc. until he was old enough to understand that he had to stay where I could reach him at all times.

It would depend on the age of kid of course but for young children and toddlers I dont see the problem. Hell there are two legged animals that snatch children in broad daylight off the front lawn of thier house.

I doubt even a single child on one has EVER been abducted!

there is no excess when it comes to absolute security

I also like using them on my current sexual partners

I hated having anyone hold my hand. I wanted my hands free so I could swing them.

I had no ill effects from it. And it kept me from getting into stuff I shouldn't have.

fsc

I used a harness just like the one above on my very-busy toddler over 40 years ago and it was a life saver. Just to reassure all you of you he doesn't remember it (thank goodness) and he's grown up to be an independent man. It didn't hurt him a bit and gave this new mother peace of mind.

Go for it all you moms.

:hug:

I'd like to see strapped into those things whenever they get anywhere near a mike or TV camera.

i'm all for it. my parents never had to put me in one, but my husband was a hyper child and his mother had to put one on him.

Her slightly older friend managed to get it off her while his mother and I were watching the elephants get a bath. We spent a frantic ten minutes looking for the little runaways, imagining them kidnapped or somehow squeezing into the bear cages and becoming lunch.

Finally we found the two of them near the giraffes staring in rapt amazement at --- a squirrel.

Motto of this story--keep an eye on the kiddies even if you have a leash.

especially in these busy malls. my kids held hands. some kids dont like that. some kids do strollers, neither i nor my kids liked strollers. to confining. i couldnt stand to see kids in htose. dont like to see any kid in one. i like kids to be free free. but i would never judge a parent that resorts to the easy, putting kids in a stroller choice

these leashes are perfectly ok and for some children, i could see them as a blessing

I should have used one on my younger son. He was quite the wanderer. Once he got away from me in a department store in a mall. I searched for a while, then persuaded the office staff to make a missing child announcement. They really resisted, wanting simply to page him, but I said he's only two years old and there's no way he'd respond to his name. As soon as the page started, three mothers showed up to let me know my kid had fallen asleep on a pile of area rugs, and they were keeping an eye on him.

That's not the only time he got away from me and I had to search for him. You'd think I'd have learned and gotten a harness and leash for him. And, in case you're wondering, he survived to grow up and is now 18, in college, and I prefer not to know exactly what he's been up to.

My kids don't run wild- they never have. But as a parent, I've seen plenty of other people's kids. Some very dear friends of mine have a rather wild child. I'm amazed that the child has nearly made it into the double age digits.

Different kids, different parenting tools. :shrug:

Your kid is not a fucking dog. When I see parents using the leash I want to slap the shit out of them. I find it disgusting.

and it was a lot better than having to hold her hand all the time.

When I was a youngster, back in the 50's, lots of moms used them, and sure enough, I'm fine.

We (me, bro & sis) never felt embarrassed or diminished by having our halters on.

I'm glad my mom used them. And, I'm glad nobody like you ever decided to "slap the shit" out of my mom for doing it. She was a nice lady, and didn't deserve such a thing for trying to keep her kids safe.

:kick:

that children be left at home with a sitter rather than be in the stores.

And I never saw the need for this. I just find it degrading.

Or do you never take your kids out in public?

Always have since they were babies. Disney World, New York City and so on and so forth. I never had to resort to keeping my kids on a leash in order to keep track of them. And suggesting that leashes are necessary to take your kids out is ridiculous. If you are so lazy or easily distracted that you need your child tethered to you so you won't lose them you probably shouldn't have kids.

and one of them was so hyperactive he would have been killed or seriously hurt without the leash.

Parents who don't have kids like mine need to count their blessings and not judge those of us who do have tough kids. ;)

No hard feelings.

but please count your blessings.

Peace
:hi:

cribs? Bars like jails, and all. I mean kids are not fucking criminals, right?

It's a different thing completely. Cribs are for infants, you don't want the baby falling out of bed. If you are talking playpens then I think they can be abused too.

don't have the kind of kid that needs a tether. I had two that did not and one that did. You say a crib or playpen is okay to keep a baby from falling out of bed. Is not a tether for a slippery kid better than him running into the street and getting struck by a car?

You have a very active two year old. At 40 lbs he is too large for a stroller and would scream in it, anyway. Holding his little hand is difficult for him, because he has to keep it up high, and difficult for you because it means you walk slanted to one side, not to mention that he pulls constantly. You are walking through a very crowded situation: a football game at a large stadium, a crowded mall, a fair.

How would you contain this child? I'm the grandmother of said child, and if I ever have to handle him alone in a crowd, I'm getting a halter for him.

Would you want to slap the shit out of ME if you saw me with the halter on him?

The parents who get the evil eye from ME are the ones who allow their child to run unattended through crowds, who run in front of people, around the corner towards the exit, or who are in the store pulling the merchandise off the shelf!

You don't find a person bigger on least restrictive environment than I am, but sometimes a halter is good common sense.

to give a child. wow......

hm
leash

slap the shit out of a parent

still weighing here. help me out. which is more repulsive? do tell

I just said I'd like to. C'mon now, be fair.

and it wasnt traumatic. trust them. listen to all these parents that used them and hear the love they have for their kids, trust them

i personally never used carriers, i always held, body to body. i never used leashes, i held hands, touching. i never used strollers, wandering and freedom. i would let the little ones wander as long as they would like and i followed, always, without hurrying.

i was a different parent, and it took all day, every day. i could do nothing all day but be a mama, laundry, cleaning, dinner, chores, errands, nothing took priority but being a mom.

i am saying, i was not the norm. and it wasnt realistic to hold my standard to others. and what i did was my way, but not the only way

i can understand your revulsion for the leash, but i think it is more reflective of your own ideas, not a reality for those that use, or have used them. only you are creating it as a horror, but i dont think it is for the ones using it. so they are doing fine. but you, who never used it, are not doing fine. that is silly

to protect and keep them under control. People that let dogs or kids "run free" are the "bad", irresponsible "parents", if you ask me.

why parents use them.

It's out of love for their children, and fear and anxiety. Not out of dehuminizing them.

Leashes are perfectly fine, but I would think that control would have to be let go at an appropriate age. (obviously a 14 year old on a leash would probably have some lasting psychological trauma)

My wife has her tubes tied and I am monogamous. If anything were ever to happen to them I would never remarry and certainly wouldn't have any other children.

Trying to negotiate a foreign airport and subways with my luggage and my two-year old's luggage, I knew I couldn't handle keeping one hand free at all times to hang onto her hand. I had the kind that went from my wrist to hers, so we were like equals in it, moreso than a dog and owner, but even if it were a full harness, the reality is it gives kids MORE freedom, not less, than if you strapped them into a stroller or held their hand nonstop.

This looks really really bad.

woman that looked like me from the rear out of a supermarket while I was paying for my groceries. I spent the next 10 minutes with my heart in my throat as I scoured the store for him. It wasn't until I realized that he could have gone OUT of the store that I checked with the stores in the immediate area in the shopping center. I was relieved beyond belief to find him.

From that day on I used a "safety harness" whenever we went shopping.

I also used it when I took my day care kids for walks. I had two kids in a stroller. One on a harness, two on wrist "leashes" and the eldest (5YO) walked free, but with one hand holding onto the stroller.

I wonder if the two year old child that was run over by a train and died last week in San Jose? would have lived if the baby sitter had had him on a "leash". She had left him on one side of the tracks while she ran back across to get the stroller with her infant and the toddler had followed her without her knowing, right into the path of the oncoming train.
A tragedy that surely could have been avoided with the use of a leash.

Toddlers are NOT developmentally ready to understand and follow all directions, even such basic ones as "sit and Stay" consistantly.

I would rather be safe than sorry. There are no second chances when it comes to vehicles, bikes, trains or even kidnappers.

a child's life and appearances. Some toddlers just are NOT going to sit in a stroller and they won't hold your hand.

I have never used one but I sure don't think less of people who do.

I HAVE lost a toddler in the mall madness and it is no fun. It is a life changing experience.

When the trio was very young, she never went to a mall or anywhere they could become easily lost without another adult to help watch them. For about the last year (they are just 5), they know to stick close to each other and their mother. They know to walk ahead of their mother and to hold on to the cart when one is being used. And to scream loudly if someone tries to grab them.

I don't particularly like them, but understand they can be an excellent tool to use at times.

He was a busy kid and from the time he could walk at 9 months he ran as fast and as far, in the opposite direction from where i was, as he could go. He just had more energy than sense at the time. Plus I was divorced, and he had two older brothers under age 6. I resent people who think leashes are barbaric. i can't say how many hours i spent at the mall, the county fair, or gatherings in public parks, chasing him down or worse yet looking for him. He's an awesome guy now, who will be 21 in 9 days. I love him but he may owe his very life to the 'leash'. BTW i still call him, dog, Gee dog, geeter dog, or dogula. poor kid.

late 1950's. She was very inquisitive and had absolutely no fear of anything or anyone. It was a necessity.

As soon as he got in the store, he got on his hands and knees and started barking, that was the end of that.

My mom had 7 kids, so it's amazing she didn't have tethers for all of us.

Makes the whole thread worthwhile.

Don

My youngest brother barked in the grocery store the only time I saw my mother use the harness. He then picked a candy bar off the rack with his teeth and started gnawing on it like a bone.

He still has a great sense of humor.

in the mall entrance and absolutely would not move. That was the end of it for me. If he'd started barking, I probably would have never gone out of the house again.

the Milk Bones and offered him one.

Seven kids? She deserves some kind of a medal. I did five (three his, two mine and NO ours).

I used these "Toddler Tethers" on all of my grandkids. They were very necessary and useful. I really didn't give a flying f**k what others thought about it.

Ohh wweeee I'm sorry, I'm sorry the mental image is just too much
:rofl:

My mom went to visit a friend and had me "tied" in the back yard playing for the few minutes she was inside visiting. When she looked out the window, all she saw was a little pile of clothing on the ground. They ran outside and saw me walking down the street buck naked. That was the last time I ever wore one!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

maybe you can explain my obsessive desire to tie up my husbands and lovers once I reached maturity...
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

just kidding. I just like to shoot them. ;)

Kids only get in trouble when their parents aren't supervising properly.

In other "dangerous situations" they are appropriate yes. My parents put me on one when I was little when we went sailing on our sailboat. It is VERY easy for anybody to fall off a small boat in heavy seas, or in calm seas. I always had a life jacket and tether, ALWAYS. In fact, even as an adult now I would probably tether myself in moderate to heavy seas.

There are some toddlers that are slithery little things. THere are some really good posts here detailing why they need devices like these, and it's not about their parenting skills.

I apologize. But there ARE kids who need these because their parents aren't as attentive as small children are in need of.

My three basic commands as a kindergarten teacher. Until my kiddies mastered stay, conducting a teaching session was impossible.

Edit: I had too many kids to keep them on leashes. But find leashes very appropriate for parents of toddlers.

I have tried this with my girlfriends but none of them has gotten it. I think I must be going after learning-disabled women or something.

Don't let them see the fear in your eyes. ;-)

that ran away constantly and would go to anyone who smiled at him.He was very blonde, very beautiful and very very friendly. After about the 5th time I ran through a store in panic and finally heard the store announcement, "we have a little lost boy", I got a harness. It was a life saver, maybe literally. Looks much worse than it is.

watch the little ones at family reunions.

Until you've tended two-year-olds, you have no idea how fast they can get fixated on some goal and just take off at an amazing speed.

They may, for instance, decide that they want to run the length of the dock and take a flying leap off it, or else grab something off the barbecue grill.

and the girls love them -the girls find them when they know they are going out and after putting them on, they hand you the leash.

Life savers for two at a time toddlers

I've known several kids who were so fast and so reckless that nothing else would keep them safe in some situations. (One nearly drowned after jumping in a lake ... his mother got over her aversion to harnesses immediately!)

personally i don't consider crowds or clothing stores dangerous situations. :shrug:

i have 2 kids that are and were (as toddlers) as adventurous, inquisitive, spirited, etc as any other kid, perhaps even more so (i actually encourage those traits) and i never would have ever considered leashing them! i just always keep an eye on them, or a hand when necessary.

hell, sometimes i just follow them to see where they were leading - you never know where an "explorer of all sizes" might lead you.

ALWAYS keep an eye on them - not possible. Your spirited, inquisitive kids may not be the kind of kids who needed a tether. If you have a kid who needs one, you know it. Even if you would not personally use one, inside you know it would help. If you just let them run and follow them (probably not what a store manager enjoys), which one do you follow if they split up?

I got lost in a department store once - I was terrified. If you don't consider them dangerous places, ask a little kid who is lost how he feels about it.

ALWAYS keep an eye on my little one in any situation that warrants it.

i wonder that you automatically jump to the conclusion that i "just let them run" in stores. spirited, inquisitve, adventurous don't equate to rude, unruly, or out of control. :shrug:

i'm sure that being lost is terrifying. i shall continue to endeavor not to lose my kids.

first superhuman, because I have never known anyone before who could never take their eye from their child. How do you pay for things in a store and never take your eyes off two kids? If you take two kids to a park and have to tie a shoe, how do you watch the second child at the same time? I don't mean to sound argumentative, but I don't believe that any person can always be looking at their child.

I sort of got the impression you sometimes let them go where they want and follow them around to see what they find, I just thought that probably included stores, sorry.

Just have one episode where an active toddler bolts from your hands and runs into a crowd. Been there, done that, got the premature grey hairs to match!

The kid thought the harness was part of his outfit. We used it until the kid was about 4.

to Disney World many years ago. She was a runner and when she took off nobody could catch her. They were terrified she might take off in Disney World and they would never find her in the crowds so it was much better to use the halter on her and it worked great. Made for a worry-free vacation for all of us and my sister is a perfectly fine 30-yr.-old with 3 children of her own.

If I were in the same situation, I wouldn't hesitate to use one. Our society (in general)has become way too dramatic over these issues.

so many years ago, I realize how things have changed since I was a little girl and my Mom could feel safe in letting me and my sister go off on our own to meet up together later. Even when we were very young, she could let us play with toys or color in the kids section while she paid for merchandise.

I use a leash on my dog because I love and care for her and her safety. If I had a young exuberant toddler and had to keep up with him/her in a crowd, I'd do likewise. I'd also be tempted to carry a loaded squirt gun for the "holier than thou, pissy faced" onlookers who would surely have to shove their opinions down my throat!

as long as it doesn't upset the child in any way, or put any physical stress on them (their backs or whatever).

A couple of time, I tied a helium balloon around my daughter's wrist in clothes stores, so if she ran behing another rack or something, I could still see the balloon floating above and traveling around, and know where she was.

I hope someone here sees this and makes use of it. Good idea! :toast:

She didn't realize that I could get strangled on it if she wasn't paying attention and that was the idea, not to pay attention and still know that I wasn't at the other end of the store when she wasn't. My usually sweet and quiet grandmother really told her off about it. This was sixty years ago. :-)

The kid is now 22 and doesn't seem damaged by it. It literally changed my life. For the first time since he was born, I could go shopping once I had one of these. His brother played baseball and at the games I could watch the game instead of the toddler.

I loved the leash.

was a kid on a leash running under the "ropes" at an airport checkin. The parent was following by ducking under each rope and around the poles.

to see them in use in England.

My sister was living in England and she told me about them.

He was a handful. I don't think it hurts the child at all.

hid in a department store, took forever to find him. I have three children, only needed the harness for one of them. So, it depends on the toddler and if he enjoys scaring the heck out of you! These days, you can't be too careful.

They have some really innovative things that sometimes you can't find in a reg. store or Babies R Us. I got one of their playards with lights/sounds and primary colors and my son loves it!!
Am thinking about the harness; he is getting into that age and hates to be held for long. Here we go....

My two kids were okay in public after they graduated from the stroller, but if they had been habitual runaways (or like the "silent and quick" kid) I would have used a halter and leash in a heartbeat. Kids are not all the same, and parents are only human.

My sister's first child was a well-behaved little girl, but her boy was a complete handful from birth (the diagnosis of ADHD came in kindergarten or first grade).

That child, charming and bright though he was, could and did get out of his carseat harness at 6 months. He could see HOW to do things from an early age; the judgment of why NOT to do it was simply not there.

With a kid like that, a leash is literally a lifeline.

Love all your stories and comments!

Hekate

when my older son was a toddler. I couldn't take my eyes off him for a second. He disappeared faster than you could say his name. I'd have him right by my side and the instant I momentarily "forgot" him, he was gone. He had absolutely no fear of anything. If I took him anywhere dangerous I either had to carry him like a sack of potatoes or hold his hand, from which he hung. He was a dead weight, never helping you, like most kids, by wrapping themselves around you. He just hung. He exhausted me every time I took him anywhere. I lost him three different times - from HOME. This was between the ages of 2 to 4. My other two kids were fine, stayed by my side, and were easy in comparison. Thankfully, he did grow up. He's now 45 years old - a fine, upstanding liberal, with an excellent career. Had to get a brag in there. ;-)

I raised 2 boys, and am now helping raise a grandson, and have never needed or wanted something like that.

If I could have convinced my mom to use one, I would have, though.

She lost my youngest son twice as a toddler, because she couldn't keep her ADD brain focused on him in public places. Once in the castle at Disneyland, and once at Venice Beach. At Disneyland, his Dad fought his way through the crowd in the direction we saw his little red head disappear. At Venice, he asked a patrolman for help, and they picked him up and held on to him until my hysterical mother found another officer to report him missing.

and one was particularly active. This leash was a godsend. It was almost impossible to keep an eye on him without it.

He was also a daredevil. He fell out of the seat in the grocery cart into the meat counter and got so much attention from the butcher he tried to do it again and again after that. When I saw seat belts in grocery carts a few years ago, I smiled, knowing they would have come in handy for me. (But the kid would have tried to get it undone - he was good at that).

When he was in one of those little round walkers, he figured out how to undo the gate at the top of the steps and went tumbling down the steps and hit his head on the door at the bottom. As soon as he stopped crying, he climbed back in the little walker and went over to the top of the steps and tried to tumble down again.

He climbed out of the car seat almost every time we got in the car. His older brother still laughs when he remembers saying "Mom, he's out again" We rarely went two blocks without having to stop and put the kid back in the car seat.

When he was 4, he ran away from me at a swimming pool and climbed the high board and jumped in. He dog paddled over to the side and wanted to go up and dive in again. NOTHING scared this child.

He was a handful.

He was so hard to keep an eye on that we just didn't take him out. If I had been a single parent, without another adult to help me watch him, I don't know how I would have managed grocery shopping. I know I would never have gone out.

When he was about 2, my sister sent me a clipping from an ad in a British paper about these leashes. I then went on a mission to find one. Once we had the leash, we could actually go places with this child. I can still remember how much fun it was to go to his older brother's baseball games and actually get to watch the game instead of the toddler.

Yes, people gave me dirty looks. But I didn't care. Keeping my kid safe was more important than worrying about what other people thought.

We just didn't let go of his hand...ever...but whether it's a hand or some other restraint, he had to be restrained. Hence the problems with my mom, who wanted him to be "free," and who never "got" the concept of "never take your direct attention off of him."

When he was too old for restraint, he climbed an 8 foot chain link fence topped with barbed wire and got stuck while his brother was at football practice. He climbed another 6 foot chain link fence, which was sitting on top of a 6 foot block wall, and fell to the asphalt parking lot 12 feet below. He was 7 or 8 at the time. He was following me to our seats on some bleachers, and I was carrying all our stuff. I heard people scream, and someone said, "That kid just fell 12 feet into the parking lot!" I didn't have to turn around; I knew who it was.

These kinds of things continued on into high school, where he became the only kid I've ever known who actually did "crack his head open" when his tilted chair fell over backwards. He didn't gain any internal restraint until the day he climbed aboard the hood of the neighbor kid's car and went for a ride, fell off, and got run over.

I could keep him safe as a toddler. Learning to keep himself safe when he got older was a major project, and I've always been humbly grateful that he survived it.

....and my sister in 1949 when she took us to the UK. Other than being somewhat obsessive about my 'freedom', I suffered no ill effects and am now able to take HER shopping.

Personally, I'm finding a 'wheeled chair' more convenient and socially acceptable....

it all depends on the child...if you have an overly agressive child, and they get out of your grip over and over..its a very good tool for parents to keep their child safe!

i had a child who would not stay in a stroller for anything...my child would climb anything...and any where...

so when in a crowd or mall i would use the harness...

he is now grown , 28 yrs old, grad in top 1% in high school, and with a 4.0 out of college as an athelete in 4 yrs..and named to 4 of top honor societies in the nation...

seems it didn't hurt him a bit...and we all survived his climbing and disappearing acts...

i bought it finally on a day while i was shopping and he climbed out of stroller and ran and went down an escalator in the store...

it was more dangerous that he would run for escalators ..than putting the harness on him..and tieing it to my belt hoop...

as i said ..it depends on the child...each parent knows their own child..

and each parent must make these decisions with that knowledge in hand...

i always recomend them to young moms..with climbing and curious children who won't just sit in a stroller...

safe is safe...

fly

my grandfather gave her one for me. She refused to use it even though I was horrible in the stores.

For me, if I could get past the fact that it looks like a dog leash, I could actually find some use for it for my 1 yr old son. He loves to walk, but refuses to hold hands with anyone.

not sure if I even remember it or just her telling me the story of it. Not sure if it had any longterm affect - or if it was what caused any of my problems - ha ha (I never describe myself as fine or normal) :crazy: She did say she got disaproving looks for it too, back in very early 60's.

I would have used one in a second if needed. Fortunatly my kids' dad is a big strong guy and he never minded packing them around and eventually for shopping and such they took well to training to keep one hand on the cart or to ride.

lift their legs on trees.

I didn't use one like that pictured on my own two boys, but it did have one that velcroed around their wrists as toddlers, which velcroed around my wrist on the other end. No way was I going to lose my babies in a crowd.

Just thinking out loud here.

A tumble could have been fatal, and it's all too easy to lose a child in wild places, especially since children tend to hunker down and not respond to searchers' calls.

Posey® Torso Support
Torso Support You determine the release method. Position fastener in front for self-assisting patients. Position closure behind the chair for staff-assisted release. Thick, quilted brushed nylon. Machine washable.

Sizing: Measure chest (torso) circumference including chair.

I worked in retail for years, and I saw it hundreds of times. A parent looks away for half a second to dig out some money or something, and the kid is gone. Some of them are VERY good at getting away. I think some kids require leashes for their own health.

was impossible to go anywhere with. I got one of those (1967). I used to put it on him and wind the straps aroung the handle of the stroller so he wouldn't climb out of the stroller. Once he figured out he couldn't get out of the stroller, he was resigned to it. It sure improved my piece of mind.