Okay so we have all seen it…kids walking around with that contraption on their back. I am not going to lie, I have given a glance or two to those that have chosen to utilize those things at Walt Disney World. Well that was then and this is now. I have three children and until my youngest son, it would have never crossed my mind to use a child harness….aka” the leash”!
So here are my thoughts…
Lucas is my little 3 year old….gotta love him. He is all boy and man oh man does he fit the stereotype!! He runs, he squirms and can’t sit still in line for a minute!! Now that he is getting taller we will be taking him on some of the rides that have a longer wait but I have to be honest, standing in line with a child that will hop, skip and jump the ropes does not sound enticing to me at all.
Lucas will sit in the stroller and believe you me, I have it on hand at all times but for the lines and even for those times that we are wanting to get out of the stroller to let him watch a parade or fireworks, I am seriously considering, “the leash.”
Now I don’t know why I am so worried about what everyone will think when they see my little boy strapped up to that adorable little harness, after all as a parent I have to do what is right for my family and my child, but I am worried. I thought maybe by some small chance you could all make me feel better about giving “the leash” a try and then I could report back on my findings. Please….pretty please?????
No really, I want to know what you think. Have you ever used “the leash” before? If so tell me everything from how your child liked it to the reactions of others while your child wore it.
Look….they even have a Pooh Bear one. :0)
As always, thank you so very much for your support!! Thank you for following Disney Guru!
See ya real soon!!
Kelly
10 Comments.
we use them they are veru helpful and the kids actually enjoy it they call it their friend its cute. i havent had any bad feedback from it and it allows them the freedom instead of being stuck in the stroller. hope that helps
Kelly, my sister and another family member used them. The ones that look like an animal back pack and have a long tail. Anyway both of the girls were 3 at the time and they came in very handy, especially when the girls didn’t want to be in the stroller. Why fight it? I think the safety of our kids is number one and they are not always going to want to be in the stroller. I never needed one for abbey b/c she liked being pushed around. :). But if she had been more like my niece, I definitely would have used it.
I used to care what people thought, until my then 2 year old got away from me in a parking lot. He’s 4 now so I rarely use it, but his 18 month old brother I’m sure will get MUCH use out of it. We have the monkey leash, like you have pictured. People can think what they want, but I don’t want the nightmare of my child lost in a crowd, or worse. They are a lifesaver, as far as I am concerned. We use the stroller all the time, but sometimes, like at Disney, they need to stretch their legs and walk.
I have used mine only on necessity my daughter is now 3 and weve used it maybe 4-5 times total. She hates holding hands and ever since she could walk despises the stroller. 2 of the times weve used it were at the airport its a lifesaver to get a squirmy impatient tot through security. Funny story (not really at the time though) First time going through security she bolted. i went after her and the security guards let her run past but tackled me. SERIOUSLY! my tot was now MIA and i was being treated like a psycho. LUCKILY an elderly woman we had been chatting with in line saw everything and sent her grandson after her and he got her in seconds and brought her back to the security point. Where her dad took her cause i was being whisked behind the blue certain to be frisked. NEVER in my life had i been so scared and then embarrassed. So from that point on the harness went on to go through security. LOL We took ours to DL with us for her 2nd bday and had no use for it because crowds at the time were light and i was able to keep up with her and lines were short. We took it to Boo at the ZOO where it was very dark and crowded (to crowded for a stroller even if shed stay in it) and it was great. Weve used it at local farmers markets where it can be very crowded and also at the Fair. I have on more than one occassion been seperated from her by rude people who crowd in front of you not caring if you have a child with you or not. I have had people look at her make eye contact with me and then step between us and stop blocking me from her. SO RUDE! so i am a HUGE supporter of properly using a harness in appropriate situations. Which to me is any situation you as a parent deem necessary to protect your child and save your sanity LOL. NOW i have seen people where i live using them to not have to watch there child and just idly dragging a child behind them and this irks me to the point of almost saying something but like i say parenting is like picking your butt in public everyone is judging you with there own opinions. 🙂
I just bought one for my 3rd child, especially for our trips to the zoo when I take my three kids (6, 4, and 2) by myself. It is such a relief to not have to carry my 2 year old everywhere and sometimes one of my bigger kids need to be picked up to see something and I don’t have to worry about my 2 year old boy running away while I do that. Its such a relief to know he is so close. We don’t need it for regular trip to the grocery store, mall, or parks but it is a life saver at the zoo. My harness doesn’t have an animal on it (only $3 though) but the strap can be removed or used as a wrist strap. I can put the harness on in the morning but I don’t have to attach the cord if I don’t want to. Its also comfortable for him to sit back in it or lay down so I don’t have to take it on/off through the day.
I encourage you to do what you find is best. It has nothing to do with bad parenting and not teaching your child to hold hands/stay close/ or use the stroller. Its about an indpendent young child who will learn those things but not get lost or give his parent heart failure in the process. Each child has a different temperment, needs, and personality. For some the leash is the way to go!
Kelly, I have to say I was one of those that would glance at those and be like aw those poor kids! When my daughter was younger around 2 we had purchased one because she would just bolt. She still bolts but at Disney she has a bit of fear of crowds so she just stays in her stroller and stays next to me. But believe me those people that give you the looks are just the negative people. Like the previous poster said, if you have a child that runs in the parking lot then it’s better to be safe and embarrassed rather than be sorry. I love my daughter so much that I would be so upset if anything happened to her lost or hit by a car (which a friend of mine did get hit by a car at Disney years ago). I would rather deal with the looks and be looking out for what is in my daughter’s best interest than to not be looking into what is safe for her. That is how I look at it, and that’s how it makes me feel better. If you get the ones with the backpack the kids love putting stuff in it! My daughter hated wearing it after awhile though 🙁 So Eeyore is on the shelf and so is Cody (our dog one) lol.
Tabbatha…I just love your story and I love your insight….lol. So funny! Thank you so very much for stopping by!
I just want to say thank you to all of you for your kind words and stories. You have made my day!! Hope you stop by again real soon!! :0)
I think the ones who look down on your for using a harness are non parents! I was one of those. I hated them! I thought the ones without the animal as a “backpack” made the children look like a seeing eye dog/ child! I swore I would never use one…. but fast forward to my first son!! We used one for a day during our last trip to WDW. We would have used it more but in December the weather was so cold he chose to stay in the stroller with blankets on him! Using the harness let him stretch his legs and walk with us, like a big boy! I didn’t get any strange looks, that I was aware of. I don’t use it when we walk around the neighborhood or go to the store, but it was great at the parks!!
Beth I agree. I used to think that way until I had Lucas…he is a great boy but very active…lol. Thank you so much for the input…it makes me feel so much better. :0)