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Childhood Unleashed? By Staff Reporter Erin E. Schmidt
It’s certainly eye-catching: an adult walks by holding a leash. At the other end, there is a child.
If you haven’t seen a child leash (or child safety harness, or safety tether, as they are sometimes called)
before, you’ll either love the idea or hate it. Lively discussions about the pros and cons of child leashes
abound on the Internet, on sites such as www.parenting-weblog.com.
The typical anti-leash argument goes something like this: Leashes are cruel and humiliating. After all, this is a
human child, not an animal. Leashes give the parent an excuse to be lazy and pay virtually no attention to the
child. Children need to learn through trial and error, or through the steady corrections of the parent, not to
wander off in crowds or play in the street.
For other parents, however, the leash is heaven-sent. Those who disparage the leash, they say, must not
have children of their own. Toddlers can be both quick and unpredictable, pulling out of even the most
attentive parent’s grasp in the blink of an eye. The harness adjusts to the child’s size, fits comfortably, and (in
some cases) doubles as a handy backpack. Besides, it’s cute, and children adore their stuffed animal harness
“buddies.”
If you haven’t seen a child leash (or child safety harness, or safety tether, as they are sometimes called)
before, you’ll either love the idea or hate it. Lively discussions about the pros and cons of child leashes
abound on the Internet, on sites such as www.parenting-weblog.com.
The typical anti-leash argument goes something like this: Leashes are cruel and humiliating. After all, this is a
human child, not an animal. Leashes give the parent an excuse to be lazy and pay virtually no attention to the
child. Children need to learn through trial and error, or through the steady corrections of the parent, not to
wander off in crowds or play in the street.
For other parents, however, the leash is heaven-sent. Those who disparage the leash, they say, must not
have children of their own. Toddlers can be both quick and unpredictable, pulling out of even the most
attentive parent’s grasp in the blink of an eye. The harness adjusts to the child’s size, fits comfortably, and (in
some cases) doubles as a handy backpack. Besides, it’s cute, and children adore their stuffed animal harness
“buddies.”
Ed is one such leash proponent. He was in
Mishawaka recently, visiting his daughter and her
son Stanton on Edgewater Drive. Stanton is
somewhere near two years old. Ed wanted to
take him for a walk, but avoid the dangers of
Stanton wandering too close to the street. With
the aid of Stanton’s adorable monkey backpack
harness, Ed and Stanton could enjoy their walk
together.
Ed doesn’t remember exactly where Stanton got
the backpack, but believes Stanton’s mom picked
it up during a trip to St. Louis. They’re also
available online; www.kustommemories.com sells
them for about $13.
Mishawaka recently, visiting his daughter and her
son Stanton on Edgewater Drive. Stanton is
somewhere near two years old. Ed wanted to
take him for a walk, but avoid the dangers of
Stanton wandering too close to the street. With
the aid of Stanton’s adorable monkey backpack
harness, Ed and Stanton could enjoy their walk
together.
Ed doesn’t remember exactly where Stanton got
the backpack, but believes Stanton’s mom picked
it up during a trip to St. Louis. They’re also
available online; www.kustommemories.com sells
them for about $13.
If you want to keep your little sprinter safe, but
don’t like the look of the leash, there is an
electronic alternative. TBO Tech, a company that
sells stun guns and other “self-defense products,”
also offers the Child Guard monitor. Instead of
strapping the child into a harness, the parent clips
a cartoon-animal-shaped transmitter onto the
child’s clothes. The transmitter sends signals to a
receiver, which the parent holds. The parent
programs the receiver to begin beeping if the
transmitter gets more than a set number of feet,
from six to thirty, away.
The constant beeps are, perhaps, less annoying
than angry stares from anti-leash fellow shoppers
at the mall.
Whether you love the concept or hate it, there are
some children for whom leashes are simply a
good idea. Most of them are toddlers. I can think
of a parent or two who would like to keep their
teenagers on a tether . . . but the teenager-proof
harness has yet to be invented. Kids these days
are too smart for their own good.
don’t like the look of the leash, there is an
electronic alternative. TBO Tech, a company that
sells stun guns and other “self-defense products,”
also offers the Child Guard monitor. Instead of
strapping the child into a harness, the parent clips
a cartoon-animal-shaped transmitter onto the
child’s clothes. The transmitter sends signals to a
receiver, which the parent holds. The parent
programs the receiver to begin beeping if the
transmitter gets more than a set number of feet,
from six to thirty, away.
The constant beeps are, perhaps, less annoying
than angry stares from anti-leash fellow shoppers
at the mall.
Whether you love the concept or hate it, there are
some children for whom leashes are simply a
good idea. Most of them are toddlers. I can think
of a parent or two who would like to keep their
teenagers on a tether . . . but the teenager-proof
harness has yet to be invented. Kids these days
are too smart for their own good.
Colorful swirls of chalk decorate the sidewalk on Kamm Island in July |
