my son is 2 years old. and if I let him walk beside me by himself he would go all over the place. now that I've been using my toddler harness he is great, he does not stray from me!! some times I let the harness go 2 see what he does and he just follows me, like he didn't even know that I've let go. the reason I'm so afraid to let walk by himself is because I don't want anything bad to happen to him. like being kidnapped or something worse. my question is why don't they have more laws/rules stating that toddlers should be harnessed? I konw of 1 state that has those laws/rules. why won't they have those laws else where? Like maybe there wouldn't be as many kidnappings?
Please help!!
No mean/joke answers please?
2006-12-21 20:19:19 · 15 answers · asked by ceriseypoo 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
by the way the harness swivvels so that means it won't choke him
2006-12-21 20:22:51 · update #1
by the way he has a stroller and I do use it but he also needs to burn energy/start walking, like in stores, crowds ect..
2006-12-21 20:26:55 · update #2
I think using a harness is a great idea, especially in this day and age. Children that young are little bundles of energy and can dart away into danger in a flash. This summer I went to a parade with a couple of friends they had their child on one of those monkey back pack harnesses. At one point whena a carload of clowns come by throwing candy the first notice we had of movement from him was when the harness stopped him from running into the road! On the other side I saw a rather amusing incident at Cal Expo, (state fair) where a parent with triplets on harnesses and another parent's harnessed children all converged at the same place, at the same time, what a tangled mess that become! While I agree we are supposed to be teaching our children boundaries and disipline, toddlers are learning new things every waking moment and they do this by exploring. As such I believe a harness has it's uses in the proper place at the proper time like in a crowded mall, airport, busy city street etc. I would not condone their use in places like a community park, (unless it was very crowded). As far as making it a law...I wouldn't go that far, we have too much "Big Brother" in our lives now when it comes to our children and parenting, it is just another law that would have the capability to be abused through misinterpetation. I think you are being a good mom by recognizing that you cannot be aware of everything all the time and this helps you be more vigilant. But please don't be a crusader for a law that would be another intrusion into our personal lives.
2006-12-21 23:06:04 · answer #1 · answered by ronrlogan 5 · 4⤊ 1⤋
I don't know why but people tend to think that it's like walking a dog. So there for you are treating you child like an animal. I have 2 very active boys and once they learned to walk they refused to ride in the stroller. So I bought one of those harnesses that go over their chest and has the "lead" in the back. You can probably imagine the looks of disgust I Would get when I would Put my kids on the"leash"
But I would just look at them and say That I know where my child is Do you? more often than not those parents would get a panicked look on their face and quickly look around just to be sure.
2006-12-23 04:21:49 · answer #2 · answered by blue_eyed_brat78 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree. When I was younger and didn't have kids I thought people that used harnesses were treating their kids like dogs but when I grew up and had children of my own I can totally understand it now. I tried one with with son when he was a toddler. It only strapped around his wrist but he was a runner and would take off from me in a heartbeat (hence I needed the harness). There are a lot of crazy people out there that will do terrible things to children and the closer they are to the parent while they are younger then the better. Unfortunately we didn't use the harness very long because he learned how to get out of it but I think they are a great idea. Come to find out my son has PDD and ADHD so the harness was a great asset to have!
2006-12-22 01:39:58 · answer #3 · answered by party_pam 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I don't think it should be a law for a parent to use a harness to keep your child with you. I used a harness on only 1 of mine because she is very distracted by all the neat things in the store and It helped her learn to stay with me. Keep up the good work in protecting your child.
2006-12-22 06:19:31 · answer #4 · answered by Sassy 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you, I have 3 children and am due to have my 4th any day now. My last child, just turned three, I used the harness on her. I felt like I was stared at constantly. You have some who think that it is great, some who don't. The only thing I care about is her safety. The harness was a well padded monkey that rode on her back. She loved it! The main thing is keeping her with me. They disappear soooo fast, in crowds, racks of clothes, and it is not because I don't keep an eye on her. Toddlers are quick and it only takes about 5 secs. for someone to grab them or for them to wonder off. I agree with you on the law. There are tooo many dangers out there.
2006-12-21 21:25:08 · answer #5 · answered by CJ 1 · 4⤊ 2⤋
i use a toddler harness occasionaly for my 2 year old to get her used to walking in crowds and teaching her to stay beside me. Now that im pregnant again, shes too heavy for me to carry all the time. I use the stroller mainly when we go to outdoor flea markets fairs etc etc. i use strollers and carts whenever possible though. I dont think that there should be laws about keeping your toddler in a harness although kids running around stores wildly is a pet peeve of mine
2006-12-21 21:14:00 · answer #6 · answered by llllll_amanda_lllllll 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋
I dont care for the harnassing of children, allthough I understand the desire to do so. Repitition teaches toddlers. It can be very difficult going places....but, by being stern towards your child and teaching the proper rules for each situation you encouter and repeating them frequently the outings become enjoyable.
Dangerous situations require a little more attention. Like NEVER EVER walk into a street, for NO reason. Talk to your child about these things and when you are out and about, show your child examples of other people doing things wrong and right. Talk about strangers and common sense solutions to their problems. I talk to my kids strait up without sugar coating much.
2006-12-22 06:21:05 · answer #7 · answered by micmac_9 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My daughter ran off in the airport, (my husband was getting our bags)I was pregnant and heavy so i couldnt really run. If she had ran outside, she could have been killed by the amount of trafic on the road. It scared me so much, i never used a harness but i keep her strapped in her pram when it just me. I think they are good for safety and people that are against them must be wonderwomen or supermen to keep their on their children all the time. It only takes a second for them to run.
2006-12-21 22:07:53 · answer #8 · answered by lividuva 3 · 5⤊ 1⤋
I don't really understand the harness.. Yes, when my son was 2 he was running everywhere, but that's when I grabbed his little hand and made him walk with me.. He didn't like it, but all it took was a couple of times and he never strayed again.. It's called discipline... I just don't see the need to put kids on leashes.. We as parents have to teach them the right way.. And on the kidnapping thing.. That's not going to help.. You can keep your kid safe... A harness is not going to save him like a human being could.. I don't mean to be ugly, I just hate when I see the harness'.. I feel as though it's an easy way out for parents who don't want to take the time to teach their kids the right way.. Good luck to you
2006-12-22 00:17:58 · answer #9 · answered by Kat0312 4 · 1⤊ 5⤋
I've seen those harnesses but to be honest when I see people using them especially with just one child to keep an eye on, I see it as the parent not willing to teach the child to stay by their side.
A child has got to be taught at an early age to stay by their parent, hold their hand and listen.
If my child ran off.. quite frankly I would grab her up and bring her back, making her sit on the floor (If I am in a clothing store just browsing at clothes) or hold my hand.
I'd also use the stroller for when they don't care to listen.. I'd threaten them they will go in there if they don't stand by my side.
AND I'd follow through so they know I am not kidding.
Good luck!
2006-12-22 00:06:29 · answer #10 · answered by Momto2 2 · 2⤊ 4⤋