As we approach the height of vacation season, when families make many a voyage to new, exciting, crowded locations that require a lot of walking, millions of parents will plan this time by making decisions about how to survive the fun. How many snacks to bring; when to take bathroom breaks; where and when to take naps and, of course, how the little ones will get around. Some choose baby carrier, others a stroller, but no choice is as controversial as the kid leash. I am here to defend the leash, because using a kid leash doesn't make you a bad mom.
First and foremost: we have way bigger problems than deciding whether or not a harness on a child is damaging, lazy, ridiculous, or any other pejorative term used to describe parents who use leashes on their kids. Seriously, I don't even know how one develops a particularly vociferous or negative opinion on this. Especially considering, in recent news cycles, parents are being blamed for not watching their kid closely enough. Whether it's a young boy falling into a gorilla pit at a zoo, or a young boy being dragged into a lagoon by an alligator; parents who don't have leashes on their kids are being attacked for not "watching their child closely," and parents who do leash their kids are being attacked for being "too cautious," and not allowing their children to experience freedom.
If you don't like baby leashes, that's fine! Don't use them. There are a million other child conveyance options out there for you. What's the point in getting bent out of shape if someone else goes for it? It's madness, folks. We must end this madness. So, in an effort to combat that madness, here are a few reasons why choosing to harness your kid, doesn't make you a bad mother. We're all just trying to do our best.