Kid harnesses: OK or not OK?
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Monday, March 08, 2010
Last week, we posted a "question of the day" on our Facebook wall asking parents what they thought
of harnesses for kids.
The reaction we got surprised us, from "leashes are for dogs, not
children" to "better safe than sorry," with a healthy dose of
back-and-forth. So we thought we'd check in with some experts. We
posed the question to three different parenting experts, and here's
what they said:
John Rosemond, "traditional
parenting" expert
"I think they're very civilized. They allow a child a fair degree
of freedom while still ensuring safety. People tend to have a
knee-jerk and, I think silly, emotional reaction because they
associate it with treating the child like a dog. I just think
that's foolish. Tethers allow parents to teach their child
patiently what he can and cannot touch, which cannot be done from a
stroller."
Mike
Ruggles, developmental therapist and star of ABC's
"Super-Manny"
"Harnesses are like anything else: If used intelligently and for the right reasons, I don't have a problem with it. If you have a really hyperactive child who's going to bolt at any second, or a low-functioning special-needs child, they can be useful. They're meant for safety, and if parents are using them for convenience, they should recheck their parenting skills. "
Fran Walfish,
child and family therapist
"Toddlers need to learn the internal place of worry when they get
too far away from Mommy. He is testing the waters by separating
from Mommy, then he turns, looks over his shoulder to see that
Mommy is still there, and returns with his independent discovery.
Toddler phase is about practicing separation and checking in to
reaffirm the attachment. Harnesses sabotage this critical piece of
child development."
Our picks
leashes for my twinsBy Julia on Friday, October 21, 2011 I am teacher and a mother of 4 children. My children are 7, 5 and 22 month old twins. I am usually by myself with my children when we venture out to do errands or go to the park. There are times where it is not convenient to use a stroller or I don't want to use it and I need added security with the backpack "leash". Before I had my twins, I didn't see the reason for having one. I had 2 hands, one for each child. Going from 2 children to 4 is a different story. Any parent of multiples knows how hard it is. My sons love wearing their backpack, and give them to me to put them on them when we go places. I hold their hand while they are wearing their backpacks so they learn the importance of holding my hand while crossing a street or parking lot. I get a lot of positive comments from parents like "That is a great idea., I should have done that. Where did you buy that?" When we go to the children's museum, I leave their backpacks on, but take off the leash part so that they have some freedom to explore. I'd rather get the strange looks once in a while rather than have one of my children run off and get hurt or lost. They are not going to wear them forever. |
Doesn't Teach The ChildBy Nora Parkman on Friday, October 21, 2011 As an early childhood educator I have a major problem with leashes for children. I see them as an excuse to not teach your child proper behavior. My children were not in a stroller, nor did they hold my hand constantly, they were taught how far was ok to wander, what the rules were in public and what was a situation that they needed to be close. I feel that harnesses don't make the child learn the skills of public places and crowd safety. When I see a harness on a child I see a parent who has failed to take the time to teach an important skill and take authority over their child. |
"question of the day"
By Yesel on Friday, October 21, 2011
I believe in it. Its wonderful to have a sense of security. It was either put it on or don't go for a walk or to the park. My son was very hyper and did not understand the dangers of running freely. My son has autism and i didn't know it at the time. So whatever i said or did not work. Eventually he can do without it. But by the way he actually liked having it on he bring it to me so i can put it on him.