There are kids with behavioural issues or kids on the spectrum, it doesn’t mean they or the parents are bad people. I never agreed with the kid leash and still don’t use it but after 3 years with an autistic toddler, I don’t blame anyone for using them. Would you rather that child be running lose or running circles around you? Don’t criticize people’s parenting, especially if you don’t know their situation or have never raised a special needs child.
It gave us a little peace of mind when our autistic child was a toddler. He had just started eloping and he was very fast and very sneaky. Holding his hand wasn’t always feasible and we wanted to encourage some freedom and independence so a backpack with a tether was a good option, especially in crowded areas. He was free to explore something if it interested him but the gentle tug gave him enough physical feedback to understand that he needed to stay close to us. Now that he’s older we can just verbally remind him to stay close if he starts wandering off.
There are kids with behavioural issues or kids on the spectrum, it doesn’t mean they or the parents are bad people. I never agreed with the kid leash and still don’t use it but after 3 years with an autistic toddler, I don’t blame anyone for using them. Would you rather that child be running lose or running circles around you? Don’t criticize people’s parenting, especially if you don’t know their situation or have never raised a special needs child.
It gave us a little peace of mind when our autistic child was a toddler. He had just started eloping and he was very fast and very sneaky. Holding his hand wasn’t always feasible and we wanted to encourage some freedom and independence so a backpack with a tether was a good option, especially in crowded areas. He was free to explore something if it interested him but the gentle tug gave him enough physical feedback to understand that he needed to stay close to us. Now that he’s older we can just verbally remind him to stay close if he starts wandering off.