About eight year ago I was in a grocery store with my mother. We were walking in the fruit section, when I noticed that a small child was wearing a harness/leash. A new shipment of grape fruits had just been stacked into as pyramid. While the child's mother was looking over a few apples, the toddler made a mad dash towards the grape fruit pyramid. Before he could touch the fruit his mother/guardian yanked the leash, sending the flying backward onto the floor. Being a tween then, I am ashamed to say that burst into uncontrollable laughter.
Three days ago I was driving down the street and saw another mother/guardian walking a toddler on a leash. I began wondering if there are, for lack of a better phrase, "leash laws" when it comes to child safety. One of the major risks a child and parent faces when a leash is used is asphyxiation. The corrective action may not have been done to cause personal injury, nonetheless injury is a realsitic possiblity. Also, being attached to a leash/harness can being emotionally scaring for some children. For example, if a child was seen in public, wearing the leash/harness, by his or her peer, the child could potenially be picked on. The following quote is from a parents point of view.
"It's not like these chokers can actually hurt the children," said Phyllis Abel, who has trained three of her own children with the child choker. "It's simply a device that allows a greater measure of control over an otherwise uncontrollable child. The choker isn't meant to harm or punish the child, but rather teach and instruct them on their movements. It's completely reasonable."
http://www.thetoque.com/human_interest/putting_the_leash_on_child_choker...
Some parents find the leash beneficial and some find it inhumane. Is it wrong to correct a childs behavior with a leash?
How exactly would a leash that goes around the child's torso cause asphyxiation? It's kind of physically impossible.
I believe my mother used a leash on me for a bit to make sure I didn't wander too far. It attached to my wrist and let her keep me close and within reach while letting me have some independance and freedom.
I believe leashes are beneficial. To be honest, I was put on a leash before as a kid, because I would get lost. This made me feel secure, so I will not have to deal with the emotional baggage when I got lost. I soon would prove myself more responsible not to get lost.
I too, was put on a leash for a short while as a toddler. My mother was just making sure I didn't wander off too far and get lost. She told me that she always thought they seemed inhumane when she was younger, but when she actually had kids it seemed to make more sense. XD
From what I remember, it never really bothered me, I actually thought it was kind of funny!
Also, it's like what Kiota said - a leash that goes around a child's torso can't really cause asphyxiation.
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I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure--which is:
Try to please everybody.
--Herbert Bayard Swope