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Dad blogger, Clint Edwards, shares he will go to whatever lengths he needs to keep his child safe.

The father of three has honestly stated, “I’m going to do whatever I can to keep her out of danger, even if it means a leash.”

Sharing on his Facebook page, No Idea What I’m Doing: A Daddy Blog, Clint wrote…

“We were at the farmers market. No shame. I put this kid on a leash.

She’s a wild child, and this thing has already kept her out of the road and from sticking her hand in an ice cream machine, along with keeping me sane.

The real difficulty with having a wild child is that you are damned if you do, and dammed if you don’t. Because the fact is, if I didn’t put Aspen on a leash while at amusement parks, the zoo, a crowded mall, or the farmers market, she’d be the lost child announced over the intercom. She’d be the kid popping up in every Facebook feed for wandering into a shopping center parking lot, unattended. She could be the child climbing into the tiger cage. Because I can’t, for the life of me, keep her from moving. Her curiosity is incredible, and for only having a 12 inch stride, she moves faster than any Olympian.

And sure, I get dirty looks from strangers.

In fact, I’ll probably get some “I’m the perfect parent and this is why you suck” comments on this post. And to you I say this, “I’m keep this kid safe while maintaining my piece of mind, and that is 100% worth it.” Because the reality is she’ll calm down. She’ll figure it out, because all kids do. But until that day comes, I’m going to do whatever I can to keep her out of danger, even if it means a leash.”

His post has attracted over 4,900 shares and over 4,700 comments.

Read more from Clint on No Idea What I’m Doing: A Daddy Blog – Facebook and Blog.

I had a leash for my youngest child. It was a cute little monkey backpack and he LOVED it.  I just felt safer and less stressed doing the school pickup in peak hour traffic chaos knowing he couldn’t just bolt straight across the road.

How do you feel about kids on a leash?

Share your comments below.

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  • My motto has always been Safety First. Some parents are lucky that their child holds their hand continuously and doesn’t let go once they walk out the yard until they get home again.

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  • My father lost me in a shopping centre when I was a kid. So if I had this then it probably wouldn’t have been an issue.

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  • I have done the same. I got looks also but its so much safer. I know what kids can be like as should anyone with kids unless their blessed with the perfect children. I would still use one if I had to ????

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  • I have done the same. I got looks also but its so much safer. I know what kids can be like as should anyone with kids unless their blessed with the perfect children. I would still use one if I had to ????

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  • I have done the same. I got looks also but its so much safer. I know what kids can be like as should anyone with kids unless their blessed with the perfect children. I would still use one if I had to ????

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  • I don’t judge you at all. I respect your need to keep your child safe.

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  • As far as I’m concerned Clint is keeping his daughter safe. Take no notice of the nitpickers

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  • I had three children and one (the oldest) was particularly active and always on the go. I had an elastic type twisty plastic thing with Velcro on each end to attach to my wrist and to his. He didn’t like it, but with two younger children to tend to it kept him off the road or out of the way and safe so I could try and take care of all of them. My dad often told me when he and my mum had us as young children (six in nine years) they had harnesses etc., whatever they needed to keep us safe, and would get stares and looks, and sometimes comments like “They are children – not animals”. He said they tried to ignore such, usually childless, people but it wasn’t nice. Keeping your children safe is always far more important than what other people may think, or even say.

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  • I’d rather be judged for putting a thomas the tank engine backback with a leash on my son than mourn the death of my son because in a split second he got away. Its responsible.

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  • Good on u dad you do whatever works for u

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  • You do what works best for your family and the most important thing is the children are safe and happy that’s all any of us parents are really trying to achieve.

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  • Yep. I had a leash too for my elder 2! ZERO regrets. I did my job and kept my kids safe, in anyway I needed to. The eldest are 7 and 5, they worked it out and stopped using the leash at around 4. They’re not damaged because they were leashed as toddlers.

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  • Again, people should stop judging others and focus on their own lives. I wish I had used a leash… my son was a runner.

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  • I agree with the Dad in this post. He has put his case forward and it makes sense. Also, they sell these leashes for this exact reason. In the end each parent has to do what works for them.


    • The photo makes the leash look quite discreet and part of the backpack and safety is of the most paramount importance.

    Reply

  • Well, if that child is comfortable with the leash, why not? He knows his kid best!

    Reply

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