I have a bone to pick with some of the “parents” that I see in these streets. It’s in quotes because the ones I’m talking about aren’t what I consider real parents, they’re simply baby makers! Yeah, they may have gotten a lil frisky without protection, but the way they treat their children makes me wonder about their parenting skills sometimes!
The other day for instance, I was on the train heading home and this lady was so annoyed with her daughter that she was saying some off brand shit like “Get her away from me, I can’t stand her” to what appeared to be her husband in public. Dude looked so embarrassed! Don’t get me wrong, I have an ankle biter a son, and he can definitely be a handful at times, but you’ll never catch me even remotely acting as though he’s an annoyance to me in public. (You will, however, see me disciplining his lil ass, because I’m not about to have a disrespectful, no-etiquette-having child with my last name running these streets.)
It’s like these people out here don’t realize that they’re raising a child. Shit, one of the prerequisites of being a child is annoying the fcuk outta your parents. Think back to when you were a kid, you probably drove your parents insane! I know I fcuk’n did! I got too many memories…lol!
Anyway, lemme get to the actual point of this post…
What is up with having kids on these child harnesses leashes? 
I don’t care what Eddie Bauer, Jeep, Care 1st and the rest of the companies that make them call them – it’s still a leash. Doesn’t matter if there’s a fluffy bear or Mickey Mouse on it – it’s a damn leash. You should be ashamed of yourself for buying that shit and putting it on your child.
Thankfully I don’t personally know anyone that uses that shit! But if I did, I’m pretty sure their reasoning would be something like …
- Lil Billy doesn’t listen to me
- Lil Becka runs off when she’s in public
- Lil Bobby behaves like a lil animal when we go out
It’s not a coincidence that I used more Anglo-Saxon names in those examples. I went to an all-white high school, so I have an honorary pass to make fun of them a lil bit…lol! Seriously though, I’ve only seen white parents with their kids on leashes. That said, I have white friends who have kids and I’ve never seen any of them doing that nonsense. So don’t go around thinking that I’m saying all white parents do that dumb shit.
Now that the disclaimer is outta the way, back to the matter at hand…
I really just don’t get it! I live in DC and my son is based in NY. I wish I saw him more often, but the circumstances don’t allow for it. That said, even though I’m not there on a daily basis, I don’t need a leash to discipline his lil ass. All I gotta do is either give him the evil eye or say his full name, and it’s a wrap. He automatically stops in his tracks and it’s probable that the water works will start. Proud to say, I inherited that from my moms! Funny thing is she gets mad when I do that to her lil grandson, like she don’t still do that shit to me…lol!
Oh, and don’t think that my lil guy’s a lil bitch wimp because he’s not. I get weekly calls that he’s getting in trouble at day care for bullying bigger kids than him. That’s right, my son is a muh fcuk’n lil G. Secretly though, I’m waiting for the day that one of those bigger kids teach him a lesson and beats his lil ass. That’s right, I wrote it! I love my son to death, but bullying ain’t cute and I don’t condone that shit at all.
But I digress…
You won’t ever catch me putting a leash on my son! Even though we’re co-parenting from different states, you won’t find his mother doing that dumb shit either! If she ever let God outta her thoughts and tried that shit, I’d have custody before the end of the day…Not even joking!
Call it pride, but public perception plays a role in this too. I think a leash is a visible symbolization (I swear I thought I was making up this word, but no red squiggly line appeared under it…who knew?) that I have no authority over my child. Fcuk that! Ever heard the saying “don’t air your dirty laundry in public?” It doesn’t quite fit here in it’s intended use, but guess who doesn’t give a fcuk? This guy! *Points thumbs to self* The point I’m trying to make is that even if I’m a failure in something, I’m not going to make it easy for outsiders to figure that out. I’d rather hold my kid’s hand with the GI Joe kung fu grip for the entire time we’re in public than to put a leash on him. It’s called smoke and mirrors people…lol!
That is all…
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I think this article (YOU) is the most racial, ignorant (meaning not well educated) judgmental piece I have ever read. Unlike YOU I am a mother that is with my child EVERYDAY as I believe a mother should be. 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Maybe you should not be so judgmental about people who are actually with their children. And just so you know I was looking into to getting a harness for my child because we are visiting DisneyWorld during one of the busiest times. I am terrified of someone scooping my child up and taking her from right next to me. So I was considering this for what I would consider Peace Of Mind knowing she was literally attached to me. And you certainly aired your dirty laundry in this article. You need to be educated and YOU are not what I would consider a real parent. Mind you, you are supposed to be bringing up a child. HAHA
Amanda-
I personally use a harness in crowded places and was looking for a new one for *our* first trip to Disney with our toddler. (The Mickey Mouse harness attracted me, lol.) which is how i stumbled upon this rediculous post. But anyway you’re absolutely right. It’s about security and your precious child’s safety. You may get some looks but believe me they are worth it knowing that your little one is safe, especially at that age of independence when they want to walk everywhere.
I am the grandmother of 2 wonderful and much loved little boys. I am going to get one of the harnesses for the 2-3 yr old for our trip to Disney World because I value his safety. It has nothing to do with him being uncontrollable. I know he will mind me and his parent(s), I know we all would keep a special eye on him because he is so small, it has everything to do with his safety in such a over crowded, super exciting, very visual place. I trust him, I trust his parent(s) and I know how I would watch him, I don’t trust the public-those sick individuals that pray on little children. The person that wrote this article should try putting themselves in the shoes of others and not be so judgmental. The first thing this person saw was cruelty, try looking past that and see if you can see the good don’t always look at the negative. The harness can be a good thing … and can give the parent (or in my case the grandparent) much piece of mind and allow us to enjoy the boys reactions to Disney, and all it entails more, not having to worry so much about every person that walks by. I may get both boys one now that I have read this article. It’s a sick world out there.
I also stumbled along this post because I was looking for a Disney harness….even as an African American woman, i found this post offensive and stereotypical but i guess you have a right to speak your mind. But I agree with the others, my man reason for this is to allow my child to continue to develop and learn to walk on her own in public without being snatched up in croweded areas or lost because out of the blue she decides to run because she sees something she likes. I also dont want to have to push her around in a stroller all day. I always wonder what people will say when I see my daughter with this on, but I dont care because only a mother knows whats needed for their child while in public. And its not about black and white, its about whats best for THAT child.
I agree with the women above. I personally think it’s wrong for you to comment without knowing each person and their reason for having their child in a harness. I am the mother of an autistic child and he has gotten loose from my grasp on a few occassions. I am not sure if you are aware of children with autism but they do not have any perception of danger. Both times my son almost ran into the street. Fortunately I keep myself in shape and caught up to him otherwise if a car would have been coming in he got into the street he would have been gone. That is the reason why I invested in harness. It has given me peace of mind and my son is safe which is my main priority not what people think. You are entitled to your opinion but you have to keep that people use these harnesses for a reason and bad parenting may not be one of them.
I hope you have learned a few things since you wrote this. Some children, like those with autism, need to be protected. They tend to wander and get lost. My grandson is 5 and has autism. The harness makes outings more enjoyable for him and his parents. He is free to walk and they get to feel more secure about letting him walk. Now back to my search for a new harness………….
Would have been better than a dead, rare gorilla, no?
I totally agree with you. As a parent you need to do everything in your power to protect your child especially in over crowded public facilities. When we went to Disney World my daughter had one on and it gave me peace of mine. Hundreds of children are stolen in public areas every year, Children have stepped out into the road and been hit with a car every year.and if that little boy had one on he would have never fallen into the gorilla pit. Shame on you parents who say a harness is bad.
I also am looking for my child’s safety in crowded Disney! My son is 2 and he has no fear of the world and boy does he love to run, and run fast. He will not stop when I yell his name, and it is not a discipline issue! A 2 year old does not have the cognitive capacity to be “trained” at this age. They are learning discipline and also testing boundaries and extremely curious. I would rather have some dipshit like you judging me with dirty looks and sneers than my child to be taken by some sicko, or end up lost in a crowd.
In my day (when my children were small) it was a different world … you could trust people a little more. As a grandmother, I wouldn’t think of taking my grandchildren to a busy place like a fair, Disney (world or land), Six Flag, Silver Dollar City etc. without thinking of their safety first.