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Should Toddlers Wear a Leash for Safety?
Two Moms and an Expert Sound Off
By Lisa A. Goldstein
Passo says she's all for keeping a child safe, and maybe in an extenuating circumstance like triplets in an airport, a leash could be useful. "But overall, if we need to rely on a leash system to keep our children safe, we may as well wrap them in bubble padding and lock them in our homes for 18 years," she says. "For a child that is too young to process the concept of staying close by or holding hands or too little to keep up, the next best option is a stroller."
What Does the Expert Say?
"Practically, children on leashes in very crowded venues seems like a reasonable safety measure," says Dr. Carol Steltenkamp, a mom and pediatrician at the University of Kentucky Children's Hospital. "Socially, one could compare it to how we treat our pets. So which is correct? Do we love and value our pets more than our children, or do we just need to keep a better watch over our kids?"