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Home › Articles › Parent Reflections › Should Toddlers Wear a Leash for Safety?

Should Toddlers Wear a Leash for Safety?

Two Moms and an Expert Sound Off

By Lisa A. Goldstein

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Do toddlers need a leash because they're too young to listen? "Unless deaf, all children are able to listen," Dr. Steltenkamp says. "Parents, however, may be a bit short of patience, which is not a good reason to use a leash on your child. Mobile toddlers that do not understand that they are to stay near their caregiver may be made safer on a leash in certain situations."

Indeed, there is a time and a place that is appropriate. A quick trip into a crowded department store may not warrant getting the stroller in and out of the car, but a leash could keep your little one within arm's reach, Dr. Steltenkamp says. A leisurely stroll through the mall would likely be more conducive to using the stroller.

Some people feel that leashes help protect children from predators and other dangers. Dr. Steltenkamp says there is no literature to support the thought that leashes offer more protection or safety for your child. "Vigilance is the best form of protection," she says.

If the leash solution works for you at a given time and place, go ahead and use it, Dr. Steltenkamp says. Just like the car seat or stroller, there will be times when your child will not be happy about the restraint, but she'll get used to it. As a parent, pick your battles – if not using the leash is an option at that moment, maybe try it again another time.

"Using a leash on your child may appear unseemly, but it may also offer a very viable alternative in a crowd with your little one," Dr. Steltenkamp says.

Holiday Shopping Tips

Malls tend to be crowded places any time of the year, but during the holidays they're even more chaotic. Here are some tips for tackling the hectic mall environment during the holiday shopping season from Rebecca Passo, a busy working mother of a baby and toddler:

  • Shop online.
  • If you must go to the mall, go to the Web site in advance and look at the floor plan. Map out your shopping list accordingly. This way you can park close to the stores you need to hit without wasting time in sections you don't and you can have a system to get to the stores in order without backtracking.
  • Grab something – anything from a book to a stuffed animal – to distract your toddler when you walk into a store.
  • Try on clothes in the children's department. All department stores have one, and they're bigger and usually stocked with toys. Take two sizes of each item so you don't have to go back to another floor to get the next size.


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