34-year-old Clint Edwards explained why he has no shame in putting his 3-year-old child on a leash.
His decision to do this sparked debate among parents. Some are against the bizarre act while others agree that putting your toddler on a leash can help ensure their safety.
When Edwards was growing up, his father was never there for him. So when it was the time for him to build a family, he realized that he didn’t have anyone to look to as an example.
That’s when he took to the online parenting community with his blog called No Idea What I’m Doing and shared some of his stories of discovering things to new parents like him.
Edwards wrote, “I’m making it up as I go,” and from the looks of it, it seems like he is doing a great job!
But when he took to Facebook to share a personal parenting practice, he received a lot of negative feedback both online and in public.
Several months ago, Edwards and his loving wife decided to use a child-leash for their three-year-old daughter, Aspen, whenever they go to crowded public areas.
The adorable toddler, who Edwards affectionately refers to as his ‘wild child,’ wears a backpack with a tether to let her go around yet still within reach of her parents.
According to her parents, Aspen often runs away to explore what has caught her eye. For Edwards, putting her on a leash as they visit crowded places seemed to be the best solution.
This is also true since the 3-year-old girl is prone to Nursemaid’s Elbow, a common injury that is also called a pulled elbow.
Edwards wouldn’t want to hold onto her arm when she wants to escape because it could cause her joint to pop out! Her elbow already got dislocated two times before.
It was during their vacation at Disneyland when the couple decided to use the leash with Aspen. However, they received judgmental looks and snide comments from other parents.
On his Facebook post, he defends their decision to put their 3-year-old on a leash as it is the safest solution.
He wrote: “I’m keeping this kid safe while maintaining my peace of mind, and that’s 100% worth it.”
He also said that they don’t plan on using the leash within six months or so. They also hope that Aspen will respond better to verbal instructions and grow out of her unpredictable ways.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think that it is understandable to put your toddler on a leash when visiting crowded public areas? Let us know in the comments section below!
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