Flashback: Leash Law

Until Xander was 38 months he was a runner. Anytime we went out in public he refused to hold your hand, and would run away at the first chance ... laughing with glee.

Of course planning a 23 day trip in Europe and Russia scared me to death. I just pictured him getting lost at the airport, a train station, or worse running into traffic and getting smashed like a pancake.

So what did I do? What every self respecting modern mother would do... I posted my question to mothers groups. I got advice like, "you need to be firm," "don't go out in public until he'll hold your hand," "was your son breastfed?"

The adoption boards weren't much more help. "It could be a sensory integration disorder, have you had him evaluated for Early Intervention?" "I would never take a three year old on a 23 day trip in Europe and Russia, don't you have family that can babysit?"

Finally, I found a conversation about using a leash. What to do? I'm opposed to putting a leash on a child ... aren't I?

So I started researching leashes. Target sells the Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy. See in the land of child leashes they aren't called leashes, they are called harnesses. It is a cute stuffed animal backpack with a tail. The tail is the leash. So I went out and bought one. The little monkey.  We tried it at home, and Xander  really liked it.

Our mistake, we didn't try it out in public. In fact, the first time we tried it out was at the airport, and it was a disaster.  Our little Xander was an indiscriminate runner. At dinner Xander made a bee line for the people mover, Jonathan instinctively grabbed the leash, and Xander's flew backwards onto his back, cracking his head on the floor. The whole world turned and stared.

At that moment I should have thrown the little buddy out, but I didn't. We carried it for 23 days, and never used it. Instead, we strapped Xander into his stroller. The stroller is a miraculous device, it is fool proof in stopping the runner. We did go to lot's of parks to run our wee one, but we never used the leash again.

So, is the leash a bad idea. If you have an enthusiastic runner it is. Especially if they exert any force in their run. If you have a gentle wanderer who just needs to be guided back then it probably is okay. Folks swear by their leash ... but the only cure that I found to the runner is time.

Shortly after we returned home our 38 month old held our hands when we walked in public and stopped running away.