Raising children today comes with its own set of challenges. Parents not only have to navigate opinions from family members but also deal with comments from random strangers on the internet about their parenting choices.
Jordan Driskell, a father of five quintuplets, understands this all too well. His quintuplets are all 5 years old, and as you can imagine, keeping an eye on five kids of the same age can be quite overwhelming, especially at an age when children are curious and love to explore.
At 31 years old, Jordan decided to come up with a creative solution. He bought child leashes to manage his energetic little ones when they are out in public.
Previously, Jordan and his family used a cumbersome 6-seat stroller. But that became tiring quickly. The kids found the stroller uncomfortable, and it was very inconvenient to take around.
The leashes allowed the children to explore their surroundings safely, giving them a bit of freedom while ensuring that dad could keep an eye on them and maintain control.
However, when Jordan posted a video of a family outing to the aquarium, the clip received a lot of backlash. The video of the kids on leashes went viral with over 3 million views. Many people criticized the parents, saying that children are not animals and shouldn’t be leashed.
Some comments were harsh, like, “If you can’t handle it, don’t have so many kids.” Others offered stern advice like, “Can’t you just properly train your children? Teach them why running off is dangerous.”
On the other hand, Dr. Deborah Gilboa, an expert in parenting and adolescent development, had a different perspective. She doesn’t believe that using a leash makes a child feel like an animal. She argues that if the choice is between using a leash and staying at home, then a leash is definitely the better option.
Dr. Gilboa stated that a leash is an excellent tool for younger children or neuro-diverse kids to be managed in public settings. However, she pointed out that if a neurotypical child is still on a leash by the age of eight or nine and hasn’t developed good listening skills, that could be a problem.
By that age, children should be able to understand and follow verbal instructions from their parents without the need for leashes or other control tools.
Ultimately, parents should have the freedom to raise their children as they see fit, without facing undue judgment from society.
What are your thoughts on using leashes for children in public? Feel free to share your views in the comments below. Also, share this article with friends and family to see what they think!
