Child Safety Leash or Child Safety harness- Keep your little ones SAFE!
A child safety leash and a child safety harness are used to let little ones explore, but with restrictions. These are typically used by parents for their own peace of mind when they are fearful of their child being abducted. in a crowded street, zoo, a mall, etc.
They also use them while on walks so their child won't dart out onto a busy street and be struck by a car, or get lost. They are a good way to keep track of a child in a busy environment where they can get lost, hurt, disappear, or abducted in an instant.
Although I personally have never used a child safety leash or a child safety harness, I can see where they could be useful when you are out on a walk with several youngsters and have a wanderer in your group that may not want to listen when they are exploring, or like to take off running away from you, or worse- hiding! There have been a couple of instances (in our area) where toddlers have wandered away from their child care providers and were found blocks away- THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN IN A DAY CARE HOME!
There a many issues to cover when we are talking about Child Safety In The Home so please take your time and review all the safety information on my site. Do not ruin your business because of an unneccessary mistake involving child safety!
So what's the difference between a child safety leash and a child safety harness?
I'll explain:
Leashes won't deter the child’s freedom; rather they set solid boundaries so toddlers can learn they're not safe if they run away from you or their mommy or daddy. There are a lot of fun and colorful leashes that sort of make it seem as if they are playing a game.
A child safety leash is made of strong material that are comfortable for the toddler's wrist without being binding. They give them the length of space for them to roam a bit, but you or the parent remain in control. I have asked several daycare parents if they use the leashes. Only a couple do not (They remind them of something you would put on a dog, not a child)However their are several that do use the leashes and their responses have been very positive.
Here is what they think:
- They feel their toddlers are safer when walking with them.
- The toddlers love using them instead of their stroller where they can't get out.
- The toddlers love to run- Parents love that they are getting exercise and they take better naps or sleep better at night.
- "Peace of Mind"
Our friend Shirley R Wrong has used all kinds of restraints on her kids. The ball and chain method, an old horse harness, duct tape, and even a pet taxi!!
Now we don't recommend any of Shirley's methods but it does go to show the extremes people will take to keep the little rascals under control.
A child safety harness is also a restraint for walking with small children. They are a shoulder harness that has a tether secured in the back for you or the parents to secure to their wrist. Some are very simple, while others are like back packs with lots of fun animal shapes like puppies, or zoo animals.
They serve the same purpose as the child safety leash... They are simply another choice for toddler and preschooler safety. There have been arguments over how you shouldn't leash a child like a pet, or that a child safety harness takes away from hand holding... but ultimately it is about the safety of the child. Because of this, more and more parents and providers are using a child safety leash and harness and the use of these is on the increase...
Of course it is impossible to completely keep a child safe- but they are definitely worth considering!
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