I always thought child leashes were stupid..until I had a child and actually thought about it.
It irks me when I see other parents say things like "Leashes are for lazy parents...I use a stroller." How different is a stroller, really?? It's a rolling baby cage that you strap your kid into. And baby wearing is literally strapping a kid to your body.
To me, lazy parenting is when people use these things inappropriately. Like a parent using a leash being totally unaware that their child is destroying a store display six feet away. Or worse, dragging the child like a rag doll. Lazy parenting is when people leave their infants in a portable carseat for the ride to the store, the entire shopping trip, lunch, and the ride back home. Lazy parenting is when people don't care enough about their child's safety and comfort to find an option that works for the whole family.
My preference is to babywear when they're small, hold hands when they're older, and bring a stroller as back up if there's lots of walking. (Strollers are pretty much mall shopping carts with an extra bonus of being a place to nap)
I don't use a leash with my toddler because of her fascination with all things dog. I can see it now...Put a leash on her in a busy store...and she immediately falls to her hands and knees and starts barking. Hilarious, but not very useful. Maybe baby #2 will be more human?
Leashes are not cruel. It's not lazy. It's not treating your kid like an animal. It's just a different (but similar) option.
