[AOIIalum]

Disclaimer: I never used harnesses, but did need the wrist leash for a while with one of my guys.

If you have a child who does the duck, run and disappear thing, the various types child harnesses are a big help. Same goes for the child who needs a little physical reminder to maintain composure in everyday life. Not every child physically or mentally is capable to be a compliant angel in public. No, it's not for every child--but if you are blessed with a child who needs the extra reminders or extra safety, the harnesses allow you to experience the outside world in a safer capacity. If you've ever witnessed your child or any child break away from his/her family and almost get killed, child harnesses aren't such a bad option. It's not a black and white thing, folks--just like people with Handicapped parking access who don't "Look" handicapped and most definitely are. Just because a child doesn't look "different", it doesn't mean that they aren't. (/end of child harness mini-rant)

Another thing to toss out--I was a child of the "Raise your child in fear!" generation. Got spanked and reprimanded in public plenty of times, even though it usually took just one look to scare me to death, the joys of being a young child in the 1960s.

Folks, in this day and age, there are too many people who won't hesitate to inform authorities if you are "abusing" a child in public. I was turned in to store authorities once for trying to restrain my child (he kept climbing out of the buckle/strap restraint in the grocery basket and attempting to climb out, I kept re-buckling him, he kept fussing and then screaming, hopefully well-meaning stranger reported me.) From what ya'll are saying, I shouldn't have restrained him in the first place and when he acted up just spanked his rear end. If I had done that, I would have had my children taken away and been thrown in jail. Or, I should have stayed home until he was old enough to behave. Sorry folks, he's almost 11 and I'd still be home with him, because that's just how this child is wired. He's grown out of a lot of it, thankfully, but not every parent with such a child is so blessed.

It's just not that easy to raise a child, and no parents are perfect. When you live in our current society with it's quite restrictive opinions about child abuse (come on folks, there's abuse and there's keeping your child healthy and ALIVE!) Good luck to those of you who may be parents one day, and have the strength to make the choices best for your child and your family--and don't give a darn about those who do not or can not understand.

Christin