If you’re a parent or even a babysitter to young children, you probably know that children don’t always understand danger. Sometimes they do things or want to do things that could be dangerous because they have no idea that the danger really even exists. This can make watching over young children incredibly stressful.
Jordan Driskell lives in Kentucky with his wife, Briana, and his 5 children, Zoey, Dakota, Hollyn, Asher and Gavin. Their children are 5-year-old quintuplets.
Wow. Right? Those kids could potentially get into a lot of trouble, but their parents came up with a way to enjoy family outings with the kids without being stressed out. Their solution is somewhat controversial.
Jordan posted a video where he was walking with his children. In the video, each child is on a leash. The children all walk in front of their dad who is holding onto the leashes. He captioned the video, “Come walk a mile in my shoes.
Some people who saw the video were supportive of the dad putting his kids in harnesses. One comment reads, “I don’t have kids but with a toddler brother I WISH I could use one of these.”
Another person wrote, “5 kids that seem to be within the same age range? Tbh that makes sense.”
Yet another understanding person commented, “Considering my 2 year old tried to bolt into the street, yea we use leashes too now.”
Not all of the comments were supportive. In fact, there were many, many negative comments as well. One person wrote, “Are they rescues?”
Another comment reads, “But teachers can look after 30 kids without using leashes.”
Another person wrote, “I wouldn’t use it, they are children, old enough to be close, not dogs.”
Jordan spoke to TODAY Parents about why he puts his kids on leashes. He explained, “Kids are so curious — they want to run off and explore. For our own peace of mind and sanity, we use a leash. It also allows us to leave the house and do fun stuff as a family without being stressed.”
Before using leashes, Jordan and Briana tried putting all of their kids in a stroller, but the father of five explained, “It was just too bulky and ridiculous to take anywhere.” He added, “The other thing is, they want to walk when we go somewhere crowded. A leash gives them the opportunity to do that — but we’re still in control. They love it.”
Did you ever put your kids on a leash? Do you think it’s a good idea or a bad idea to put young children on a leash? If you don’t agree with putting children on a leash, what do you suggest as an alternative to keep young children safe when out and about with their parents?
