Before becoming parents, moms and dads understand that raising children can be a huge challenge for a number of reasons. As babies grow older, they take their parents on a whirlwind adventure, always keeping them on their toes — toddlers especially!
One dad is discovering what living with a toddler is like. Clint Edwards needs to always be aware of what his young daughter Aspen is doing, or where she is. He describes her as a "wild child," and knows that, at the first opportunity, she could get into some real trouble.
However, Clint has found that putting his daughter on a leash puts him at ease. She can't slip away and disappear, or even put herself in danger.
He's also well aware of the dirty looks others give him when they see Aspen on a leash, so he decided to defend his choice and his actions in a Facebook post.
Read his words below. What you think about his method?
We were at the farmers market. No shame. I put this kid on a leash.
She’s a wild child, and this thing has already kept her out of the road and from sticking her hand in an ice cream machine, along with keeping me sane.
The real difficulty with having a wild child is that you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
Because the fact is, if I didn’t put Aspen on a leash while at amusement parks, the zoo, a crowded mall, or the farmers market, she’d be the lost child announced over the intercom. She’d be the kid popping up in every Facebook feed for wandering into a shopping center parking lot, unattended. She could be the child climbing into the tiger cage. Because I can’t, for the life of me, keep her from moving.
Her curiosity is incredible, and for only having a 12 inch stride, she moves faster than any Olympian.
And sure, I get dirty looks from strangers. In fact, I’ll probably get some “I’m the perfect parent and this is why you suck” comments on this post.
And to you I say this, ” I’m keep this kid safe while maintaining my piece of mind, and that is 100% worth it.”
Because the reality is she’ll calm down. She’ll figure it out, because all kids do. But until that day comes, I’m going to do whatever I can to keep her out of danger, even if it means a leash.
Please SHARE if you think this dad makes a fair point about keeping his daughter on a leash!
