Comment on How often do you take him for a walk?
ArgumentativeMonotheist@lemmy.world 4 days ago
Are chained kids particularly difficult to raise, more so than before (and than kids in any other culture besides the one that puts leashes on their kids…)? Were people doing this 100 years ago in America, for instance? Or is it yet another example of social decay, that parents can’t even discipline/raise their kids well enough to allow them outside without leashes?
Or is it yet another example of social decay, that parents can’t even discipline/raise their kids well enough to allow them outside without leashes?
From what I’ve heard, the expectations of behavior for children in public spaces has gotten a lot more strict. People generally have very little patience for your kid’s antics. Also fewer mothers are dedicated homemakers, and when time and energy are tight, a leash might be a good bandaid.
People having little patience for children is yet another example/consequence of social decay. Imagine being a grown adult and treating kids with anything but playful kindness…
I think it’s more the fact that kids weren’t really brought to busy markets/stores 100 years ago, nor were there busy streets full of cars everywhere. They stayed home or just in the local environment, and typically mom would also stay home to watch them and make sure they stayed out of trouble.
So, in the West (again, I doubt we’re talking about 100 years ago in India), people were socialized like that until recently? They weren’t going to parks and markets? Mmm. That’s possible, I guess? I somehow doubt that to be true, but I’ll take your word for it because I’m too lazy to do otherwise. 😅
Kids are incapable of resisting their urge to do something to a certain degree at certain ages. Like suddenly running onto the street for example. Some kids just do this, and then your only option to keep them safe is a leash.
I literally have never seen a kid on a leash IRL (I’m not American) nor heard anyone say “goddamn this kid is so hard to raise, lemme put him on a leash”. Never seen a pic of my gramps on a leash, or a history book showing leashed kids. Through millennia kids have been properly raised without leashes. So, I ask again, is this not just another example of how incompetent people have gotten at being people in some areas of the world?
It’s barely a thing. Some parents with special-needs kids or parents with a lot to juggle in places like amusement parks sometimes use leashes or backpack-leads to keep their kids close, but nobody actually cares much, nobody is actually shamed, nobody laughs and points, nobody gives it a second glance.
This is the kind of thing that’s played up for laughs or memed about because it’s objectively a funny concept depending on context, but don’t get lost down the rabbit-hole of internet users overthinking every goddamn thing and making everything into an issue.
Just spitballing here, but I kinda wonder if modern tech isn’t worsening children’s impulse control. Having constant instant gratification surely has some negative effects on it.
Anecdotal evidence here, but my friends who are parents cut way back on how much tech time their kids got, and they said there was a huge improvement in their general behaviour.
This isn’t an issue, it’s used by some parents but hardly anyone actually cares outside of comedy skits.
Obscura@lemmy.world 4 days ago
What an ignorant comment. There’s evidence to suggest walking attachment devices for young children were used way back in the 17th century. It’s possible that similar things were used earlier than that too. An early version of the modern one we are all familiar with now, started selling in the 1920s. Incidentally, use of it skyrocketed as more and more cars, faster cars and busier roads spread across the modern world.
And another thing, use of these leashes is common for parents of kids with disabilities. I have to use one with my son because his learning difficulties mean that he doesn’t understand danger and if he gets frightened/overwhelmed he will often run away in a panic.
I don’t like using it but I would rather have my disabled son safe and alive than not use it, and judgemental attitudes like this are the reason that I have to put up with unsolicited, nasty comments when I take him out in public; when I’m already dealing with the stress of keeping a child with extra supervisory needs safe and well.
bandwidthcrisis@lemmy.world 4 days ago
My autistic son would happily play in the park. Just once every few months he would decide that “now is the time to run” and just take off as fast as he could in a straight line. How would that play out in a busy street.
People can’t imagine that: so much of the time things are calm, straightforward to handle, but if EVER you let your guard down for a second at the wrong time, you’ll end up on the news as a “tragic story of grieving negligent parent.”
Obscura@lemmy.world 3 days ago
Yup, sounds exactly like my kiddo too. And they are FAST.
It really feels like damned if you do, and damned if you don’t and something happens to them.
ArgumentativeMonotheist@lemmy.world 4 days ago
As you said, he’s disabled. I have a trisomic uncle and I would’ve understood if he was put on a leash (he wasn’t, he just listened to my grandpa, but not everyone has it so easy). I don’t understand the need for it in other cases. I mean, two of my friends’ kids are runners and all we do is just run with them and grab them when the time is done, they/we have never had any need for a leash. I’m sorry if people have harassed you about it though, I certainly wouldn’t. I just voice my questions and opinions in voluntarily attended online spaces.