Leashing your Kid

I was recently talking with a new friend of mine about my distaste for those kid leashes that you see people using to keep hold of their children in public places. I was sharing with her how I feel that these leashes are outward symbols of poor parenting - that I believe that if a parent needs a leash to keep tabs on their child, then they need to have their kids taken away.  This new ...uh,.. friend... of mine was listening and nodding politely until I was off the soapbox.  My heart was beating just recalling the first time I saw someone in a mall walking their kid on a leash.  My face was probably flushed and there was no question about my disdain for the stupid things.  And then...

*crickets*


Totally awkward silence.



And then I realized my mistakes.  First, I was being extremely judgemental. Who am I to say whether or not people who use kid leashes are good parents?  And also? What was I thinking being judgemental outloud with someone that I didn't know very well?   Oops


After several moments of completely awkward silence, the person I was ranting to shared with me that she had two different kinds of leashes for her kids. The monkey one apparently didn't fit quite right because it rubbed her son's armpits wrong, and the panda bear one was super cute.  

(Really? Rubbed his armpits wrong?? My dog used to get tender in her pits, too, when I pulled a lot with her harness, but whatever.)

ahem.



So, I've been pretty good about biting my lip about this issue when I'm out in public these days. I've learned to be a little less judgemental or - at the very least - I've learned to keep my opinions to myself about it.


Well, until now. This morning, I saw this picture on failblog today, and I just had to laugh and puke and cry all at once.