Thoughts and Views on "Toddler Leashes" for a 4 Hour Layover??

Great advise ladies. I also did not like the leashes till years ago when my son was about 2 stepped away from his uncle while i was in the restroom with my other lil boy (at the zoo of all places), could've been a couple of minutes, but felt like an eternity i was hysterical-was the ugliest feeling in the world. Long story short always used a harness in big crowds since.don't care what anyone else thinks they won't feel what you feel if you loose your child.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the leash and have traveled with my little dude without one.

BUT, if it gives you peace of mind then, I say go for it! That's and odd time of day to be in the airport and who knows what the flight will be like and how he will react. So, better say than sorry! Just use those Mommy instincts and go with your gut. Who cares what other people think.

Also, to add to Susan's tips...

*Somewhere on his clothes put a tag/ID of some kind with your name, cell phone number, his name and emergency contact info for other parent if needed. I always put one in my son's pocket with a safety pin so he can't take it out.

Good luck and don't forget to have fun!!

Hi R.,

Don't worry about the stares you might get. We have one of the harnesses that is the puppy backpack and the tail is the leash. We started using it for my daughter when she was about 18 months old when we flew overseas. If anything, everyone smiles at how cute the harness is and how cute it is on the child, so I doubt you'll receive any negative comments.

The only drawback for using a harness like this is that regardless of where you are, your child will want to go where HE wants to go. You'll need to go "this" direction but he'll most likely want to go "that" direction. The result will be a limp noodle crumpled in the middle of the floor. :-)

What airport is your layover in? Look up the airport online and see if they have a play area. If so, problem solved! I know Seattle and DFW have play areas in their terminals...

Good luck!

-Char

you know what forget the dirty looks and stares. you know why? 1 you will have your son with you at all times 2. your son wont be the kid running whild through the air port 3. your making sure hes safe 4. its for SAFETY!!!. i use one for my daughter i bought it at wal mart and it looks like a backpack (its a puppy) she will ask for it if she sees it and enjoys wearing it. i just a couple days ago was out shopping with her and she was wearing it i did have a lady (who had a toddler also) tell me that its wrong to drag them around like a dog!. and with out missing a beat i told her she may be drug around like a dog but unlike your child who has walked away from you to possibly get kid napped mine is attatched to me. the lady looked for like 10 mins before she found her son. to me thats scarey. i dont always use the kid leash but it is very helpfuland will be a good thing for the air port. good luck!

Oh gosh, don't worry about what others will think or stare at you. This is a safety issue... lots of kids get abducted nowadays, it's scary.

I have used those on my son, when he was younger and very active, for when I was in dense crowds or populated/busy areas. It helped a lot. I got one of those cute ones with an animal on it that I found on www.amazon.com And believe me, ALL the parents who commented told me "good for you, better than having him run off and getting run over by a car or getting lost..."

Just bring it with you and use it as needed. A young child can runaway very quickly and you'll need to keep your eyes on him. And remember... when a child is lost, it's hard to find them because they are short and below eye-level as compared to adults.

*A good idea is: when traveling with him, dress him in BRIGHT solid colors... so you can see him easily and others too. You don't want to dress him in something that will blend-in with everyone. A child is harder to find that way. AND, bring a current photo of him with you on the trip, in case you have to describe him to someone, in case he gets lost.

Also, if you are into homeopathic things... there is something called "Hyland's Calms Forte- for kids" that is great for using on trips. My friends use this as well when they travel. It's also great for teething. YOu can find it on amazon.com or at any natural food store. It's safe.

All the best,
Susan

HEy R.
First let me just say that some mamas need to have compassion for their fellow mamas. Motherhood and all it's responsibilities is tough enough without having other mamas knock you for doing what YOU think is best for your situation.

Firstly, I say print up tshirts for your trip that say IT'S NOT POLITE TO STARE! or STARING IS RUDE! or PLEASE BE PATIENT.

Now for a 4 hour layover I would have what you already said you have ready to go : DVD player and activities. Your little fella will need to get his wiggles out so I say be prepared to let him roam tethered to you. Just stay close and redirect when necessary. Check with the airport to see if they have a play area or an area where he can run about. If not, find a corner somewhere and make it your own little play area...with toys that he didn't see on the flight. I would take small play doh containers, dot painters, assorted stickers, packing poppers, colored pipe cleaners, straws and large fruit loops, clingy thingys for windows, viewfinder, feathers, and so on.

Make sure it isn't expensive or valuable so if it gets left behind/lost/tossed it won't matter. You might want to dump some of that stuff anyway to lighten your load after the 4 hour layover.

Lastly, never apologize for your way of parenting. No one loves your little fella more than you...and you are doing your best.

Let me add, my cousin's grandson got away from his other grandmother and ran out between two cars. He was hit. Broken leg. Broken arm. Skull opened exposing his brain. He is on the road to recovery but it was horrible.

Didn't mean to freak you out. Just thought I would share the benefits of using a harness/tether/leash. Be safe and have a wonderful trip!

Hi R.:
Ok....I'm going to be perfectly honest here.You asked for our views on leashes,so I'm going to give you mine. First,I understand, that your able to get a more reasonable priced ticket,by excepting layovers,but because your traveling with your toddler, you would have been better off saving up a little longer,for a non stop or a shorter layover. This type of trip will be harder on both of you. When ever I see a toddler on a leash,It gives me the distinct impression,that the mother is incapable of handling her toddler. Nothing against you moms,that found using one an advantage.Its just my first thought.When I see a child on a leash,its as though they are this untamed animal,that needs restraining.Lets face it,if there were NO (Dog leash laws)the majority of dog owners,would never put a leash on their pet.So why would you go as far as putting one on your child? Toddlers are active,and they like to run around. Its natural,and we expect to see that in public.As crazy as they may get,I've never stood back,and thought to myself, That kid needs a (Leash)I have however stood back, and wondered why the mother had no better control over the child.If putting a leash on your toddler,is the only way you feel you can control them,or feel hes safe in a public environment,well then, use one,but,prepare yourself for the stares.I'm not trying to be cruel here,however I'm certain that I'm not the only individual who finds it a bit pathetic. (By the way Ana)..I'm not knocking anyone. R. asked for our views on the subject. Don't judge others,simply because they don't Agree with you. I'd rather be sincere,than patronizing. R.,I wish you a safe flight,and a wonderful trip with your son.J. M

I too have the monkey backpack/leash. My 18 mo. old son has no problems with it. It is the safest way to keep track of a child at an airport. There is just too much going on to not know that they are "attached" to you. Don't worry about the stares that you may get. It's all about keeping your little one safe!! Last time we were at the airport my son made a friend of another little boy wearing a bear backpak/leash. :)

Hi R., A toddler leash save my little brother from getting hit by a care in the commisary parking lot many many years ago, my mom got the dirty looks and so forth, but sometimes when she would just hold his had in the parking lot he would pull away and run, he had almost got hit by a car before that, and that is why she got the leash.

We flew Over Seas with a 22 month old, and 4 year old, and a 7 year old, the flight from here to LA was only 22 minutes. then we had a 17 hour flight from LA to fukioko Japan, then we had to change flights, and flew from fukioko, to Sasebo, then we had to wait a good 4 to 5 hours and night for a van to come pick us up for a 2 hour drive to get to the part of Sasebo we were going to, this was Febuary it was freezing, the airports in Japan at that time closed at 10:00 PM so we had to wait outside with 3 small kids in the freezing cold and wait for our ride, our kids did great, we had no stroller with us, our 22 month old stayed right with us, bt the time our ride got there it was the wee hours of the morning, it was still dark, the kids slept for the 2 hour ride to the base where we were going. you didn't mention when you would be leaving, but take the time to train your to stay with you, train him on public behavior and he should do just fine, you sound like this trip is really scarring you, and will feed off of your fear. So have a safe trip. J. L.

Hi R.,

When my son was about 18 months old he got into one of those stages where he didn't want to hold mine or his father's hand at times and refused to stay by our sides. We purchased a monkey backpack with a long tail at Walmart and it was a good compromise. We were able to safely let him exercise some "freedom" without the worry of him darting out in front of a car or some other unsafe situation. Young toddlers don't have a lot of internal controls developed at this age so it's up to parents to provide the external controls.
I know before I became a mother I was probably guilty of prejudging other parents by assuming they had no control over their kids or just plain didn't care what their kids did. Now I know better since becoming a mother and parenting my own toddler. You know your son best and if you feel it would make the layover time at the airport less stressful with a leash, then I say go ahead and do it. Don't worry what others think. In fact, when my son visits the zoo and has his backpack on I get more questions about where to buy one and have never had somebody comment I don't have control over him.

Good luck on your flight and try not to stress too much!

I know it's a bit off subject, but we used a convertible stroller with our daughter for all of our plane trips. It is a little bit pricey, but it was so worth it. It converts from a car seat to a stroller and that way you don't have to wake your child from a sleeping state. It takes some practice to operate, but once you get the hang of it, it is wonderful. You have one less item to worry about on your trip.

If your son is awake at take off and landing, make sure he is drinking or eating so that the swallowing will help his ears.

I don't think the airport will be super busy during your layover if you are worried about crowds and your son running around.

I don't personally use a leash for either of my children, but honestly you need to do what is best for you. If you think that will give you more peace of mind and less stress, go for it and don't worry about what others think. I still say go for the convertible stroller whether you decide to use the leash or not!