As parents, taking your child somewhere in public can be stressful. Not only do you have errands to run, you also have to factor in potential meltdowns, the need for bathroom breaks, and keeping an eye on your kid at all times.
Clint Edwards knows this all too well.
The daddy blogger from Oregon took to social media after he was criticized for putting his 3-year-old daughter Aspen on a leash while at a local farmer's market.
Edwards, who runs a blog called "No Idea What I'm Doing," is a father of three kids. He says his own father left when he was just 9 years old, so everything he's doing as a dad is through trial and error.
One of those "trial and error" situations was taking his young daughter to a farmer's market. Edwards chose to put her on a leash, disguised as a backpack, to make sure she would not wander off unattended.
Now, child leashes are something I am familiar. I was a fairly rambunctious child who also enjoyed daydreaming and wandering. Not an ideal combination when in a busy place. So I, personally, have no problem with his decision.
However, parents online had other opinions. Many called Edwards lazy, irresponsible, and even a bad parent. But it's his response that really has people talking.
Edwards decided to take to Facebook and defend his actions, which honestly he shouldn't have to do .
Not your kid, not your business.
But Clint Edwards wanted to make one thing very clear.
This was not a form of punishment...the leash was for Aspen's own safety.
"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."
People were still quick to judge Edwards' defense.
But luckily for Edwards (and the human race) a lot of people were quick to applaud the dad for his desire to keep his daughter safe.
Do you think putting your kid on a leash is okay?