What do you think of this? - child safety

PrairieMom wrote: I bought one of these for Benjamin, but only used it once. Now I am going to use it for Alexis. Its for Airplane's to help keep the baby from flying around in turbulence.
We are going on vacation next week.

I was also planning on using it while we are at the beach. I thought I could fasten a dog leash to it, so that she can still wander a bit, but not to far, and so if she falls off the dock, I will have a hold of her.

so, here is my question...
How do you feel about parents putting leashes on their kids? would you think "now there is one smart Mommie" or "OMG look at what she is doing to her kid"

Personally I frown on parents who do this, bit I think for safety ESP around water it is a good idea.

http://www.babybair.com/product.html

holley79 replied: My mom was a divorced mom of three kids. She had us leashed and I'm sure if she didn't then she would have been ready to kill us. I think, especially, being around water it's a very good idea.

moped replied: I don't really understnd what it is

Kaitlin'smom replied: is that for a lap baby?

I cant stand to see kids on a leash, sure I get the idea but I dont like seeing it.

cameragirl21 replied: i personally am not fond of the idea of putting a leash on a child (or a person in general) and you all know how much i LOVE animals BUT i am even less fond of the idea of a child drowning or near drowning in the water, not to mention the stress you'd go thru about worrying about her drowning SO the way i see it is if that will make you feel more comfortable and will keep your baby safe then you should do it. she's not going to remember any of it so it really comes down to whatever is most comfortable for you.
as for what others around you think...who cares--she's not their baby and not their concern so so what if they think you're weird or whatever...sure beats dealing with fears about water safety, which are clearly legit fears.

PrairieMom replied:
Its a vest that you put the kid in, then you thread your lap belt through a loop in the back so that they can't bounce around the cabin during a flight.

I heard of a lady that was holding a lap baby during a flight, and they hit turbulence, the baby flew up, and hit the luggage compartment, getting a head injury. How scary

PrairieMom replied:
yeah, its for a lap baby.

I think leashing kids is trashy. Like only people that don't bother to take the effort to watch their children do it. BUT, I am so scared of her falling into the water. I would rather look dumb and trashy than loose my baby to a tragic accident.

moped replied: Oh then yes I think it is a great ideaw.

And I do think a leash is also a great idea........when you have boys that run around like mad the way Jack does and i am sure yours - they are great!!!!!!

Before i had kids I didn't think it was such a good thing, but lots of things change when you have kids and for children safety!

gr33n3y3z replied:
buy her a infant life jacket they make them many diffrent ways now
and very thin

PrairieMom replied:
we are going to look at those when we get to the beach. I want one for Benjamin too. I want to use them when we are actually in the ocean. the house we are staying at is on the sound tho, and has a dock right off the back. My fear of just using a life jacket is that she will be swept away in the current, still floating, but I won't be able to catch her. I have so many stupid fears, I have to over analyze everything to the point where it becomes impossible for me to have any fun at all.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: It's coincidence that you ask this Tara, because we went to an amusement park over the weekend and saw a couple of kids on leashes. At one time I totally frowned upon it and probably wouldn't buy one myself, BUT I told DH when I saw them this weekend "somehow that makes PERFECT sense to me now!" My opinion has changed a lot once I became a parent. For instance, never thought I would give my kids bologna or chicken nuggets...Well I do. Never thought I would let them watch Sponge Bob...Wil watches it now every morning. You do what works IMO. NO harm done. If it makes YOU feel better, more safe, than by all means, go for it!

moped replied: I bet I have more silly fears than you do!

moped replied:
Exactly!!!!!!

PrairieMom replied:
Its the price we pay for being Mommies. Now I'm scared that I should be scared of more things since you are.

moped replied:
HAHAHA - let me do the worrying!!!!!!!

lovemy2 replied: I understand where you are coming from and think on the plane it is a great idea but the leash thing is a tough call - maybe see how it goes when you get there but in the end - if you feel better and it keeps her safe then I agree - USE IT!!!!

Try to relax and have fun

PrairieMom replied: We are going to visit my DH's family out there and they already think that I am a total basket case. I am the over protective Mommy that won't let their child play with water guns, eat candy or drink soda. We maintain our same daily schedule, including bed time when on vacation, while everyone else lets their kids do what ever, so I am sure there are going to be eyes rolling when I whip out the bright red safety vest.

moped replied:
Sounds just like me - my whole family on both sides are convinced I am a goon! TRUST ME!

gr33n3y3z replied:
hun I can see your point but dont fear that and if she does its no biggie bc she wont go under water its not like you or you DH couldnt get her and I've never seen that happen here at the beach but its better then being swept under
Dont they have life guards there?

redchief replied: Too many questions, not enough time... lol

Are you going to a protected (lifeguards) beach?
Who will share the responsibility of watching the kids with you?
What kind of currents and surf are the norm at the beach you will be going to?
What kind of slope does the beach have (gentle or abrupt slope to deep water)?

Without that, I'm going to go a little cautiously. First, I'm not a fan of leashes on kids. That's fine for Fido, but little Johnnie ain't Fido. I AM a huge fan of two things:

1. Life vests - all kids should have one that is approved by the Coast Guard and fits them.
2. Only swim at protected beaches. Professional beach patrols aren't only trained to watch swimmers, they know the status of changing conditions along the beach because they monitor those changes throughout the day.

Finally, make sure the kids know it's NEVER permissible to go near the water without an adult until they are accomplished swimmers, AND it's never ever permissible to swim alone no matter how good a swimmer they become.

lisar replied: Here is my thing on that.

The baby life jacket. Yes I would use it if I needed to. It didnt look uncomfortable or anything and it is for safety.

As for the leash thing, I dont use them. I did when we were at Disney World mainly for the fear that I didnt want someone to grab her and run off with her. And she didnt want to hold my hand constantly. Other than that I dont use one.

boyohboyohboy replied: i always swore i would never use one of those, but just the other day my mom and i were talking about how i need one of these for jake..who runs off and wont stop. i think its a great idea, and so are the life vests. we got a nice one at target. and they zip up the front so they cant fall off.
we also had one for caleb when he was small that was an entire suit, like a scuba suit of short and the vest was built in. that was great. and it kept his head above water.

redchief replied:
Ummm... The "life vest" on the site is a lap belt converter designed for airline flight. It's designed to hold the child securely in an airline seat. I see no benefit around water other than as an anchor for a tether.

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PrairieMom replied:
no. Its a public beach on the ocean. I have been all the way up and down the NC coast and have never ever seen a beach with life guards. they HAVE those?

Calimama replied: I'm not a big fan of leashes either. I don't have a kid who walks yet either though. Whatever decision you make will be right for the safety and well being of your kids.

PrairieMom replied:
Yeah, I didn't intend to use it to help keep her above water, I do intend to use it as a tether to keep her from getting into the water in the first place. mainly on the dock where there are no side rails to keep her on the thing. She has only been waking for a few months, and is still a bit wobbily.

We do plan on getting actual life vests when we get down there, but I'm waiting until then so I don't have to haul them in our luggage.

The beach there is very wide, and has a very gentle slope. You can walk out forever and not get underwater, (except for waves) but there are sharks and dolphins there occasionally.

Neither of my kids will be near the water with out an adult. There are always plenty of people there, as this is a family reunion, so lots of parents with young children. there will be plenty of watchful eyes.

ZandersMama replied: I always said I would never use one, but I did for Zander last summer. He is a super busy kid, and he would walk off with ANYone. so it worked for me whenever we went anywhere there was alot of people.

Crystalina replied: I could go either way with them. I've seen parents use them at the fair or in malls and other very busy high-traffic places and I think I would do that. I never have yet but there are times when I wish I did have a leash.

At the same time I've seen parents use them all the time just so they don't have to watch their kids. That (to me) is unacceptable. If you are in a busy area and you have that fear of a child snatcher or just that your child may wonder off then by all means leash them up but if you just want to leash your child so you can BS with your friends or anything but pay attention to your child then no. I've seen both types of leashing and I do not look down at parents who are obviously just doing it for safety.

lisar replied:
Yea I knew what it was I just didnt know what to call it. Sorry.

redchief replied:
Wow... Yes, nearly all of NJ's beaches are protected by guards. I didn't realize that NC didn't have protected beaches. That really surprises me!

PrairieMom replied:
It surprises me that other places DO! Even the beach near our lake here at home doesn't have a life guard.

On the other hand, our public "spray"park where there is no actual standing water has a life guard.

redchief replied:
I'm normally opposed to tethers, but in your situation I'd definitely have a lifeline attached. Many of the USCG approved vests I was talking about have a built in "D" ring. One of the purposes for this is a lifeline.

I'm still dumbfounded that NC has no lifeguards. They have such a long and touristy coast that I assumed it would be much like the NJ and FL coasts.

PrairieMom replied:

I'm glad you support the tether idea, for some reason I feel much better about it now. When my extended family is rolling their eyes at me I will think, "yeah?! well Ed thinks its okay" When we get the life vests, I will look for one that has a spot to attach a tether too. Its not like we will be doing anything too crazy out there, but it would be way easy to get pounded by a wave and she could slip out of my grip.
I got to thinking about the life guard thing, maybe its because this beach, while it has a public access, is mainly the back yard for miles and miles of beach houses. Its not like a destination beach where there is a parking lot and hundreds of people go there. Its a family beach, and really its usually pretty empty. maybe THAT why there are no life guards?

redchief replied: FYI, when we're in water rescue mode during tidal flooding, all of our firefighters are tethered. It's required. I always want the guys to go home at the end of the day, no matter how dangerous the job. Understand these guys have trained in water rescue for more than ten years and are good to excellent swimmers. I don't care. Things happen in nature that the human body, no matter what the level of training, can't handle.

Cece00 replied:
Ditto.

I think around water a leash is an OK idea & I like that thing for flying.

Have fun!

gr33n3y3z replied: since they wont have life guards there then I agree with Ed tie her to shore LOL

Hillbilly Housewife replied: Before having kids, I'd have been one of those looking down my nose at moms with leashes.

But since having kids, and having THREE of them, leashes look pretty good to me. Actually, they're looking better and better especially now that I have the 1 year old triplets AND my three kids.

Lots of daycares around here with 5 or 6 toddlers use a system similar to leashes, but they just make the kids hold a rope.

My3LilMonkeys replied: I've personally never liked leashes, and never needed to use one on my kids, but I certainly wouldn't look down on anyone who did. It's a personal decision, and what is best for my family certainly isn't best for every family.

I definitely think a life vest with tether is your best bet though, so she's protected no matter what!

luvmykids replied: I used the little harness things with a clip on leash, the little Elmo ones they have at Walmart. People gave me funny looks but when Macie was 2 and the twins were 4 I refused to go anywhere without being able to hold their hands. Since I only have two hands the leashes helped a lot.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I won't judge what works for your family and your fears.

IMO, safety comes first. Better safe than sorry, always. It only takes a second for a horrible thing to happen. I'm impressed that you are that prepared!!

Jamison'smama replied: I have a wrist to wrist leash so I am as much on a leash as they are. I have used it a few times---the kids love to take me on a walk. My sister, who had this before I did had been known to take the wrist part of their end and loop it around the back of their overalls in busy places so it could work the same way around a life vest. I loved that it would go around my wrist so I didn't have to hold something.

redchief replied: Hey, Tara...
You said there'd be a lot of adults there, right? I'm thinking that if this is a family reunion there will be at least a few people, including yourself, that you'd trust to "be lifeguards." If so, perhaps you could bring a couple-few of these with you:

SafeKids.org Water Watcher Card

You could watch the water in shifts so that you wouldn't all be burned out by the end of the day!