Dad defends decision to put his daughter on a leash in an incredibly eye-opening post

We all know just who much kids love to run away from us, especially when we are in a large crowd and it's easy for them to disappear.

So what can we do to keep them safe? Apart from strapping into the stroller where they are not getting any exercise, that is.

Well, do what this dad does, and invest in a leash. 

Now, while it might sound a little harsh considering leashes are generally intended for dogs, in fairness to this father it is actually pretty spot on. 

"We were at the farmers' market. No shame. I put this kid on a leash," Clint Edwards who blogs at No Idea What I’m Doing: A Daddy Blog wrote in a post on Facebook. 

"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."

Explaining how her daughter is inclined to run off, Clint added that if he didn't put his daughter Aspen on a leash she'd "be the lost child announced over the intercom". 

"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 centre 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."

Adding that he does receive dirty looks from strangers, the dad-of-three said that he was prepared for the "I'm the perfect parent and this is why you suck" comments on his post. 

But he has something to say about this: "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."

Oh and FYI… over here we call them harnesses just in case you were wondering.

What do you think? Would/ have you ever used one?