I didn't get the impression he was judging, just kind of curious about it. I never leashed any of my kids. Seemed more work than anything else. First putting it on. Then they know if they don't want to go where you're going, they could just throw themselves down on the ground. Then you're stuck dragging them. Which they'd probably enjoy. The bastards. There have been times I carried Morgan out of a store crying over my shoulder for acting up. Luckily we look enough alike no one thought I was abducting her. I remember one time I was in the checkout line at a grocery store and Morgan was probably around 2 or so. She wanted some candy and I told her no. Cue the dramatic getting stiff, leaning back in the cart, crying. All I'm thinking is how damn close I was to getting out of there with no incidences. So she's doing that, and the cashier was a young woman, late teens/early twenties. I just look at her and say, "Good birth control, huh?" She just nods her head. On an upnote, I finally got through a Throwback Thursday on facebook without my friends tagging me in any dumbass pictures. It got so bad I actually had to change my settings on facebook so that I have to approve any tags. Look, if I wanted people to know I went as an M & M for Halloween twenty years ago, I'd post my own pictures. Geez.
I don't even have a Facebook account, and pictures of me end up there. One time, I bumped into a friend of mine that I hadn't seen in years. She said, "Oh I saw that great picture of you on Facebook." <quizzical expression> "You know, from kindergarten, when you were weating those hilarious plaid pants?" I had no idea what the hell she was talking about, and then found out later that my buddy that was also in the picture, had posted it. Thanks, dude.
Seriously, my father was born in Austria (the Other White Race! TM). His parents were born in Germany. Let me tell you, even beatings were fuckin' efficient. My dad, at the end, was sick with cancer. He was 5'9" (Down from 6'), about 160 lbs, and couldn't walk. I'm 6'2", around 200 lbs, and I did not dare dream that I could've taken him in a fight - though he was 62 and I was 32. Fear was definitely an oft used parenting tool around the VI household.
I remember being about 7 and going to the mall with my mom and sister. My sister would have been about 4. She found a pair of earrings she liked - just cheap studs with little skeletons on them - but she didn't have pierced ears. I overheard my mom telling her that if she ever got her ears pierced, she could have those earrings as a present. Now, I have a metal allergy so I couldn't wear stuff like that. On that basis alone, I threw a fit in the middle of the store, crying and screaming about how it wasn't fair blah blah. My mom gave me a look of horror, grabbed my sister by the hand and me by the hair and dragged me to the parking lot, threw me in the backseat of the car and said "don't you EVER do that again. I will be back for you later. MAYBE." Then she took my sister back in the store and continued her shopping. And that, kids, is how you tiger mom.
You guys know by now I'm a twin. Apparently when me and my brother were tiny kids my mom would put leashes on us. I think we proved that tactic ineffective by getting those things wrapped around everything. I can't imagine me and my brother as kids, as high energy as you can imagine and fighting almost constantly. Pretty sure the only time I was hit was when I broke stuff, which as kinda often. We were pretty destructive kids.
It was October (hence the skeleton earrings). No windows cracked, no books or electronic devices for entertainment, and the very real possibility of a severe parking lot beating if I snuck out of the car and she caught me in the act. Yes, it worked. She is 5 foot nothing, weighs 100 lbs and I have a healthy and robust fear/respect of her.
My mom is 4'11", 100 lbs, and asked if she could have Patrick's 14 Slim jeans when he outgrew them. I don't mess with her.
I have no issue with spanking a child. But kids do have energy and every parent has a right to keep a kid safe in whatever manner they see fit short of child abuse. But the suggestions that traveling with a child should be avoided is plain stupid. You can't shut down and stop living life when you have kids. In fact it should be the opposite. All kids get cranky and throw tantrums. Don't believe me? Have a kid. I hate when people think it's inappropriate to take kids places. How the hell do you teach kids how to behave in certain scenarios if they never have a chance. If my kid's presence ruins your experience, it's not his fault or mine. Kids are a part of life. Get the fuck over it.