Woof Woof..... Kids on Leashes

OMFG........

let me say that again.....

OMFG!!!!!!

I thought I might have gotten over this by now. I read a post awhile back about a woman in a Doc's office who had her kids on a leash. You'de think after they arrived and settled in to their seats, the leashes would come off, but I seem to remember reading that the kids sat down on the floor and remained on the leashes. So I thought.... that's just WRONG. And moved on from it. Who am I to judge.

But here I am many weeks later finding myself very aggravated to have seen it personally today. I went with my family to the Cranberry Festival in Chatsworth, NJ. I witnessed a few adults leading kids around with them and I just wanted to SCREAM. YES, people..... I know how many visitors the Cranberry Festival gets. I was in the crowd and was a bit disoriented about what row of crafters/vendors we were wandering down a couple different times. So I am well aware that those who do use them would probably say they use them for 'safety' reasons. WHATEVER. They are still obnoxious and barbaric looking. They still make my blood pressure rise. I wanted to go over and bark at the children to see if they responded. I wanted to give the pet owners a piece of my mind but I tried to just let them do their thing and me do mine.

I bought beautiful bouquets of cockscomb and hydrangeas. A couple of bunches of dried german statice. We ate bloomin' onions and drank homemade lemonade, and bought funnel cake for the ride home. Not the place to be if on a diet. There were many crafters and I got my grandson Alex a dream catcher from a Native American display. One of the men there was playing the wooden flutes and that music was so beautiful. All in all it was a nice family day. My hubby and son are camping tonight with a friend and his grandson so I went to Barnes and Noble to read a bit more of the U2 autobiography....BTW, GREAT BOOK. It's written by Bono, The Edge, Adam, and Larry so says what it wants to say their way. Terrific pictures in there too. I've always loved U2 and will probably end up buying it.

Strangely, at the bookstore I found myself looking around to see if anyone had children with them. Of course they are always crowded on a weekend night and there were many parents with their kids.... holding them, pushing them in strollers, walking hand in hand. Thank GODDESS I didn't see little woof-woofs and their handlers. Even tho I had a really great day I can't help but being bothered by the memory of those leashed children. Part of me feels that it's really not my business but another part of me feels a slight rage. My parents raised their children without leashes, my friends parents raised their kids without them, I raised mine without them. We went to places like malls, restaurants, amusement parks.... places where there are crowds and we stayed with our parents or kids. We put them in a baby stroller and when they were old enough to walk with us, we held their hands. I don't know why that has changed. I don't know what type of personality feels it necessary to treat a child like an animal. If it's a fear that the child will run off, then STAY HOME. Don't drag the kids to craft fairs. That's not so much fun for them. It would probably be more enjoyable for them to be home getting loving attention from their parents instead of being walked around a noisy crowded festival hooked to a harness.

ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Now, if you are reading this... and you leash your children.... I don't want to hear about it. Blah, blah, blah, ..... yeah, okay... you've got triplets and they need to be kept safe. Fine. Whatever.

I get it. Well.... really I don't and don't want it explained to me either. I simply do not agree and do not like it. It's almost degrading to the little person in it. It looks cruel and unusual. And you may say oh, but little Wolfie loves his, we can't go anywhere without it. Well, if he wasn't introduced to it in the first place, he'd only know your loving arms around him or your hand guiding him.

Hey... I'm all for leashes on dogs and at an appropriate moment I can see a human in one for fun.... as a prop maybe.....

We had a Halloween party many years ago and friends came dressed as a Dominatrix and SLAVE. He was in a dog collar, he was in leather, he even pierced his nipples for the party. Yikes, that was a bit radical. I have a funny picture of him down on the floor on all fours with his wife above him dressed in a short black skirt and low cut top holding a whip. That was a funny night. Yeah, that was the night other friends showed up dressed as John and Lorena Bobbit complete with him holding a rubber representation of the missing member and her chasing him in our front door with a huge knife. That was the night my husband dressed as a women and I a man. That was a NO KIDS party. Props, make-up, leashes, ETC. Hell there might have been handcuffs and masks involved too. But it was a party. It was one night of let loose and have FUN. It wasn't real life. I don't use those things daily.... well, okay, maybe the handcuffs. But you know what I mean. I think there is a fine line there with the kids on leashes. Is it strictly for safety or is there some need for control and dominance on the parents part. Is it so that a super mom can still be out and about in the world with her 3.5 kids trying to make the statement of how wonderful she is because she has everything running smoothly, with those little kids just following along like Spot, Toto, and Lassie.

OKAY..... enough. I've got the house to myself tonight and while the real doggies are having an evening snooze I'm going off to watch a movie..... an old one that I've seen lots of times.... maybe Moonstruck.... maybe Chocolat.... maybe Bridges of Madison County..... maybe even the Kama Sutra.... or Nina Takes a Lover.... something sensual, something comforting..... I miss my man. I know they are enjoying the evening around a campfire talking about boy things so I'm happy for them getting the time together. I'll try to enjoy having the whole bed all to myself tonight.

Goodnight.