When kindergarten becomes the off-leash kiddie area, we’ve got problems

By Tara Nykyforiuk
Photos by Mark Burnham

The bus ride to class has introduced me to an unsettling but increasingly common sight. What at first appears to be a group of dogs on a walk are really groups of young children being restrained by leashes attached to their backs.

These leashes are by no means a new innovation; we’ve been using them for decades to maintain control of our canine companions, and there have been parents using them on their children for a number of years now. In the past, the witnessing of these child leash contraptions was an uncommon occurrence, and was really more of an oddity than anything. But what disturbs and sickens me is how this act of child confinement is increased to trend status. Not only are these kiddie leashes available in a variety of lengths and colours, but there are now multiple child options allowing for an entire class of kids to be dragged down the street by negligent parents and older siblings.

While out on the street or shopping at the store, I’ve watched in sadness as parents use the leash as an excuse to ignore their children’s cries, content to let the leash hold their son or daughter in place while they continue trying on clothes or fussing over food labels. But as soon as a new checkout line opens up, I watch as this child, reduced to animal status, is quickly jerked to the side, completely at the whim of whoever is gripping the leash.
I know deep down that they treat their dog better.

I have not mentioned what the leashes are primarily marketed as — a means for parents to ensure that their children are safe in crowded public spaces. I’ve spoken with parents who fear what might happen if their child darts away from them, and who have trouble making their children sit still while they run their errands.

While I myself am not a parent of a small child, I can see that the education system and media have influenced people to use leashes unnecessarily. For instance, the news exaggerates the frequency of kidnapping, often following up these stories with excessive warnings to parents about the dangers that strangers pose to their children’s safety. Furthermore, daily physical activity levels among children are declining, with many schools reducing or removing time dedicated to recess and physical education in favour of academic instruction. Combined with sedentary leisure activity such as video games and internet usage, children simply aren’t exerting enough energy every day to remain calm at the store.

We need to discourage placing restraints on problems we ourselves have had a part in creating, and instead take active roles in unleashing issues that have caused them, like hyperbole in journalism and poor changes to grade school curricula. We also need to remember why we began using the leash in the first place.