Spending time outdoors is such a momentous experience for parents. Going to the mall, park, or zoo is a fun activity for the entire family, especially for those with toddlers. Kids are naturally amazed by the crowd.

And this enjoyable moment turns into a nightmare for some parents who lost their kids in the crowd of people. There are so many cases of missing children every year and the majority of them are toddlers.

That is why this mom wants to keep her toddler as close to her as possible, on a leash.

It may seem like a wholesome solution to the problem, but doing so left her with major backlash. But in her defense, she says that she has a valid reason why she turned to put her toddler on a leash.

Desiree Hoye’s photo and reasons caused major debate all across the internet. She shared with Love What Matters some photos of her child on a backpack leash and her reason why she did it. And she surely sparked a conversation online.

In her post, she wrote, “Before I became a mom I would have been the person that said, ‘I will NEVER put my child on a leash, he’s not a dog!’

Then she explained that since she became a mom, her perspective changed and she knew that her children needed extra protection. The horror stories of lost children that could have been avoided kept haunting her. She explained that more than 2,000 children go missing every day.

And she knew that these tragedies could have been avoided if the young children involved were not able to get away from their parents. But instead of receiving support, she was criticized for her choices, and now she is asking why some people don’t agree with her.

Hoye questions the parents if they can blame her for wanting her child to be as secure as possible by putting the kid on a leash. She explained, “‘I had someone comment today, ‘Look at her putting her kid on a leash…how terrible. ’” She notes that young children are prone to wandering off on their own.

She said that she doesn’t want to go through what parents with missing children had gone through, and that’s why she keeps her child on a leash.

Although safety is the number one reason why Hoye chose to put her child on a leash, critics share their concerns over the safety of these harnesses, especially for children.

Other parents were concerned with the psychological effects of putting a child on a leash. W adults might not know this, but most toddlers are smart enough to notice the curious stares of strangers.

But according to Hoye, she chooses safety over what these people say about her and her choices. Hoye believes that the leash is worth it. She explained, “Today and every day, I choose safety because I love my children more than anything in this entire world.

I will gladly take a few awkward looks from strangers over never seeing his precious face again.”

Putting a child on a leash is the parents’ personal choice. But what do you think about this safety method? How do you think it will benefit both the child and the parent?

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