Raising children today can be inherently challenging. Young parents face not only the scrutiny of their relatives but also unsolicited comments from strangers on the internet about their parenting methods.
Jordan Driskell is a young father of five quintuplets, who are coincidentally five years old. As you can imagine, raising five children of the same age is extremely demanding, especially when they are curious and love to explore.
Jordan Driskell, a 31-year-old father, devised a novel solution to manage his energetic young children in public. He decided to use child-sized leashes to keep them under control.
Driskell used to manage their large family with a six-seat stroller. However, the children quickly grew restless inside it, and transporting the stroller became increasingly difficult.
When the family goes out, this allows the young children to walk and explore their surroundings while their dad maintains sight and control, keeping them safe.
A video Driskell uploaded of the family’s trip to the aquarium sparked significant criticism. The video, which shows the children wearing leashes, went viral with over 3 million views. Many viewers expressed their opinion that the kids shouldn’t have been leashed, arguing that they are not animals.
“Don’t have so many kids if you can’t handle the pressure,” said one commenter.
Some mockingly advised, “Can’t you just properly train your children?” Talk to them about the dangers of running away.
Parenting and teenage development expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa holds a different view. She doesn’t believe that using a leash will turn a child into an animal. In fact, she suggests that using a leash is a much better option than staying at home if it’s the only way to manage outings.
Dr. Gilboa believes a leash is an excellent tool for managing younger children or kids with neurodiversity in public settings. However, she noted it could be problematic if a neurotypical child is still not walking freely or has not developed listening skills by the age of eight or nine.
By that age, parents should be able to communicate with their children verbally rather than relying on devices like leashes.
Parents should be allowed to raise their children in the way that best suits them, without facing unwarranted criticism from society.
