I find it very interesting that you have absolutely equated a leash with a pet and with degradation.
I have a cat, he’s not on a leash. Is he my child now? Or does that just mean he’s *not" my pet?
dogs are on a leash mostly for safety reasons for others.
That’s not entirely true. For example, dogs don’t understand traffic and that running across a street is dangerous (well, most dogs. Some dogs are just very smart). Keeping them on a leash minimizes the chance that it darts across the street because it sees something it wants to get. The owner put the dog on a leash because they understand that doing so will keep the dog safe from injury. The owner recognizes that the dog doesn’t understand the dangers involved.
An infant also doesn’t understand (can’t understand) the dangers. Putting them on a leash protects them from that danger. But it also helps the child develop independence, helps them exercise, helps them learn to walk better, helps their mental development from being able to explore and interact with the world.
Compared to just being carried or stuck in a stroller, which is ultimately boring and doesn’t help at all with the motor skills, and is far less impactful with mental development as they can only observe and not interact with.
I find it very interesting that you have absolutely equated a leash with a pet and with degradation.
I have a cat, he’s not on a leash. Is he my child now? Or does that just mean he’s *not" my pet?
That’s not entirely true. For example, dogs don’t understand traffic and that running across a street is dangerous (well, most dogs. Some dogs are just very smart). Keeping them on a leash minimizes the chance that it darts across the street because it sees something it wants to get. The owner put the dog on a leash because they understand that doing so will keep the dog safe from injury. The owner recognizes that the dog doesn’t understand the dangers involved.
An infant also doesn’t understand (can’t understand) the dangers. Putting them on a leash protects them from that danger. But it also helps the child develop independence, helps them exercise, helps them learn to walk better, helps their mental development from being able to explore and interact with the world.
Compared to just being carried or stuck in a stroller, which is ultimately boring and doesn’t help at all with the motor skills, and is far less impactful with mental development as they can only observe and not interact with.