Ridiculous Parenting Products

The author of this must be very young with no child experience.  We were using child harnesses back in the 70's and 80's, and believe me, they were a lifesaver.  Take a toddler to Disneyland and see how quickly you'll come to appreciate a harness.  And then there were the times my child would try to hide in the clothing racks, terrorizing the heck out of me trying to find her.  I learned quickly that the harness was a must have for any shopping trips or places where there are crowds.  The rest of the items, I agree, are not necessary nor even desireable.  A placenta teddy bear?  Ugh!  Sent shivers down my spine.

I could be reaching here but I think the authors mean that most of these products are useless for the average parent. They even said some kids may need the leash, I would assume they meant kids with disabilites. Most of these products I'm sure were originally designed for kids with disabilites or in the NICU. The problem is that parents of children without disabilities use them instead of allowing their kids to be kids. The hands pillow would be great for a NICU but it really is a SIDS risk as well. Babies should sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of SIDS anything that moves them from their back is a SIDS risk as is anything in the crib other then the baby. However kids are watched constantly in the NICU reducing the risk. If they are using one of these in the NICU there is probably a medical need. It is an exception to the rule.

Same thing with the helment if your toddler has a medical condition that causes more falls or increases the risk of head injury that is an exception.

Sometimes you need to look past what is actually written and infer some meaning. This article was clearly written for the general population of paranoid parents. (I am also a paranoid parent so I do understand.)

I do actually agree with the author's comments on the leash. I think they are degrading (without a medical reason for using it.) My almost three year old knows to stand next to me and hold my hand. I can even let go of his hand for short periods (long enough to pay for a purchase) and he stands still. That isn't to say he never runs, he is very strong willed and generally hyper, but he is disciplined for it. He hasn't ran in almost a year, and has maybe ran only 5 times since he started walking, he knows better. If he does run I chase him down as soon as he takes off. You have to pay attention to your kids.