I’m sure many parents can relate when I say that sometimes we just don’t have a damn clue what we’re doing. Being a parent is probably one of the toughest jobs available, there is no training, no pay and certainly no days off! One parent who knows this better than anyone is Clint Edwards, is a 34-year-old father of three, who runs his own parenting blog called No Idea What I’m Doing.
Since Edwards’ father wasn’t in the picture when he was growing up, when it was time for him to be a dad, he realized that he had nobody to look up to as an example. In search of guidance and some kind of sanity, he took to the online parenting community and decided to start his own blog to share his own experiences, as well as to learn from others.
By the looks of it, Clint is doing a wonderful job with his three girls. Recently though Edwards was forced to address criticism over a personal parenting practice that was getting some negative feedback both in public and online.
Since last February, Edwards and his wife have decided to start using a child leash for their 3-year-old daughter, Aspen, when they’re in crowded public spaces. This is because Aspen, who he often refers to as “wild child” has a tendency to run off and explore whatever has caught her eye.
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Since his little one is prone to Nursemaid’s Elbow, which is when a toddler’s elbow can be easily dislocated, Edwards explains that he would not want to hold onto her arm because a yank from the girl trying to escape could cause her joint to pop out. Since this has happened twice before, it makes them even more cautious!
They first used the leash with Aspen last February when the family was on vacation at Disney World. Due to the judgmental looks and comments made by other parents, Edwards felt compelled to post the explanation for his decision on Facebook. They only plan on using the safety device for the next couple of months and are hoping that Aspen will soon grow out of her unpredictable ways and respond better to verbal instructions.
His advice to any other parent’s who are feeling anxious about using the leash on their child is that you know your child best, and whatever you’re doing for them is in their best interests.
What do you think… should Clint and his wife be able to use the leash without judgement?
