The alternative is to make your child hold your hand while out in public.
You walk around for an hour with your hand up in the air. Now that is abuse.
sorry for the rant.
Frankly I had the sarcasm switch on. I know people who treat their dogs better than kids.....
In an old photo album, in an old desk drawer, is a picture of me (age 3) at Gettysburgh, Pa. wearing a harness w/ a leash attached and my mother smiling as she holds the leash.
Back inthe 60's, people could actually buy these things to keep a grip on their kids while the kids hands were free.
Years later, when I commented on the "leash", my mother said that she did it for me because she couldn't stand to see kids beings dragged around with their arms up in the air for hours.
Too bad all of mine would proceed to sit down and refuse to move when I tried the harness on them!!