Indian mother uses leash for toddler in New York, sparks debate online

A VIDEO of an Indian-origin mother using a child leash for her toddler during a family trip to New York City has gone viral, sparking mixed reactions across the internet.

Shubhangi Jagota, who lives in Canada with her family, recently posted a clip on Instagram showing her 3.5-year-old son happily exploring Times Square while being safely tethered to his father. The child is seen running and jumping with excitement, seemingly enjoying the freedom within the leash’s range.

Addressing the wave of attention the video received, Ms Jagota shared that the decision to use a leash was intentional and practical. “He’s 3.5 and we’re not ashamed to say we put him on a leash,” she wrote in the video’s caption. “In a city like New York, this was hands-down the best decision for our trip.”

The mother of two explained that her toddler is highly energetic and prefers to roam freely. The leash, she said, struck the perfect balance between allowing her son to explore and ensuring he remained safe in a bustling, unfamiliar environment. “Our little runner always wants his freedom, and this gave him just that—without giving us a heart attack every five minutes,” she said.

Adding a light-hearted twist, she revealed that her son had turned the whole experience into a game. “The best part? He thought we were on the leash. He called himself the sheriff and us his captives. Honestly, everyone was winning,” she joked.

Ms Jagota also noted that they used two types of leashes: a short one in crowded spaces and a longer one in open areas, adapting the approach based on their surroundings.

The video has reignited the ongoing online debate around the use of child leashes. While some parents defended the choice as a practical safety measure, others questioned the need for it, with opinions continuing to remain divided.

A user wrote, “Why do parents get shamed for doing this? For one, it's a great way to deter child snatchers, two it teaches them about sticking close whilst being independent ergo developing spacial awareness and, three, toddlers sometimes balance better in their own than when holding your hand so fall over less. That's just 3 pointers and I could really go on and on. Leasing kids is not a bad or shameful thing!”

Another user wrote, "You shouldn’t be ashamed this is child safety."

"The first time I saw this in a New York museum on a kid, I kinda judged the parent and then 5 minutes later saw why the kid was leashed and silently admitted what a brilliant thing it is, so no shaming at all, you gotta do what you gotta do," the third user wrote.

However, a section of the internet disagreed with the idea.

A user wrote, "Yeah cause educating your kid to stay with you and hold your hand is overrated now and nobody wants to actually do it."

Another user wrote, "Well guess what..you should be ashamed! Teach kids to follow rules, but not this way. He is 3.5..he has that much understanding to hold hands and not wander..if he wants to run places, run after him, by putting him in a leash, you are just showing to him that your space/pace matters more. His curiosity is of no value to you."

Ms Jagota’s video has certainly opened up a fresh round of conversation around parenting in public spaces.

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