Leashing kids!

If u had been reading the papers lately, the story of Yin would not have missed your eyes. He wandered off in a mall while the dad was shopping. The media went full swing ( to my utmost surprise ~ cuz usually they aren't that efficient or helpful!!) and after 2 weeks Yin was handed back to the parents by a Myanmar couple. I am sure they did not intend to return the boy until they saw the reward money. Why on earth would they shave the boy's head and keep him for 2 weeks?? And the reason they gave was that he had chicken pox but the medical report came out today that it wasn't true at all ~ no sign of any pox!!!
Anyway, the suggestion of leashing kids came out in the papers today. So here is my personal experience! I have 3 kids ( well all grown now!) No.1 was an alert kid who could wander off but she always kept an eye to make sure we were still within her safety zone. No.3 was the panicky nervous kid who always stuck to mum like glue. U can never let go of her hand or she will panic Hahahaha! So when it came to shopping it was not easy rummaging thru sales item with one hand! My solution was to have her hold on to my jeans pocket , that way i have 2 hands free and she was always happy to hold on to any part of Mummy! Now No.2 is the culprit. She is known to wander off without a care in the world. She gets so easily distracted by comic books and toys, pets and music , that she just goes along her own sweet way , oblivious that we have moved on in the opposite direction! Every single trip to the mall , or the zoo, or any exhibition, she will find herself lost within the first 30 min!! Sometimes she screams for MUMMEEEEEEEEE! Sometimes she panics and runs around in circles. She had been rescued by security guards at malls, sales girls on duty , and even kind shoppers.
So lets go back to leashing , i did try that but she hated it even though i gave her the freedom of a long leash. She would tug at it and grumble , just like a puppy that hates the contraption! And at that time when leashing was not a very Asian thing it was pretty embarrassing cuz passers-by would look at me and think i was the most cruel mum on earth to treat my kid like a dog! But u don't know my Jo!!!! I am just glad i have not lost her at all thru those growing up years, PHEW!!
So , parents , leash your kids if u have to. Stop shopping if u have to. But keep them within sight when u are out with them! better still , lock them in the house Hahahahaah! Just kidding lah!
E-mum