Kentucky Dad of Quintuplets Shamed for Walking His Kids on a Leash: ‘They Are Humans, Not Dogs’
A father of five has sparked a furious debate after sharing a video of himself using a leash to take his five-year-old quintuplets for a walk.
Jordan Driskell from Kentuck and his wife Briana loved their five beautiful children, Zoey, Dakota, Hollyn, Asher, and Gavin. Raising quintuplets was a significant adjustment in life, but the couple enjoyed every minute of it.
Jordan Driskell recently uploaded the clip to Instagram, which showed him walking with his five young children.
However, the clip quickly sparked huge reactions from viewers – many of whom were up in arms over the fact that the babies were all wearing leashes, ensuring they couldn’t wander, run away, or get lost.
The clip showed Jordan holding onto five ropes – each connected to a harness that one of his children was wearing – as the family calmly walked together outside a fish tank.
The Instagram video quickly went viral – gaining more than three million views – and launched a discussion among Instagram users, some of whom ‘respected’ the father’s decision to use a leash on his children and others who slammed him for it, pointing out that they are ‘humans, not dogs’.
Some of the comments that have appeared on his feed:
“They are humans not dogs.”
“Can’t you just train your children well? Explain to them why it’s dangerous to run away?”
“Don’t have that many kids if you can’t handle the pressure.”
“That’s messed up. If you can’t handle that many children don’t get them in the first place.”
Jordan explained that his children love to “run and explore” because of their “curiosity”, so he and his wife wear leashes for their “own peace of mind and sanity”.
“Kids are so curious — they want to run off and explore. For our own peace of mind and sanity, we use a leash. It also allows us to leave the house and do fun stuff as a family without being stressed.”
He explained that they used to push a five-seater trolley, but that it was not practical as it was so “bulky”.
‘It was just too bulky and ridiculous to take anywhere,’ he said. ‘The other thing is, they want to walk when we go somewhere crowded.
‘A leash gives them the opportunity to do that – but we’re still in control. They love it.’
Smart idea
The comments section also featured positive feedback, with parents praising the father’s actions. Mums and dads thanked him for putting his family’s safety first, while others said it was a smart idea:
“I said, ‘I’ll NEVER put my kids on a leash!’ As a mother with two energetic toddlers at the same time, I grabbed the first monkey backpacks with leashes I could get my hands on!”
– (@authortraciejohnson) August 3, 2022
“Anyone who disagrees with his method has never taken care of five toddlers at one time! Even preschools use a rope system to walk to the playground.”
– (@graftymarie89) August 3, 2022
“I had one for my daughter – nothing wrong with it – she was able to run around but close enough to me in a crowd.”
– (@Ligita212) July 31, 2022
“If you are being judged for protecting your children, then the judgmental folks have no clue about the value of life on any level.”
– (mboyd1990) July 31, 2022
Dr Deborah Gilboa, an expert in parenting and youth development, offered a different take.
“This is creative problem solving. This isn’t treating kids like animals,” Gilboa told. “The alternative would be just staying at home.”
Gilboa added that bystanders need to dial down the judgment.
“It’s a great system for a parent with a neurodiverse child or a child who hasn’t nailed all their listening skills,” she explained. “Ninety-nine point nine-nine percent of moms and dads want what’s best for their kids and they’re doing it to solve a problem. Just because you can’t identify the problem, doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
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Source:dailymail.co.uk, today.com
