A hard parenting truth is that no matter what you do, people are going to judge you. One of the most hotly contested (but not harmful) personal choices for parents of toddlers is using a harness, or as some people call it, a toddler “leash.” For some folks, using one is the equivalent of parents treating their child like a dog — when in reality, it’s meant to be a safety tool for young children who don’t quite understand the concept of danger.
Recently, a mom was spotted dragging her motionless toddler across the floor of an airport while wearing a harness and leash. A video shared to social media went viral, prompting a flurry of opinions. Unfortunately, not all of them were kind.
A mom dragging her toddler in an airport went viral on TikTok.
On TikTok, a user posted a video of a mom dragging her toddler through an airport. “Leaving Cancun is tough… I feel ya buddy,” they captioned the clip. Since sharing, the video has attracted more than 2.9 million likes.
Her completely motionless toddler didn’t put up a fight.
In the video, a mom walked through an airport while holding one end of a toddler harness. The toddler attached to the other end had zero intention of walking with his mother. Instead, he laid on the floor, motionless, as his mother pulled him slowly behind her.
TikTok users slammed the mom.
In the comments, TikTok users criticized the mom’s parenting.
One person wrote, “People who value and know the worth of kids can’t have and those who have take it for granted.”
Another TikTok user commented, “I’m really not for judging other moms, but this is a hard no for me,” while someone else wrote, “This doesn’t seem right.”
Yet another person declared, “I don’t see how this is funny.”
Still, plenty of parents could relate to the situation.
Not everyone jumped on the bashing bandwagon.
One fellow parent shared, “Don’t worry, my toddler is feral too.”
Another TikTok user commented: “My 2nd born is realllllly changing my mind on kid leases. Heading to my Amazon cart now.”
Yet another parent wrote, “I pick my battles too.”
Others were thoroughly amused by the stubborn toddler.
Meanwhile, other TikTok users found humor in the situation. (Because sometimes, that’s all you can really do when dealing with an obstinate toddler.)
One person pointed out, “The bath will be worthwhile tonight.”
Another TikTok user commented, “Haha he looks very content with this,” while another echoed, “It’s the amount of how unbothered that child is for me.”
Meanwhile, someone else marveled at the kid’s resilience, writing: “Child doesn’t even care about the carpet burn. That’s determination.”
What do you think about the video?