Taking on the parenting

I spent 5 hours at the zoo yesterday and saw tons of kids being dragged around like they were a stubborn bulldog. We're at a zoo for god-sake, the entire place is set up to let kids roam around and parents still feel the need to harness their kids. Would it be the end of the world if you actually ran around your kids for a few minutes and maybe get your hands dirty as they splash around in the mud. It's not like you are leashing a greyhound who would dart off to never be seen again, you are leashing a 2 year old who will probably trip or get distracted before he makes it 10 yards away*.

How about you stop texting, stop chowing down on double-dutch ice-cream and start actually parenting. The animals under lock and key have more freedom than these kids.

Looking around, it shocks me how many people take these short-cuts as parents

It's not just the harnessing, I also don't agree with is the fact parents find it completely acceptable to throw their kid in front of the TV for hours as distraction so they can avoid doing any parenting. I'm not talking about the occasional. 20 minutes as a mom is making dinner or a dad is fixing the toilet but the mentality that just throwing your kid in front of the TV for hours per day is beyond ridiculous.

I always read about autism rates rising and you have to wonder if the fact as parents we spend more time watching TV, texting, talking on the phone than engaging with our kids.
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