[blparent] resource list

Tue May 29 16:34:06 UTC 2012

Amen Jo Elizabeth, and coming from someone who trains dogs for a living,
humans don't learn much different from canines believe it or not.  It makes
me think of one of the main trainers for Shamoo the whale.  She used to use
training techniques of positive reinforcement on her husband the same way
she did with Shamoo, and her husband would sometimes stop and say, "Did you
just Shamoo me?"  It's hilarious but so true that we often times learn the
same as animals learn and that's not a bad thing.  Carrying a lot of animal
training techniques into parenting has merely made me a better parent.  I
used to think that leashes were probably more helpful for blind parents than
sighted, but now that I'm a mom with lots of sighted friends who use them as
well, I see how beneficial they are for everyone.  My sighted mother used to
put an actual dog leash on my coat when I was a toddler because I was big at
taking off from her.  A lady in the grocery store one day came up to my mom
and started tearing her a new one about how cruel it was to put me on a
leash like an animal, and my mom was brilliant with how she handled this
woman.  She simply smiled at this woman and handed her the leash.  My mom
then said, "Go ahead and take her for five minutes and then tell me if you
think the leash is such a horrible thing!"  Just then I began tugging at the
end of the leash, trying to make one of my famous escapes and the woman
simply handed the leash back to my mom and said, "I didn't think of it like
that, sorry."  The leash really allows me as a parent to be more relaxed and
not a helicopter parent, hovering over my child every second because I'm
afraid they might take off at any second.  My son is 19 months now and is at
an age where he can just hold our hands but he knows the rules and if he
refuses to hold our hands he either goes on leash or gets carried or put in
the stroller.  It's not a punishment, just a matter of fact thing that
happens.  When I have my husband around or sighted friends who I trust, I'll
let my son have time when he can run around loose but I praise him so much
for holding hands that he enjoys it.

Erin

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Jo Elizabeth Pinto
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 8:31 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blparent] resource list

Sorry, but you may think it's less cruel as your kid gets older and wants
more freedom.  The leash isn't to make your child into a dog, it's to help
your child stay near you without holding on his hand every second, while
he's young and easily distracted.  Believe me, the leash is far less cruel
than having your kid run off into the street or into some other dangerous
situation, or having to keep him glued to your hand when he wants some room
to explore.

Jo Elizabeth

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a
song."  Maya Angelou

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Amanda Matheny" <mommyzhuuraan at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2012 9:26 AM
To: "Blind Parents Mailing List" <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [blparent] resource list

> Ewww, leashes! I hate when people put their kids on a leash like an 
> animal! Sorry, but that's just WRONG!
>
> Just saw that in the list and had to comment. I'm not usually so 
> bitter about something, but I've seen it before and happen to think 
> it's cruel.
>
> On 5/29/12, jan wright <jan.wrightfamily5 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> OK,
>> I think I'll start keeping these messages in a file so that  when 
>> people ask about leashes or harnesses or child locators or bells or 
>> squeezy spoons, I'll have a listing for them.
>> It probably won't be as fancy as someone else's and honestly, it 
>> would be a good idea to start having such resources on hand: (maybe 
>> at the nfb website) for blind parents.
>> But, until that happens, a good text resource list is a good idea.
>> But, before I start: has anyone already done this?????
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> --
> Amanda Matheny
> Twitter: http://twitter.com/zhuuraanpub or, if you think you know me 
> well enough, request my private twitter username.
> Website coming soon!
>
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