Parenting is never easy, and we recognize that with the name of our website itself. That’s a nod to all the parents who kept (and still keeping) it together all these years.

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UNSPLASH – KELLY SIKKEMA

Kidding aside, no one guide or manual could tell us how to be perfect parents. It’s going to be a mix of trial-and-error and creative problem-solving. What self-help books could offer is a fresh perspective and some options, but never the exact answer.

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PEXELS – JOSH WILLINK

Therefore, each of us has different parenting styles. We make do with what we have and could apply in dealing with our kids. However, it is the society that’s putting everything in a box and instantly labeling things as “bad parenting” when they see something unideal to them

And this is what happened to these parents that went viral.

Viral video of bad parenting?

A couple was under fire from netizens when Jordan Driskell, the father, posted a video that they put their kids on a leash whenever they go out. The couple has five children, and all of them were tied to a child leash.

The video was already a year old, but it recently went viral and caught more attention from people online. People were quick to judge Jordan’s actions. Most said the kids shouldn’t be leashed because they are not dogs. Others even chimed in that they shouldn’t have had those many kids if they cannot handle having five kids.

Walking in Driskells’ shoes

Jordan posted another video on his Instagram, which he captioned, “come, walk a mile in my shoes.” Clearly, there was a side to that story that people didn’t know, and he realized it was important to respond to all the hate comments.

His wife Brianna gave birth to quintuplets, which explains the number of kids they have in tow when they go out. Going around with kids that age can be pretty stressful.
“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,” Jordan told TODAY Parents.

He said his kids love to go around since they are curious about their surroundings. He and his wife had tried carrying strollers before, but it was too bulky and difficult to move around big crowds. The leash allowed their children to walk around and squeeze into the crowd while still in control.

Creative problem-solving

According to Parenting and Youth Development Expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa, what the Driskells did could be considered creative problem-solving and shouldn’t be seen as treating kids like animals.

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FLICKR – CHUCK REDDEN

She added that it seemed like the couple had a unique problem of having five active kids out on a trip, and the leash was the best possible solution to taking them out while still controlling their kids. The other option was to stay at home.

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UNSPLASH – MCKEALA TAYLOR

However, there should also be a limit to using the leash. The parents would have to think of other ways of being in control by the time their kids reach eight years old.