Daycare centre’s controversial city excursion sparks divide between parents

“It's all fun and games until one of them takes a tumble…”

Alexandra Feiam

2 min read

August 14, 2024 - 3:02PM

Family Life

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A video of daycare teachers walking their class of toddlers has gone viral online, and parents are divided.

On a now-viral post to X, two daycare teachers were on a controversial excursion with their class of toddlers using a lead.

But is this really a case of modern-day Madeleine, or were the teachers out of line?

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The excursion has gone viral online, Picture: ThebestFigen/X

Teachers “tie up” toddlers for an excursion

A person posted a clip on X (formerly Twitter), asking their followers if there was something wrong with their approach.

The hoard of toddies were individually strapped up to a lead, which was wrapped around their bellies.

Their belts were connected to a communal lead in the middle, which was controlled by both teachers, allowing the kids to walk side by side in two straight lines.

The two daycare teachers couldn’t help but smile and laugh as the class waddled by, the sounds of a toddler throwing a tantrum in the background.

“Their teacher took them for a walk and tied them up so they wouldn't get lost,” the post read. “This is right or wrong?”

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Naturally, those with kids quickly defended the daycare teachers, and it’s easy to see why.

The thought of trying to control eight unruly toddlers with only two adults sounds like a nightmare, and they deserve any and all help they can get.

“That age? The adult-to-child ratio? It’s definitely the right thing to do,” someone said.

“I would rather have my child tied than have them wander into the path of a car,” another agreed. “I know how fast they can get away and I only had to watch three max.”

“I know that at that age, my son would walk down the street with me and then run, for no reason whatsoever,” a parent wrote. “It was frightening for me. I’m OK with the tots being held together for their own safety.”

On the other hand…

Despite the overwhelming majority of people agreeing with the excursion, others were convinced the whole thing was a terrible idea.

“They used to make us all hold hands,” said one. It might be a little tricky to get toddlers to hold hands, though. Have you ever met a toddler?

“Don't leave your kids at daycare if you don't want them treated like dogs!” said another.

However, it wasn’t the fact that daycare teachers were using a lead to control the kids, it was the adult-to-kid ratio, sparking a conversation about the ongoing teacher shortage.

“It’s wrong!” someone said. “I’ve worked in childcare for 20+ years … and just like buckles on a diaper changing table. That’s why you need more than one teacher.”

“It's all fun and games until one of them takes a tumble,” another chimed in. “I speak from experience on the tethered, toddler-domino effect!”