It is easy to become a backseat parent, especially when the parent in question is a social media influencer.
Content creator and dad Jordan Driskell recently faced a wave of varying opinions about his parenting methods after posting a video that showed him walking his 5-year-old quintuplets on a leash.
The original post was captioned: “Come walk a mile in my shoes,” and it quickly went viral, garnering over 3 million views and more than 7,200 comments. Jordan – who has posted videos to TikTok oddly referring to his kids as “pet sperm” – mentioned in a follow-up post that this is his most popular video ever, thanking people for “blowing it up.”
Most of the comments, however, were not kind. Many compared the children to dogs. One user asked: “Are they rescues?”
Another bluntly stated: “Those kids are way too old to be walked on a leash.”
Yet another offered advice: “Can’t you just train your children well?”
Some users were more understanding and supportive. One person commented: “With 5 kids you need that ? responsible parenting right here.”
Another shared a similar experience, saying: “Considering my 2-year-old tried to bolt into the street, yea we use leashes too now.”
Addressing the critics, one commenter wrote: “For the people complaining about the leashes, you try keeping track of 5 little kids. They seem perfectly happy.”
Jordan justified his actions to Today Parents, explaining: “Kids are so curious — they want to run off and explore. 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.”
He added that a stroller was just too big and bulky for them, and the kids wanted to walk around. The leash lets them safely do that.
The use of leashes for children is a topic of debate among experts such as pediatricians, who widely differ in their opinions. No major studies have been conducted on the subject, leaving it up to parents to make the best decisions for their children. In the end, the internet should perhaps hold its proverbial keyboard and let parents navigate their own paths.