Kentucky Father Ends Up Being Dad-shamed After Walking His 5-year-old Quintuplets With a Leash

One father was seriously dad-shamed for using a child leash when out and about with his five-year-old quintuplets. Jordan Driskell received huge backlash online after he shared a video of his five children using a leash during their visit to an aquarium, according to Motherly.

Driskell initially posted the clip last year, but the video started going viral recently with millions of views and counting. Driskell and his wife, Briana, share quintuplets Zoey, Dakota, Hollyn, Gavin, and Asher.

With five children and just two parents, it is clear to see why being outnumbered would be a cause for a parent who goes on a solo trip with the kiddos. The dad captioned his clip to come walk a mile in his shoes, as he defended his use of the restraining device.

Dad says leash gives parents peace of mind when walking kids

Driskell told TODAY Parents that kids are so curious and they always want to run off and explore. He said that for their own peace of mind and sanity, they use a leash as it allows them to leave the house and do fun stuff as a family without being stressed.

Driskell's parenting strategy drew the ire of plenty of people, who shared their strong feelings online about the toddler leash being used for the quintuplets. Social media pundits proclaimed that animals should be the only ones tied up and said they were disturbed by the sight of the dad controlling his children.

One user commented that they are humans and not dogs. Another user said that is messed up, telling Driskell that if he can't handle that many children, then don't get them in the first place.

There were also plenty of parents, on the other hand, who totally understood why he used the toddler leash for all of his children. Anyone who has had a toddler or a young kid knows how quickly those curious children can bolt away from their parents when walking outside.

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Is it OK to leash your kids?

There is limited data, though, on child and toddler leashes in regard to safety. Ben Hoffman, a pediatrician and chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention, told Slate that this does not mean that child leashes are bad for kids.

While Driskell says that the family once had a six-seat stroller, it is not easy keeping five 5-year-old children buckled into a stroller anymore, not to mention pushing the quintuplets around. He said that it was just too bulky and ridiculous to take anywhere.

The other thing that Driskell pointed out is that they want to walk when they go somewhere crowded. A leash gives the children the opportunity to do that but enables the parents to still be in control. He said his kids love the leash.

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