Vault: Are Kid Leashes Acceptable Parenting Or Completely Unacceptable?

Summary

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The Bert Show Episode Summary

Title: Vault: Are Kid Leashes Acceptable Parenting Or Completely Unacceptable?
Date: April 14, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the viral and controversial topic of "kid leashes," incited by a widely circulated video showing a mother dragging her young child on a leash through a Verizon Wireless store. The Bert Show team—Bird, Jeff, Jen, Melissa, Wendy, and callers—debate whether using child leashes constitutes reasonable parenting or is just plain unacceptable. The conversation digs into the broader issues of public judgment, parental discipline, and the unpredictability of children's behavior in public spaces.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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The Viral Video: What Happened?

• [01:42] Bird describes the video: a mother has her child (about 3-4 years old) harnessed to a kid leash, dragging them on the floor of a Verizon store.
• Reaction: The team reacts with shock and concern. Bird says, "There's nobody that's gonna be able to call up this morning and defend the leash thing."
• The team questions for context: Was this a tantrum? Was dragging necessary? Opinions vary on whether it's ever acceptable.

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Is Using a Leash Justified?

• Arguments Against:

  • Bird: "There's gotta be a better way to control your kids than leashing them. My opinion, but this is one that got a little bit out of hand." ([01:23])
  • Bird compares it negatively to animal treatment: "You wouldn't even do that to your animal." ([02:58])
  • Jen (re: physical discipline): "Do you think some people would compare that to spanking in public?" ([03:05])

• Arguments for Context & Caution:

  • Jeff: "I don't agree with it, but I don't know the whole story." ([02:53])
  • Melissa: "I do feel like... you don't know what the whole story is" and highlights the commonality of tantrums. ([02:18])
  • Jeff: "What if she goes to pick up the child and it grabs her and bites her... there is somebody who weighs 25 pounds with complete control over every adult in that room." ([09:35])

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Parenting in Public and Judgment

• Dilemmas for Parents:

  • Jen asks directly, "What do you do when your kids are having a temper tantrum in public?" ([07:25])
  • Bird acknowledges his own luck: "I've just been really lucky with that. Both of our kids had temper tantrums... We said, that is not acceptable... And then we walked away. And with our kids, that worked." ([07:29] – [07:52])
  • Callers and hosts agree it’s rarely straightforward, and what works for one child may not work for another.

• External Judgment:

  • Bird mentions public criticism: "What makes it worse when you're in the middle of a store with a screaming child is the inability of other people to keep their mouth shut." ([07:02])
  • Melissa wonders about the mother’s circumstances: What if she had to, for instance, pick up a paycheck and had no alternatives? ([09:24])

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Insights from Listeners

• [05:38] Caller: Provides insider knowledge—video was shot in Rome, Georgia; the child was "being a brat," and the situation escalated. Initially, store employees found it funny, but concern grew due to its duration, prompting a police call.
• [10:14] Fran (Caller): Shares her struggle as a single parent, empathizes with the desperation, and stresses the importance of meeting children’s basics (food, rest) before outings. "What that mother did was desperate... I've been in stores where my son was kicking me and biting and trying to get off my hands... It's just horrible when that happens to you."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bird ([01:23]):

  "There's gotta be a better way to control your kids than leashing them. My opinion, but this is one that got a little bit out of hand."

• Bird ([02:58]):

  "You wouldn't even do that to your animal."

• Melissa ([03:42]):

  "I've seen plenty of parents with the kid with dead weight and they're dragging that kid who has dead weight... The thing that makes it so disturbing is the kid is dragging across the floor."

• Jeff ([09:35]):

  "What if she goes to pick up the child and it grabs her and bites her... there is somebody who weighs 25 pounds with complete control over every adult in that room."

• Fran ([10:14]):

  "I have the worst times. When my son was growing up, he was just terrible... If he needs a nap, he needs to get that nap before I do anything... What that mother did was desperate."

• Bird ([11:28]):

  "Each kid is so different. You know, it really is very difficult to give parenting advice. But I do know in that video, that's not acceptable."

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• [01:01] — Hosts introduce the main topic: the kid leash video.
• [01:42] — Team watches and discusses the video in detail.
• [02:58] — Bird and others draw animal abuse comparison.
• [03:05] — Spanking and public discipline discussed.
• [05:38] — Caller provides first-hand situational context.
• [07:25] — Team discusses their own strategies for public tantrums.
• [09:35] — Jeff argues the unpredictability of kids and tough parenting scenarios.
• [10:14] — Fran, a caller, details real-life parenting struggles.
• [11:28] — Hosts underline child individuality and the dangers of generalizing advice.

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Tone & Language

• The discussion is marked by honesty, empathy, and humor—even in heavy moments.
• The Bert Show maintains their "real and funny" tone, using relatable parenting anecdotes and playful quips to soften judgment and foster understanding.

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Conclusion

The episode thoughtfully explores the moral and practical dilemmas of parenting in public, with "kid leashes" serving as a lightning rod for divergent views. Hosts and callers alike underscore that every child and situation is unique; while most agree dragging a child on a leash is unacceptable, there’s ample empathy for the desperate circumstances parents may find themselves in. The episode ultimately calls for less public judgment and more compassion—along with recognition that parenting "right" often has no one-size-fits-all solution.

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Transcript

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[Jeff]

The Birch Show.

[Bird]

There's nobody that's gonna be able to call up this morning and defend the leash thing. I mean, I understand. I hear the words coming out of

[Jeff]

parents to you, but some people.

[Bird]

I don't get it at all.

[Melissa]

Are you talking about the leash in general?

[Jen]

Leash? Yeah.

[Wendy]

I haven't seen this yet.

[Jeff]

I don't agree with it, but I don't have a problem with it. If you've got three kids running around who are all under the age of

[Bird]

four, there's gotta be a better way to control your kids than leashing them. My opinion, but this is one that got a little bit out of hand. Here, Wendy, check this out. You haven't seen this yet?

[Fran]

Mm, mm.

[Wendy]

Not yet.

[Bird]

We have this video posted up on our [e-mail] that you can go check out. Have you seen this yet, Jen?

[Jen]

Yeah, I've seen the stills of it,

[Bird]

but I haven't seen the full. All right, check it out.

[Jeff]

Hold on.

[Bird]

Back her up here. Oh, God. It is a mother that has her child attached to one of these leashes and is literally. The kid is what, on his stomach or is on his back, like, on his side? And the mother is dragging the child through this Verizon Wireless store.

[Wendy]

That's like a long distance to drag any child.

[Jen]

How old is the kid?

[Bird]

Looks like it could be three or four years old. That's it.

[Wendy]

At least give him a chance to stand up.

[Melissa]

Now, is this a case where the kids, like, you know, you don't know

[Jeff]

what the whole story is?

[Melissa]

Temper tantrum. Because how many kids you've seen, like. And when you were a kid, when the first thing. If you didn't want to go somewhere, you Dead weight, right?

[Bird]

You know, could be. Even so, I still think it's not acceptable because that is a long drag right there you're talking about.

[Wendy]

My mom would have just left me on the floor if I did the dead weight. Did that. Dead weight, whole thing. Yeah. I would have been left on the floor and she would have walked away.

[Melissa]

And that would have been on surveillance camera and on the news. How dare her?

[Jeff]

Couldn't that have been argued too?

[Bird]

Not like that, no. This woman's been arrested for child cruelty.

[Jeff]

Oh, she has? Oh, because of this?

[Bird]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

I don't know. I. I would reserve judgment because I don't agree with it, but I don't know the whole story.

[Bird]

I can't think of any scenario, any scenario at all that would dictate a parent doing that to their child. You wouldn't even do that to your animal.

[Jen]

Do you think some people would compare that to spanking in public? Like, instead of dragging the kid on the floor, spanking him would be the same thing. I guess non spankers would have that argument.

[Bird]

I don't know. What do you guys think?

[Melissa]

Yeah, I mean, I'm, you know, believe in spanking, so I don't think that dragging a kid across the floor on a leash is the same as spanking him.

[Bird]

That to me, is excessive. That to me, if you're talking about spanking is spanking and spanking and spanking and spanking and spanking and spanking to a point where it's abusive.

[Jen]

I agree with you. I think that's ridiculous.

[Bird]

Melissa, you don't agree about what? The video. Just awfully quiet.

[Wendy]

Well, I mean, I don't know.

[Melissa]

I mean, I. I think that. I mean, it is disturbing. It's disturbing to see. I mean, I don't know how I feel about leashes. I know that I've seen plenty of parents with the kid with dead weight and they're dragging that kid who has dead weight. You know, I think the leash. I mean, it isn't. The thing that makes it so disturbing is the kid is dragging across the floor. But I've seen parents who have pulled their kid and their legs are dragging across the floor because the kid doesn't want to go somewhere and throwing a tantrum in the middle of the store. So, you know, I don't know. I don't know how I feel because, I mean, it is a dramatic picture. But I agree with Jeff. Like, I'd have to see the whole thing.

[Jeff]

Yeah. Like, you don't know if she has to go into that store because she's whatever her agenda is, she's got something to do. And you've got a bunch of options, like your kid's screaming and throwing a fit and throwing himself down outside of the store. You don't see that she can't leave him in the car. That's a crime.

[Bird]

Then you leave the Verizon store and

[Jeff]

she brings him in with.

[Bird]

So you pick the child up, you both get in the car, and you leave.

[Melissa]

Now, I do feel like.

[Bird]

Or you get him in the car and you do a little timeout or something.

[Jeff]

Yeah, but I mean, some. You know. You know how it is. I mean, sometimes I do know how it is.

[Bird]

I have two kids, and that's why I'm looking at it. There's no way.

[Jeff]

And if that kid. I mean, I would like to believe that that parent wouldn't do anything to put her child in harm's way. She's not swinging him. She's not. But it's. It's not gravel sliding him across the polished floor.

[Bird]

You sound to me as nonsensical right now as those women did yesterday that were defending that woman for not telling her husband. I'm not saying they held back the kid.

[Jeff]

I'm not defending her. I don't know that it's fair to pass judgment without knowing the whole thing. We saw one little clip. What if he threw himself down? She picked him up, threw himself down, picked him up, threw himself down. Then she said, you throw yourself down again, then it's up to you to get up. And she did it.

[Bird]

Yeah. In that scenario. And that's all we saw in that scenario. I still don't think it's acceptable to drag your kid across the floor.

[Jeff]

I mean, that clip is, with a leash, four seconds long.

[Bird]

It's at least 30ft. Good morning. Q100.

[Caller]

Hi.

[Bird]

Hi.

[Caller]

That actually happened in Rome, Georgia. The lady that did that is from Alabama. And a former employee for a cell phone company that I worked for actually changed companies to go and work for that Verizon. And he actually filmed that. And that video started circulating before it, like, hit YouTube and stuff. And I actually received that video at work the day that happened. And apparently the child was being a brat and the mom just got fed up and just started dragging him around. And the employees thought it was funny at first, but she actually did that for a while in the store, and then they got concerned and decided to call the police because it just got out of control.

[Bird]

My thought was it had to be going on long enough for somebody to get the camera out and start recording it. Or the temper tantrum was so bad, something made somebody turn a camera on some of the responses on Facebook yesterday. Hey, I don't have a problem with that. I really think in today's society, parents are way too scared to discipline their children. And you know what? That really does more harm than good. Are we now raising a society of wimps? Another one here. I bet a minute before she dragged him, he was pitching a blue fit and she tried to correct him, but he would not listen.

[Jeff]

That's a blue fit.

[Melissa]

I don't know.

[Bird]

Sounds a little.

[Jeff]

Sounds intense.

[Bird]

It's not quite as bad as a red fit.

[Jen]

Yeah,

[Melissa]

code blue.

[Bird]

Although it was not my first response after thinking this over, I think you're in the ballpark of being right. What makes it worse when you find yourself in the middle of a store with a screaming child is the inability of other people to keep their mouth shut. One says, people, come on. I doubt it was as bad as it looks. Remember the old saying, believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see.

[Jen]

My question for you is, what do you do when your kids are having a temper tantrum in public?

[Bird]

I've just been really lucky with that.

[Jen]

Such a docile kid. I can't imagine him freaking out like that.

[Bird]

Both of our kids had temper tantrums. Like when they were. I think Hollis had one six months ago. And they both reacted the same way to when Stacy and I talked to him about it. We literally went over them and. And we said, that is not acceptable in our house. And we were loud about it. And then we walked away. And with our kids, that worked. We've been really, really lucky. So I don't have a lot of experience with temper tantrums. Cause that doesn't work with a lot of kids.

[Jen]

It doesn't. And I know my best friend has her little girl going through her terrible twos right now. And she will say that they will gear up, get all packed up, ready to go, go to the zoo, the aquarium, Target, wherever it is they're going. And she's with her by herself because her husband travels a lot. And she will have freak out, temper tantrum, and they stop what they're doing and just leave the store. Like, she's like, I can't get errands done. I can't get things. You know, like, she'll have to, like, have like childcare come over. A babysitter or their nanny or whatever come over on a specific day so that she can just go and get some of those things done. She's like, I know this isn't gonna be forever, but I also am not gonna be that parent who is in the middle of target with their kids,

[Jeff]

dragging their kid out of leash.

[Jen]

Dragging their kid on a leash or whatever. But I just wonder, like, what. What is the right thing to do when your kid is freaking out like that? What do you do?

[Bird]

And I do think that, at least in our case, you set the standard immediately. And it's really tough to react the first time you see it the first time it happens, because if you allow it to happen the first time, then I think it really, really starts to build very quickly. We just have two kids that just. We're lucky with.

[Jen]

They responded well.

[Bird]

They responded well to that. But, yeah, I have friends just like you that have kids that just will go on and on and on, kicking and screaming.

[Jen]

Yeah. And she has said. She said, thank God I can afford to do a babysitter. But think about this woman in the Verizon store.

[Melissa]

Like, what if she was picking up her paycheck? What if she was picking up her paycheck and she couldn't leave?

[Jen]

Right? What do you do?

[Melissa]

What do you do?

[Jen]

You at least physically pick up the child, I think rather than drag it then the art.

[Jeff]

I'm just saying we don't know the full story. What if she goes to pick up the child and it grabs her and bites her, and she's like, look, I have to go in this store for two minutes. I'm not leaving you in. You're walking in with me. And as soon as he gets through the door, he lies down, and she turns around, says, if you don't get up, I will pull you across this floor. And the kid says, I'm not getting up. And then you. She starts walking. Like. I know you can't fathom it, but I don't think you've ever. I've seen kids. I've seen friends of my friends of mine, their kids. I've seen them do that. And you are at a. I mean, there is somebody who weighs 25 pounds with complete control over every adult in that room.

[Bird]

Hey, Fran. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Fran]

Hi, Bird. I love you so much, guys. I just wanted to let you know. And I'm so glad you said you were lucky with your kids, because you seriously are. I mean, I have the worst times. When my son was growing up, he was just terrible, Bird. I mean, I could just sit here and give you thousands of examples of really horrible situations that he made me go through because he was sleepy or he was hungry or it was just not in a good mood. And what I learned, because I was a single parent, what I learned was, you know what? If he needs a nap, he needs to get that nap before I do anything. I don't care what my schedule is. He needs to nap, he needs to eat, he needs to be a happy baby, and he needs to get whatever he needs to get before I leave the house. Because I tell you what, I haven't seen the video, but what that mother did was desperate. I mean, I've been in stores where my son was kicking me and biting and trying to get off my hands, and I'm trying to grab him to get him out of the store. It's just horrible when that happens to you. And, I mean, I know you say you gotta be hard and you gotta do this, but you know what? It's really, really hard.

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Bird]

Each kid is so different. You know, it really is very difficult to give parenting advice. But I do know in that video, that's not acceptable.

[Melissa]

Well, I mean, let's go back to the employee who says that she had inside information about that. Now, she had said when that happened, when it first happened, everybody thought it was funny and everybody laughed. The offensive thing to her was the fact of how long it happened, how long it took her, how long she dragged the kid. But you know what I'm saying. So the person who was a part of it or a part of that group said everybody laughed when she first did it, because it's probably going on. What Jeff said about everybody in the store is like, what are you going to do with this kid? You know what I mean? So.

[Jeff]

So they were aware that the kid was a, you know, throwing a temper tantrum, and here's what she decided to do. And then maybe when he still didn't get up, and then they're like, wait a minute. And then she'd maybe turn around. Oops, I forgot my power cable turned around. Went back, like, after that happened a couple times. Then I think maybe they're like, oh, this is kind of weird. The Birch Show.

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