It always makes me laugh when I see a kid on a leash.  Have you seen this?  You can buy this little toddler-sized backpack…which usually looks like a bear or other stuffed animal…and it is attached to a leash.  Put your kid in the backpack…and lead him around the mall.  I think this is hilarious!

Here’s the kicker…We own one.  

I know it is sad.

But it definitely meets a need for a parent…the child needs a little freedom…but not too much.  If she heads in the wrong direction…just a slight tug on the leash…which usually results in her toppling over (also very funny)…she gets the idea and learns what to avoid and what is safe.

This is a simple way to understand the second M in our M5…Admonishing: warning, gently correcting…bringing back onto the right path…in the right direction…like a kid on a leash.