A mother's unusual parenting approach has taken the internet by storm after she shared a video of her daughter on a leash in the supermarket.
The woman, named Alexis, posted a video with her daughter on a leash on TikTok which quickly went viral.
The video, which gained 12.9 million views, shows Alexis pushing her daughter in a shopping trolley before asking the little girl to hold up her arm so she can attach the pink leash to her wrist.
She then takes the other end of the leash and straps it to her own wrist.
She captioned the controversial TikTok, "I'm ok looking like a crazy mom...as long as my babies are safe."
The internet however did not agree, with the mother receiving backlash from many viewers saying she's gone too far.
"Kids are not dogs," one person commented.
"This is ridiculous and not how to parent!" another said.
The angry comments kept coming with someone else saying, "If you watched your children, you wouldn't need a leash."
But now Alexis has hit back. Posting a video explaining the leash was a tool proven to be effective for kids prone to running away.
She said in her experience as a therapist working with autistic children, she found they often wander off and by having a leash, parents limit the chances of this happening.
"I know that if I had this device when I was working with families, this would have made life so much safer."
She urged viewers to consider her reasoning before judging how she chooses to parent.
Parents of children on the spectrum jumped to her defence and added the leash was very effective in keeping their children safe and in close reach.
"My son is autistic and started letting go of my hand when he could barely walk. I quickly got a leash even though I never thought I would," one said.
Another added, "I would rather my kid be on a 'leash' than potentially wandering away and being abducted."
Alexis also emphasised it helps protect her child from being kidnapped by strangers.
"If this device could potentially save a child from being trafficked and abused, why does this upset you?" she questioned.
