i'm of the group that used harness/leash, "safety lines" wrist-to wrist, and playpens with the kids. the leash/harness gives the toddlers the illusion of freedom, while we still know exactly where they are. we used the safety line with our youngest when we were at disney world--we called it her "lifeline"--and she was free to wander as far as it went; she had the confidence that we were nearby. the playpen did the same thing--the little ones had the freedom to play as long as they wanted to and could just crash and sleep when they needed to. it was all designed to keep them safe, and us sane. it was so much easier to fix dinner or clean when they were in sight, but safe from any harm around them. it never meant we turned our backs on them--it just gave us back our hands. neither we nor the kidlets had to freak out about danger. different world, back then, i guess. but, i do the same "lifeline" thing with the 6 year old granddaughter--she is extremely motivated to learn and explore, but loves the safety of knowing where we are. too many dangers to the little ones out there, for us to relax at any time. being an interested, participating parent should not be dictated by how "free" the kids are. it should be an integral part of who we are as parents in the first place. and safety should be our first concern.