A mum has hit back at critics who shamed her for putting her son on a leash.
Rachel Butcher insists the reason she puts her adopted two-year-old child on a leash is not down to "laziness".
The mum-of-one took to Facebook to explain why she straps her son after people slammed her.
Speaking about the difficult day, Rachel said the incident left her in tears.
She added: "Our son has more energy and speed than your average 21-month-old."
She continued: "Aside from his already rough beginning of medicine exposure, we know little to nothing about his biological family and their genetics.
"So he could be more hyper just from experiences that I don't know of."
Rachel explained the story behind the backpack with an attached leash, reports Bright Side.
She said: "My child runs faster than me. Due to scar tissue from my hysterectomy, I have trouble running sometimes to keep up with him.
"Let it also be known, I religiously ran races and ran every day before my surgery. So it's not due to laziness."
Rachel went onto say how her son also hates to be confined, whether it's by a car seat, high chair or stroller.
She continued: "I've come home crying because I've left stores before finishing shopping because he's having a meltdown, I also got snide comments and nasty looks then too.
"But today, today was worse. We went to Target and he wore his backpack and he did AMAZING. He was HAPPY, LAUGHING, SMILING, and yes, running, but he was close to me.
"My son is nearly three now and still runs – like full out sprints – he still attends OT, PT, and speech, and we're working through his developmental delays and he is thriving.
"Remember his name, one day he will be a running back!"
