Why Do Parents Pick Up/Carry Ambulatory Kids? (babies, pregnant, mother-in-law)
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I don't carry my kids much in public because they're so active. We usually just hold hands. But they love riding on DH's shoulders. I don't see how it contributes to obesity as our general mission at the mall isn't to exercise the kids. That's what parks are for.
Perhaps you have a problem with affection in general? Is sitting in laps an issue for you too? We are occasional co sleepers lol
Apart from all the practical reasons like carrying children in parking lots/physical contact needed by children/not having stroller there are some situations which do require it.
1) Parents are in a rush. Nothing is faster than carrying children, especially for small distances.
2) In-between walking in the stores, carrying her and walking so that they she doesn't get in other people's way.
3) Some kids need that attention in between sitting long bouts in the stroller.
4) Shoes are wet. Shoe velcro won't fit. Lost one shoe in the playground. All shoe related problems. There are many.
I'll carry my toddler if I really have to, if she's exhausted for instance, or we're going to be late if we don't rush, but I prefer not to carry her because she's so heavy! Generally if she's tired we compromise - I carry her for twenty metres and then she walks for twenty metres.
I pick up my 2 year old sometimes (even though he can run faster than just about anyone I know) because sometimes it's the only way to get from point A to point B in any kind of reasonable time frame.
Sometimes I don't feel like putting his shoes on just for the trip from my front door to my parents'.
So I pick him up and toss him in the car and then pull him out and carry him inside.
Most of the time, though, I just have him hold my finger.
Back when we were mere primates on the Savannah, it was in our best interest to have our Moms pick us up from the hungry lions and tigers who were chasing after us to get the **** out of there to the nearest tree.
If they are moving fast, it is usually towards some place you don't want to go.
Isn't that the truth? It's amazing how fast they can go when they want, and how slow they can move when they don't.
I didn't carry my son a lot because he started big and stayed big, and he walked early. But there were times, other than just for hugs and cuddles, that I would pick him up and carry him, like stairs or escalators, or places like parking lots or crossing streets, or if we were somewhere that there were puddles and I didn't want him to get wet, because water was meant to play in, from his point of view. Basically, I would carry him through any obstacle that was hard for a toddler to negotiate, or to keep him moving at an appropriate pace, or to keep him out of danger, or away from distractions.
My 3-year old weighs 40 pounds and I carry him as little as possible. This works well because he also prefers to walk. But, there are a few occasions when I do scoop him up:
1) He's very tired - maybe he fell asleep on the van ride to whatever place, and it's easier to carry him than try to wake him up enough to walk on his own.
2) I'm in a hurry, and he's Distracto Boy. If I need to get somewhere fast, a 3-year old, who finds the whole world interesting and worth taking a closer look at, is not always the best walking companion.
3) He kicked his shoes off in the van, and I don't want to dig them out from under the seat for a quick trip into wherever. So I'll carry him into his sister's dance studio, where I will set him down, or I'll carry him into the grocery store, where I will place him in a cart.
My three year old niece used to plead "Aunt T, carry meeee?" My sister-in-law would scold her, "you're too big!" But I loved the fact that I was her favorite aunt and she wanted me to "tote" her, as we used to call it.
20 years later and she outweighs me quite a bit. When we get together we joke about it sometimes. She vaguely remembers the experience and we both enjoy those memories.
I have raised three children and my oldest is 43. My husband and I would usually pick them up and carry them even when they were ambulatory. We would have them in our yard to play and they got to run and romp all they wanted. Of course they tore through the house on their own two legs.
But going to the grocery store, shopping or traveling we carried them the majority of the time. Their little legs couldn't keep up and little ones like to lollygag around, kick rocks, pick up used gum that people toss down or step in it. We had one that was headstrong and wanted to go her own way. She is still like that today.
I have a grandchild that just got his permit and I have cautioned him, drive very very slowly through shopping center parking lots. Some parents do not hold onto their children and they will dash out in front of cars. I have observed this myself, parents deep in conversation or arguing and the children are traipsing hither and yon. Also noticed parents loading their purchases and the child is wandering. Please drive carefully in shopping center & grocery store parking lots.
You said you "were told" that at 18 months you just up and walked, but can remember on your own never having been picked up after that point in time?
My child can run around for hours, and then go from 60 to 0 in under a second, and when he hits 0, I'm picking him up or we're sitting down and not going anywhere until he's rested. Kids are like that, no matter how active they are. They're full of beans until they're not.
Parents carrying their toddlers and young children has nothing to do with childhood obesity.
Yeah, I really can remember far back, although as you said I was "told" that I never crawled and just started walking at 18 months. No reason for the family to lie about something like that. Don't recall ever being picked up as a toddler. Wish mom were still here so I could ask her.
You'll give me the fish eye for saying this, but the 1st memory was looking up into a bright light into the grizzled face of an old man. I wonder if it was the doc pulling me out of the womb? Is that possible?
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