One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve seen about babywearing is that it’s literally j u s t that. Only for babies. Even only for babies under a year old. Despite the name, you can wear you babies, and your toddlers, and your bigger kids, as long as you have the right carrier!
But, perhaps now you’re wondering: why would I wear my child once they know how to walk? They love their new mobility. As it so happens, there are several really good reason to wear your toddler.
keeps your hands available – like with a little baby, when you’re busy at home, or out and about carrying things, or wrangling older siblings, having both hands is still a huge help. Though I do not wear my little guy very often anymore, we’ve started wearing more again because we go to the farmer’s market. It’s crowded, it’s stop and go at the different booths, and sometimes it’s too hot for him to want to move himself around. Plus, my hands are free for my basket, and to pay, or hold his sister’s hand. Trying to hold onto his hand, and get out my phone, and put things away, and hold my daughter’s hand is a lot to juggle. Babywearing keeps it simple.
toddlers are slow – let’s go back to my farmer’s market example. After an hour walking around in the heat, I’m eager to get back to the car and out of the heat fast. But the heat melts littles, and my toddler gets slower and slower and slower, until I’m pretty sure glaciers could pass him by. With my arms full, there’s no way for me to hustle him along, so we take forever in the hot sun, and my arms hurt from carrying everything. If I wear him, we made normal time, and no one gets too overheated. Plus, he sings softly about trees, and that’s lovely.
nothing soothes like a hug – whether it’s because of an emotional upset, or they skipped nap time, sometimes these little people need a caregiver to love on them. But it’s not always a good time. If I’m in the middle of dinner and three different things are coming together, a pleasant talking-to, or a smile doesn’t cut it. But I can put him up, and he gets that closeness, and, more often than not, is ready to get down again after 10 minutes.
safety – whenever you’re somewhere busy, or new, or if you have a runner like I do, it’s imperative to keep kids close when out and about. Even if they want to walk themselves, it’s not always a situation where they can. Fun Fact: ff you wear often enough, they will just expect to be worn, and you won’t have problem (that’s what I did with my oldest)! Keep a carrier handy, and you’ll always have the option of keeping them right there with you.
toddlers are just that: toddlers – Toddler aren’t far removed from babyhood at all, even if they do grow exponentially. After a long day, or a new situation, or any place where there’s lot going on (sights, sounds, smells), they can get overstimulated. Once of the best things about babywearing is that your little one can turn into your body and hunker down if they get tired, or if it all gets to be too much. Being worn provides them extra comfort and security.
I think most kids can happily be worn—at least in some situations—until 3 or 4. And they grow up too fast, so it’s nice for us to get the extra cuddles, too.
