Carrying your little ones seems like going to the gym will all the muscles building up carrying your kids around. A 2-year old may have already known how to walk but it’s pretty normal for your child to insist on being carried.
The toddler may like being held by you because it’s comforting. At this age, your toddler is still very dependent on you. When you lift your toddler, her view expands from legs and wheels to the world as you see it. When she’s in your arms, she can see your face and hear what you are saying more easily.
With the advantages mentioned above, carrying your toddler all the time is still tiring. Here are a few tips on how you can get your little kid to walk on his own.
1. Interact And Play
In your child’s perspective, she’s walking through tall adults, being only above knee height which is actually no fun at all. Stay connected with your baby while holding her hand. Crouch down from time to time and make eye contact and keep talking with her.
Make walking for fun by making games and songs. Walking can be fun. You can stomp feet, you can make rules not to step on cracks, or simply point to different interesting things around you.
2. Build Distance
Building distance can be one way of letting your kid walk on her own. Tell your toddler that if she walks to the big tree, then you will carry her from there to the corner. Gradually increase the distance your child has to walk. She’ll eventually be able to walk around without you having to carry her.
3. Your Child Wants To Feel ‘Grown Up’
Toddlerhood is an age where your child is still a baby but also wants to be a big kid. We call it ‘the circle of security’ – they want to go out and be independent, and then come back to feel safe and calm with a parent and then be independent again.
4. Adjust Your Child’s Walking
Toddlers would take a few more steps to catch up at the same distance as adults. It’s better to plan your day out first. Try having breaks if you choose to walk. If you plan on spending the whole day at the mall, bringing with you a troller will always be a great option.
5. Be Patient
Wanting to be carried all the time is normal of a toddler’s behavior and you shouldn’t be spoiling your child with all her requests. As much as possible, do not show frustration over your child’s requests but rather compliment her whenever she cooperates. Just enjoy your time with your little tot. Before you know it, she’ll be walking on her own and will be too big for you to carry.
