Best thing for wearing a 4 y.o. on my back?

[LessTraveledBy]

I can´t believe I am back here... after all that time bebywearing, we are definitely past that now.

However, I would like to get something in which I could comfortably (well, as comfortably as possible) carry our almost 5 y.o. dd. She is small for her age and her legs an only take so much walking... She walks enough, however, not to really need a stroller, so I am looking for something for the times she gets tired.

Any ideas? She is too big to really fit in our Ergo. I also have a long wrap but it is just too much fabric to take with for just in case.

The only thing I can think of is the toddler Patapum. However, there must be more products out by now...

[Prisca]

Have you considered a short wrap? I can still comfortably carry my 4 1/2 year old on my back in a short wrap. We don't do it too often, but when we're traveling or at the end of the day at Disneyland, he usually gets tired and he'll ask to be carried. I'm comfortable and he says he's comfy too. I find that it's pretty easy to fit a short wrap in my purse which is probably the size of a mid size diaper bag. Hope that helps.

[Quirky]

You might try a taller soft-structured carrier. There's the new Oh Snap by BabyHawk, the Boba (made by the same company as Sleepy Wrap), the AngelPack LX, and I'm sure there are more that have taller bodies. There are definitely more out there taller than the Ergo.

[windorabug]

Originally Posted by Prisca

Have you considered a short wrap? I can still comfortably carry my 4 1/2 year old on my back in a short wrap. We don't do it too often, but when we're traveling or at the end of the day at Disneyland, he usually gets tired and he'll ask to be carried. I'm comfortable and he says he's comfy too. I find that it's pretty easy to fit a short wrap in my purse which is probably the size of a mid size diaper bag. Hope that helps.

I have a actually been meaning to ask a similiar question!
How short of a wrap would you use?

[ecstaticmama24]

I like the Toddler Babyhawk mei tai or an Olives and Applesauce.

A Chunei is also nice for big kids, it is a torso carry so not too much weight on the shoulders.

[pixiepunk]

Kanga X or Kanga XT or Olives and Applesauce 18" are nice big structured carriers that fit older kids well. on a lower price-point there's also the Babies Beyond Borders - they sell both buckle carriers and half-buckle (mei tai straps with a buckle waist), and their larger size is really big and accommodating for larger kids. i got one for my, at the time, very big 1 year old and she was just totally lost inside it i tried it with my huge 4 year old and it fit really nicely, but as i never wear him anymore i got rid of it.

there are also some preschooler sized mei tai's... for some reason names are escaping me. you might want to do an ISO over at thebabywearer and people with those types of carriers will come to you.

a short wrap could work. i personally can never get a comfortable carry with a heavier kid in a short wrap, but i know lots of people can. something sturdy like a storchenwiege might do the trick. or you might be able to do a torso carry with a kanga (or a supported torso carry with a rebozo-length wrap) since she's big enough that she could hold on - it'd be sort of like a supported piggy back ride.