[lizziejean]

I just got sling fever and ordered myself an Ellaroo (like Didymos - a long piece of gorgeous fabric that you expertly swish around and tie to become a perfect baby carrier). BUT I'm questioning myself... I know it's good for little babies to be carried around... but if I carry my 16 month old around, won't it be kind of boring for him? Shouldn't he be down and running around? But I'd love to have him contained sometimes, for example when I'm picking up both kids at daycare and he runs straight into the preschool bathroom and swishes his hands around in the little toilet... or when my dd wants to go for a walk and we actually want to walk not chase backwards and forwards... or when he's whiny around the house.

Anyway I've been reading all this sling propaganda about how you should basically carry little babies all day, nursing them on demand, and how the years up to their 3rd birthday are crucial to brain development and wearing them helps with this, but it seems weird that carrying a little person who knows how to walk is good for them. Yes for when you're actually transporting them, eg on a walk, or in a store, but what about more extended carrying? since if you're going to spend 5 minutes tying them to you or getting them in a backpack, you probably need to have them on for a while.

What do you all think? Do any of you carry your toddlers around?

 

[nappyhair]

I think your question is very relevant. I've always worn my son on my body. I switched from a Baby Bjorn to a Maya Wrap when he was 8 months old, and I still use it to carry him now...when he wants to be carried. He is now 13 months old and loves to walk and explore. I am very intune with him and have always been, and believe very strongly in following his lead. Now that he can walk, he enjoys it very much and has come up with his own word, "dede", to communicate when he wants to get down or be held. When he wants to walk, I let him. When he wants to be held, I hold him. I will not hold him in the carrier against his will, especially since I know that one of the primary reasons he is becoming so independent is because he is very secure from being held so much.

My son is getting very heavy, but I still sometimes carry him for long periods, sometimes to calm him in the house, other times just because and sometimes when we are out in public. I enjoy holding him and he enjoys being held. I don't always hold him in the carrier, although it is easier.

In short, follow your child...and do what you'd like to do.

Great post.

peace,
nappyhair

 

[puppytails]

nappyhair covered it--I believe in following your child's lead. I mostly use the sling when we're out and about. I try to be in tune with knowing what type of situations are overwhelming and carry ds in the sling (i.e. sling ds at the store--let him walk if we're walking in our neighborhood). At home, it's not really that practical (for us) to use the sling all the time. Ds likes playing with his toys and running around the house too much!

 

[Foobar]

Goo loved the Baby Bjorn. However, it is done ith. She is too big for my damaged back and she wants to walk more and more. For hikes, we take her in a backpack, she loves it.
For the mall, I have started taking her early mornings and we walk without her stroller. She loves to walk in the mall. I think it empowers her.

Anyway, it depends on your child. Goo is almost 15 months old and she has made it clear that she is independent and wants to roam when she can!

 

[slightly crunchy]

I've been thinking about this very topic. My son is 17 months old.

I got an EllaRoo recently, too. It's soooo pretty! Even if ds hardly ever rides in it, I still HAD to have one. Aren't slings addicting? LOL.

We use a sling mostly when we are out and we have to walk a ways to get somewhere; though if ds asks, he can get down. Also, on days where I just have to get some exercise or I will go crazy, he'll let me carry him on my back for a walk. I don't see this as any different from a walk with him in the stroller...if he insists on getting out I will go off the road and find a place for him to run around, but sometimes I really need to just walk. We do take plenty of "walks" where he is down and walking, too.

Other than that, I use it any time he wants to be held during the day (not much). Usually when he's tired and I'm getting dinner ready. Like a pp said, I think it's about following cues. It seems like I see a lot of parents carrying their toddlers sometimes, so why not use a sling on those occasions?

 

[Curious]

I am writing before I read all responses because Dd seems to be waking from her nap, and I want to say that toddler-carrying is something Dd loves, maybe too much!

Not every day, but sometimes she really wants "sling," or "sling-croodle (nurse). It is a great comfort to her when maybe all her new abilities are a little overwhelming, or when she wants to be "up high." The only difference between now and when she was a baby, is she's so heavy I can't do anything much useful when she's in the sling. I can't even bend over and get a dish out of the dishwasher. So mostly I just pace (good exercise), and she looks at things -up high. Maybe I'll move things from here to there, little things.

If she just wants to be held, I really need the sling if it's for any period of time, because it's a lot easier to hip carry with a sling.

Also I can no longer do the kangaroo carry. She's just too heavy and I get really out of breath.

I use an ergo backpack whenever we go somewhere that is not suitable for her to walk, or to take long walks. She knows she can't get out so I don't get the "up down up down up down" that I got with the sling starting at about 19 months. A few complaints maybe, but they pass. She loves sight seeing over my shoulder. She's probably about 25 pounds, and just in the past few weeks I've noticed my shoulders hurt a little but I otherwise don't feel her weight much. I am small and bony, and I have a terrible back, so I think this is really still very comfortable.

I do let her walk a lot too - in our car oriented society I want her to know you can walk places. But I do lots of walking in areas with too many cars and too narrow a shoulder, and I also like long speed walks.

And when I sprinted up a hill one day when I wasn't carrying her on my back, I realized I am in much better shape than I thought, from going everywhere with her on my back.

Toddler-wearing, yea!

 

[grumo]

I still wear my days from being 2 years old. She asks for it some times, and unil recently I used to go distances farther than she could walk. Now however she is geeting too heavy and she can walk farther than i can sling her. I have had to start taking a stroller on the bus whenever we have much of a walk to or from the bus stop.

I am very sad that our sling time is coming to an end. We do still have 5 minute stints at home in the sling and I still take the sling with us everywhere, just in case, but we don't use it much.

 

[justmama]

I guess I'm the exception to the rule here. seems like everyone else doesn't sling much after 18months to 2 years. I am still slinging strong with a 38 month old little girl. She fell asleep in the sling today at the food store(the grocery store, sorry, that's M-speak for grocery store) and I transitioned her to the car seat and she ended up sleeping for almost an hour altogether. If she had walked or ridden in the cart, she would have been miserable without a short nap. She does walk when we do our weekend nature walk or for a short errand but otherwise she does like to be carried. She asks constantly to be picked up and this is the only way my arms can make it work. I know she is independent and I know she can walk, but why make her walk???? She's quite content to snuggle in the sling and that's the only snuggle-tiem I get other than at night so I will take it!!!!! I didn't even get the sling until she was 13 months. I just held her constantly and had aching arms. We definitely got our $30 worth out of this sling.
(By the way, we have a gently used Maya Wrap and M is 31lbs. 4oz. as of today)

Meg

 

[asherah]

I sling 17 m-o ds in my Rosado when we are places like the zoo or the museum and he can see things better from up high.

I also use it a fairs and places with crowds where I want him as close to me as possible.

I also use it during short shopping trips.. or when he is tired of the stoller or walking and wants to snuggle.

So we still get a lot of use out of ours.

 

[Colorful~Mama]

wow.
my zoey turned 3 the end of august so she's 38mos too and i can' t even imagine slinging her. or her wanting to be slung. lol

Zoey stopped letting me sling her when she was abou 14mos old. She wanted to walk. Period. and honestly once she hit about 25lbs she was too much on my back. She's 30lbs now or thereabouts and i can't even pick her up to get her into the shopping cart some days. lol. I still hold her lots of course. But when i'm sitting down!

i do use a stroller at the zoo for when she (or the 20mo old i babysit) get tired of walking.

 

[monkeysmommy]

My dd is 18 months and I use a sling to get her to take a nap almost every day. I also use it for transportation when I don't have time for her to examine every leaf, rock, and flower. If she is having a clingy day, I use it around the house, although, she doesn't do that very much these days. It's getting used less and less, but I'm just following her lead.

I wouldn't worry about boring him. If he wants out, he'll let you know!

 

[Piglet68]

I still sling DD when a stroller would be inconvenient, or when we're just walking to the playground down the street. I've carried her backpack style in our Maya for walking on woodsy trails where a stroller can't go. Mostly, she likes to walk herself, but since her pace is a bit slow that's not always an option. And there are times when she wants to be held, and the sling helps take the weight off my arms.

 

[mama_kass]

We love to sling!

We still sling for hours everyday. It has been said already perfectly. Follow your childs lead. Baby Wearing is a season of parenting. Your toddler will definatly let you know when they do not want to be held and also when they do. DS will pick up our sling and bring it to me. When he's had enough he will also be sure to let me know that he wants down.

 

[BensMom]

DS is 31 mos and he has been going through another "carry-me" phase. He used to always want to walk, but now he wants to be held, even walking form the car to the store. So I use my Ergo a lot. He asks for the "backpack" and I figure it is good exercise for me.

Like everyone else, I follow his lead. I just like that I have an alternative to wearing out my arms with his 34 lbs of squirminess!

 

[Curious]

How about an Olympic Gold Medal for faerybugmady?

 

[beachrock]

DS is 26 months and still loves the sling, specifically asking for it frequently, especially at the grocery store (doesn't like riding in the cart). Since he's only 27 pounds, it's no big deal, certainly easier than struggling with him to stay where he does not want to be for 45 minutes... And he still can fall asleep in it, which I absolutely love, so cosy & cuddly

I love seeing other mamas with sling babies, especially toddlers! Far from being too old for it, I think they still need that closeness. So glad to see all these mamas who love their slings too.

 

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Yea, I carry my toddler now at 25 months. She's not been that into it for the past 3 months and sometimes I have to persuade her to get in and stay in for more than 2 minutes! I read the other posts and am now hopeful that she may have another phase were she wants the sling again. I remember a time about 7 months ago that she got tired of the OTSBH and I changed to the Maya. I'd like to try a new one but all the serious up grades seem too expensive for a child that may be growing out of the sling.

I also got on this thread to mention that starting a 16 months may be a bit difficult for you and your child. I know I've been gradually building my muscles, which can carry my 22 pounder and don't think I could do it if I hadn't been doing it constantly since pregnancy-birth. But, good luck. Maybe you'll have to start slowly a little/day at first.

 

[HotMama]

We love to sling! We use the Maya ring sling occasionally, and the Packababy for longer perriods or when I want her to stay up on my back for a while. If she's exhausted, I'll pop her on my back and get to whatever work I need to do around the house...she's usually asleep pretty quick.

I wouldn't worry about her not walking enough. Dd is very clear about wanting down when she's ready to cruise, although she has learned that some places she is in the pack and we don't let her down, like most any store. Lately, we've been walking to our local store (two blocks and we get to go through a couple vacant lots when it's not too muddy for me), then popping her onto my back to go in the store. She gets to participate in everyday life, learning store etiquitte (I hope!), and I get the shopping done. BTW - dh carries her in a Tough Traveler backpack, but dd doesn't like being in it for me, she wants to snuggle close.

If you are just starting back up with toddler carrying, I'd follow the same advive as with getting a new carrier...put the little sweety in and go for a brisk walk outdoors for the first few times.

 

[Periwinkle]

I sling my 17-month toddlers every chance I get. I almost never run errands without it. I use the Maya Wrap, which is very versatile and easy to use (we do hip carry mostly), but also quite strong and secure.

It sure beats 2 grocery carts... something I've seen other twin mamas doing. I typically put one in the sling and the other in the basket with a NoJo padded basket seat attached. I wish I could still double sling them!!! :LOL

 

[mamabuzzybee]

So here's a question for all you sling-loving mamas--do you ever say no? My dd, 20 mo, has been mysteriously night-waking the last few weeks, not every night, but often enough, and she inevitably says "carry you" (carry me), and then "sling up, sling up, sling up" til I sling her up and then its "walk, walk, walk" if I try to sit down with her slung up, even if she's almost asleep. She's 30pounds and in the middle of the night, that gets exhausting after more than 15-20min. I've been trying to give her alternatives ("I'll sit and rock with you, and nurse you, and sing") but she just wants the sling and to be walking. Its hard because when she was younger I was completely devoted to fulfilling her wants because I believed that they were her needs. Now that she's getting older and understanding more I know there are things she wants that she doesn't need (cookies, outside w/out hat and coat, etc) and its hard to learn the give and take, weighing needs against wants. So that is my dilemna with the night sling wearing. I know she wants it, but does she need it? And when do I start weighing in my needs and wants. She won't let dh comfort her at night--something I am not encouraging with the next one--so the responsibility falls to me. I'm certainly never going to let her cry it out--she sleeps with us and nurses on demand and I'll continue to view those things as needs for as long as she continues wanting them. But is the sling a need or a want at this point? What are all your thoughts wise mamas?