Age to Stop Carrying Kids...

Sigh, I'd probably STILL be carrying them if I could. So I'd be trucking down the toy isle at Target with a college student on each hip and a 15 yo under my arm, football style.

I don't know how old is too old. I only know the time you have when you CAN scoop them up is too damn short!

:)

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When they can walk.

Oh if they were tired I would placate them but otherwise god gave you legs.

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I carried my daughter as long as I was physically able to. I'm small but strong. She didn't ask to be carried around Target, but other times she got tired, or fell asleep and I carried her in to bed. After I couldn't carry her, I could still carry her piggy-back until she was 5 or 6. I don't have a problem with carrying a child when they need it or want it. My daughter and I are very close, partly because I met her needs when I could. She's never had to whine or beg. And she's also quite independent and self-confident.

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i'm with laura. i was blessed with a big strong healthy son. he walked at 9 months. at that point he was either walking or in the cart - i never carried him around just for fun, he was too heavy lol.

but at almost 6 he still snuggles on my lap, even if you can't see much of me when he does ;)

i don't get the "wanting" to be held. if i am shopping, carrying purse, pushing cart, etc...there's no room for "wanting" to be held lol. i'm a mom not a cab. i would hold him if he couldn't see something (like at a parade), or if we're super in a hurry, or....i dunno. i can't think of too many times i carried him past baby stage. once he was walking, he was pretty much walking. or in a cart/stroller if we had ground to cover.

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Per your example - When they can start walking they get to be in the cart or walking! I don't normally carry my children around unless they are injured. So, my daughter is 19 months right now...I would NEVER carry her around the grocery store. She goes in the cart.
Laura

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When he could walk. He didn't need me to carry him anymore, he had usable legs. (Being extremely tired, or getting hurt were exceptions. If he NEEDED to be carried, obviously I would! I just didn't, because of want.) To be fair, my son is not needy, and has never liked being carried. It was never something he really wanted, to begin with.

I am very small. He is 3 and now a third of my weight. I am SO happy I didn't carry him longer. He doesn't even ask. He would be much too heavy now. I don't remember the last time I've even had to pick him up. I can get on his level for hugs and comfort. My husband will carry him on his shoulders or back, just for fun. Not to actually get from point a, to point b.

I will admit, it looks very odd to see a parent carrying an older child. I often think, "why?" Of course, some children do have special needs, and that's different.

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When they can walk on their own or when they are too big to carry. I have a bad back, so all I had to say was, "you are too heavy for my back."

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When they are too big!
Meaning, when they are too big for YOU to carry.
My kids were pretty small, but also independent, so it wasn't much of an issue.
But seriously, every mom has her limits. You know what works for you, do THAT. Junior will adapt :)

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I think it looks kinda awkward when the child is obviously big... you know sort of how we don't take to breast feeding "older" kids? If they are 5 or 6, that's pretty old. A 4 yr old could still get sort of whiny and want you to hold them...
I think it's a personal issue between mom and kid how you want to handle it really.

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Well, I put my 10yo on my shoulders last week...

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I'm built like a pack-mule: 5'10", very strong. In the store I usually wear my baby in an ERGO carrier, and my 3 yr old sits in the cart until the thing is so full that I need to put items in the seat too. Then I'll take him out and give him a piggyback ride. So, I might have a 26 lb sixteen month baby on the front, and a 34 lb three year old on my back. But, IF I have been smart enough to remember to bring his monkey backpack in from the car, the 3 yr old will walk along in the store, on the backpack harness.

Just an FYI, my 3 yr old never wants me to carry him, unless it is piggyback or on my shoulders. My 16 month ALWAYS wants me to carry him unless we are someplace fun, like the park.

Looking at how quickly my 5 year old grew and got too heavy & independent to carry, I'm in no rush to get the younger kids walking all the time. I love the cuddle time, which is especially important for someone like me who wasn't able to breastfeed.

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Like Bug, I am an extremely small woman, so I was thrilled when my boys learned to walk and I no longer had to carry them. Even if that weren't the case, I think children should walk when they are able, or be in a cart when shopping. I don't see the need to carry around a child who is capable of walking on his/her own. I'm all about fostering independence even at a young age.

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I think it depends on how big the child is versus you... My oldest is just 8 and a big girl. I'm tall but not "big". I STILL carry her upstairs to bed sometimes. She loves it and I sure won't be able to do it for long. But I'd look like an idiot carrying her around Target unless she'd broken her foot. And I think it depends on how tired the child is. Are they just whining or they've really been walking a long time? That's what the carts are for IMO. My husband objected to me carrying our kids upstairs at night until he understood it was one time my oldest was very huggy. She's typically not. So I think it depends. :) My youngest is starting to get too big too and I'm dreading it. To me, nothing better than when they wrap their arms and legs around me for me to carry them.

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Depends on my mood. Sometimes I feel like I could carry around my almost 4 year old baby boy around all day. Hes soooo cute!!
I dont think it really matters.
Just dont put your 5 year old in a stroller, cause thats really annoying to me! Id rather you carry him, at least someone is getting exercise!

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I'm with Theresa N. ! I miss being able to carry my little guy, and he's five. I wore him in the pack as much as he liked until we hit about two... and then my back just said 'no more'!

I'll still carry him a short way-- like, into the house if he wipes out and hurts himself. Otherwise, there's a reason humans have legs... :) And there's no way I could lift him into a grocery cart, plus the stroller is long gone....

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Well, that is one thing the shopping cart is good for....... you can start them sitting in the seat in the shopping cart at a young age, and be sure to use the seat belt.

If you start it young, and don't let them stand up, or get out when THEY want to, then they accept it as how shopping is done.

We still put the 4.5 yr old in the cart, and he accepts it just fine.

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My kids were ALWAYS in the cart when we were shopping. How can you shop and carry a kid? I also don't like it when kids are running up and down the isles out of control. So I just always had them in there and if they asked to get out and walk or me to carry them, nope...we are shopping so you are riding. Now...sitting on my lap...that's another story...my 9 yo still does on occasion as well as my 12 yo. =)

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When I am physically unable to and when they don't want to be carried anymore.
I really don't see an age persay. It depends on why they want to be carried etc. By the time they don't fit in the cart they don't want to be carried anyway. Toddler age to early pre-school I will still carry if need be. I can still carry my 8 year old but he doesn't want me to carry him unless he's really bad off, in which case he'd rather just wait in the car instead with my husband or I while the other runs in or we go another time.
Fighting with a young child about picking them up or not isn't worth the waste of time that I could be getting my shopping done faster and get out of there so I can do other things.

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I always stopped whenever they started weighing enough to hurt my back. Around 18 mo to 2 years. My daughter who has a serious health issue stopped carrying her son at around 15 months, and he is the most well trained walk while holding hands 3 year old I've ever seen.

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Well my youngest is 5 and he is a tall heavy kid.
I don't carry him anymore. I can't.
My Husband is taller/stronger, he can.
But it is mainly just at home, for fun or cuddling.

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shopping was never an issue...my sons either sat belted into the cart OR we went home/they stayed home with Dad.

plain & simple. :)

I stopped carrying when my sons could walk independently....between 10-12months. I would occasionally pick them up & love on them, but I did not carry them around.

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Relative to your example, I'd say around 10-12 months is the time to limit the mommy camel ride to necessity only. Meaning, from the time you take the baby out of his/her cars eat to the time you put him/her in the cart. And then in reverse. That's it.

The time to learn that mommy is shopping so it's time to sit still should begin as early as possible. It might be a little battle of wills the first few times, and a bit of hollering. But ignore the stares of shoppers around you and keep pushing on. It won't take long before your baby understands she/he will have to stay put.

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No way past 4 in public. If they are having a hard time then we can sit and cuddle for a moment or ride in a cart. My son likes me to carry him out of the tub and into our bed in the morning if he has to wake up early for something. I really don't mind that. It's kinda a sweet thing we do. I do not pick him up and carry him if he is being crabby, regardless of where we are.

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I'd say 2-ish. Just 2 is still pretty little and I might carry them, but the closer they get to 3, it's just too much. Carts are available in most places. Even places without carts I didn't really use a stroller past 2-2.5 max. Now I do think that carrying them to bed, piggy backs for fun, etc. are different. If we are some place like a festival or something and it's past bedtime, super hot, naptime, or something like that, then yeah, you might she me schlepping my kid to the car, but other than that I wouldn't.

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I stopped when she got too heavy for me to carry without causing me pain.

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When they can walk...they walk.

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Great question!

I am asking myself the same thing. Since DD started having stroller issues, I kind of use at as leverage. Meaning, if we don't have the stroller, I will start using it again if she doesn't walk and help out Mommy!

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I will occasionally pick up my 36 lb 4 year old, but phew! to carry her more than a few steps is too much for me now! I could still carry my 8 year old back to bed after he would fall asleep in mine, but now he is a 100lb 9.5 year old, I wake his bum up and walk him back!
To be carried around a whole store? I would say 2 maximum.

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My DD is 2. I REFUSE to carry her for anything more than play or cuddles (which actually happens quite a bit... lol.) When we are out in public, she can either walk, or ride in the cart (or stroller if we are out for a full day). The only exception to the rule is if she isn't feeling too good, or if she has missed naptime for some reason... Of course, those situations are few and far between since I don't usually take her out if I don't think she will be able to handle it.

Hubby on the other hand, does give in and carry her fairly often when we go. It's funny, because the only time she ever even WANTS to be carried is if Daddy's around. I don't mind too much, since he hardly ever gets to see her due to his work schedule. It's good bonding time for them. :)

When they can walk and are starting to get heavy, around 20 months, but for sure by 2.

I think I stopped when he was 2 and 1/2, although if he started acting up, I'd pick him up and carry him out to the car. He hated that..

I didn't carry them in stores. They walked (and behaved and held onto the cart or my hand) or they rode in the cart, strapped in.

As soon as my kids were able to walk well, and was too big to fit in the buggy, I stopped picking them up. I would only hold them if they fell asleep. And around age 4, I stopped picking them up at all. If we are out someplace that requires alot of walking, I bring a stroller or put them in the buggy

I put DD in the cart most of the time if she's not walking. I took the stroller to the zoo because it was so much walking, but I encouraged her to walk more than ride. I will carry her short distances if she really can't make it and there's no cart/stroller. She just turned 4. If I were in Target, I'd get a cart, but I think that would stop around 6 or whenever she got too big to lift into it. I could not carry my SD when she was 7 - she's a tall girl and it was kind of ridiculous and awkward.