They want to be carried around all of the time!

Hello,

My 21 month old DS and DD want to be carried all of the time. They almost forbid to walk. My back is really hurting from carrying around 50+ pounds all the time. I try to get them to walk; however, they scream and cry and hold onto my legs. What do I do? My body hurts.

 

Did this start very suddenly? We went though a "Mama carry!" phase around that time. It tapered off gradually. I did tell them a few times that I couldn't carry them because my back had an owie and that worked surprisingly well. Now, it's mostly when they don't feel good or get hurt that they want to be carried which beats the heck out of all of the time.

 

No, this did not begin recently. They have always wanted to be carried . . . especially DS (who is heavier). My body is just getting more and more tired everyday because they are getting heavier.

 

When mine are throwing a fit to be carried and I know there isn't anything wrong with them and they are just whining, I put them in time out. I can not carry around babies all day long and they have to understand that it just can't happen. If they're hurt or sick--absolutely I'll baby them and carry them and make a fuss over them. But if they are just throwing a fit to be held because sister took away a toy or some other nonsense I put them in time out for whining and explain to them in my best two-year-old explanation that mommy just can't do that right now. I'm sure I'll get hammered for making the statement, but that's the way it is. They rarely get put in time-out now for doing it, but it got to be so bad that I couldn't even make dinner without one of the girls trying to push me away from the stove or sink because she wanted to be held "right now". So, time out is the only thing I knew to do and it has gotten so much better.

 

This may seem mean but I'd just stop carrying them cold turkey. There will be a lot of crying for a couple of weeks but you can't keep carrying them. It hurts you! If you need to, plan the week so that you don't have to go on any unnecessary trips that will spark the I-need-to-be-carried meltdown.

 

I think you're just going to have to go cold turkey and let them cry it out. It should get better after a while. I know my DD was like this for a long time, but that was because she did not walk until she was 20 months old. Since then, she's not been carried too much, nor does she want to now that she has her independence. But they get really heavy, I know!

 

When my two both want to be in my arms at the same time and I don't want to pick them up, I sit down and then they stay with me a while and then go away.

Another thing I do is pick them both up and then don't go anywhere. They get bored and ask to be put down.

Good luck!