2 Year Old Wanting to Be Carried Everywhere

Hi S.!
WOOW! my daughter is doing the same thing, and she is also two, very active and happy!, she doesn't want to walk, and she just to love it, holding mommy's hand, but well what I'm trying to do is not to pay attention to it, I carry her for the first five to six steps and then I just start singing or playing something she like or trying to get her attention to something that will make her walk, sometimes it works, but not all the time, I hope is just a phase, is like she did not like to sit on the stroller anymore, and now she likes it again, so keep trying and learning with them is what we have to do! Good luck!

This is a relapse of independance, and it is normal. She is enjoying her new world, but is not ready to let go of momma too much. First of all, never step away from them in the parking lot. I saw some of the other request. If you go out of her sight she will panick and may run right in front of a car. When you are taking her out of the car ask her if she wants to be carried. This will let her feel like she has a little control. Carry her until you get in the store, or when she ask to get own. If she's not ready to get down, tell her that your back needs a break. She'll grow out of it soon. She just wants a little more attention from you right now to calm her fears of becoming too independant. Enjoy it while you can.

My 2 1/2 yr old is doing the same thing. She is #6 and the others did it too. Believe it or not, they do stop. I think that their new found independance scars them just a little and they become clingy. I just hold mine and carry her as long as possible. I know she will grow out of it. The bad thing for me is I have a 1 1/2 yr old too. I sure don't want both of them doing it at the same time. The really do leave this phase, right before they grow into another one that is more annoying. LOL

My son used to do the same thing- right about that age too, come to think of it. I would just stand there & tell him we weren't going anywhere unless he was going to get up and walk because I couldn't carry him (I had a broken leg when he really got bad about it). If he decided not to mind after a couple of minutes, I would just pick him up, put him in the car, and go back home. Sure, it was inconvenient & I didn't always get everything done that I wanted to, but it taught him he can't act that way.

The other problem we had was when my hubby was with us- he would always pick up our son & carry him just to make it go faster. When I finally got him on board, that helped too.

Best of luck with your little girl! Oh, the joys of parenting! ;o)

Can you walk around the car where she cant see you but you can see her. Like if she is on the side you walk to the back? Probley not safe. Just stand there and wait or take her to a fun place and if she does the same thing tell her oh if you cant behaive then we have to go home now, and back the car up and leave! dont let her be the boss. Good luck and God bless.

I think it must be a 2 year old thing- my daughter is also going through this - although it is getting better. I have been walking away. Last time we were in the parking lot of Kohls and she sat on the ground next to the car and cried and I started to calmly walk off- watching for cars of course and not too far. I try to divert her attention or make her interested in wherever we are going. Like at Kohls, I said "do you want to sit in the little cart?" "Mommy's going to see what's inside the store- are you coming with me? We are going to get Daddy some new shoes- can you help me pick them out?" You get the idea. Rather than just telling her she had to be a big girl and walk- I told her reasons she should want to go with me into the store. Now she has these little fits less because she doesn't expect to be carried as much. Just make sure that you and your husband and/or other care-takers are being consistent.

It won't be long and your baby will not let you hold her. Enjoy it while you can. The rocking chair is your best friend. Try rocking her more. She will love it and you can relax. Sometime kids just need to be babyed. God bless.

I think this is a phase that most children go through. Unfortunately if you pick her up after a temper tantrum it will just enforce that if she throws a fit she will get her way. I know how hard it is when you are out in public, if you can't make her walk then stand there and wait until she stops throwing a fit. Let her know that you can not go in the store or anywhere unless she behaves. She is not too young to learn this concept. Bribes sometimes work too, as in maybe she will walk if you promise her a treat once in the store. I'm not a big proponent of bribes but in a pinch a reward for good behavior can help. Once she is over this phase you can then work on the " you are not getting a treat every time we go to the store" thing lol. It's easier to explain that part when they get a bit older.

You also want to watch the times you go to the store and plan it for times when she is not tired or hungry and more likely to be fussy.

If at all possible you may want to go to the store by yourself on a weekend when someone is available to watch her. I know grocery shopping on the weekend stink, but I find Sunday mornings are the best times to go if on a weekend.

I'm speaking from experience on this one, you really have to be consistent or the temper trantrums will just get worse! If you stand firm this will pass fairly quickly. If you keep giving in it will last a long time!

Good luck!

I would plan a few outings where the purpose of the outing is to work on walking in the parking lot. Pick a lot that isn't very busy. Maybe one at a park where there is the reward of the park if she walks. She has chosen to do this behavior for a reason. The task is to find out why and replace the behavior with one that will get her the same response. You could add a tangible reinforcer (sticker, food, etc.) for success. Or you could sit and hold her in the car for a few minutes before going into the store. Maybe she just wants some closeness with you. Or she may be scared of the parking lot. Either way, I would go somewhere and practice walking. Maybe take a friend with you so they can help watch for cars, etc. Good luck.

I dont believe in the 'terrible two's'. Nope, I would call it the 'trying two's' because both of you are trying to figure out how to make life at comfortable as possible. The problem comes when one's comfort clashes with the other.

When I had this problem with my third child, he would sit on the floor of the car or on the ground spot where I could not close the door. I could have just screamed, but I would calmly tell him that we had to go. Of course that did not work very often. Then I would stand there and wait. I would answer his questions with "When we get to go inside, you will see." I might have sounded like a broken record, but I would not satisfy his requests until he met my requests. He would say, carry me. And I would calmly refuse. I would play the waiting game. Finally, he would get up and sometimes he might start crying, but he would walk.

I would carry an umbrella stroller in the trunk, just incase I just didnt have that kind of time. The rule was if you start the trip in the stroller, you stay in the stroller the entire time. Sometimes he would choose the stroller and fall asleep, other times he would choose to walk.

Yes, there may be tears, but I would offer him time to recompose himself. Only once do I remember feeling so embarrassed because he started throwing a fit on the way back to the car, but that trip even I was exhausted! (Christmas shopping changed after that day)

Glad to laugh about it now,
M.

omg.That sounds like my two year,but he is the opposite. He wants to run everywhere by himself and not let me hold his hand. He doesnt even look up, he runs straight into walls like he intended to just run through the wall.When we go to grocery stores he runs through the door screaming "aaaaahhh !" and everyone looks like what is going on here,.(lol)I need to get one of those safety bands to tie to him and my hands.

Could you be pregnant? Sometimes they know before you.

Start this training in a safe place. Walk in the front door and PUT HER DOWN. Tell her VERY CALMLY "You are too big to be carried like a baby all the time". and then go to kitchen and do something wonderfully yummy.

Say CALMLY "I'm making a cake if you want to help me put the frosting on!"

She will cry and whine for you to come and carry her and you will COMPLETELY IGNORE HER.

She will either get over herself and go to the kitchen or she will have a tough lesson in natural consequences of her actions. :-)

THE KEY - DO NOT GIVE IN. Once you've told her to walk somewhere you canNOT go and pick her up. If she stays in the front doorway all night and refuses to walk to the table to eat dinner that's just too bad. :-) She won't starve from missing one meal. Stay firm - she'll get over it.

We went thru this with my stepdaughter at 4! Ugh... she is almost 6 now and FINALLY has gotten it thru her head that we're not her personal pack mules, but it was a struggle. We would just make her walk (most of the time) and watch her pout and just ignore it (i would tell her God gave her legs for walking, not for dangling around while i carried her), but I don't know in your case because yours is still a baby. My thought is that its a phase she'll grow out of and maybe it wouldn't hurt to baby her and pick her up when she asks. I wouldn't do it as "reward" for a tantrum, but if she learns to ask nicely, then maybe she learns a lesson out of the whole deal.