Baby Wearing Benefits for Toddlers

Baby Wearing is a Great Way for Toddlers to Explore their World

Baby wearing is generally a practice people associate with babies, but toddlers enjoy being carted around by their parents too. Since toddlers are more independent, they won’t spend as much time in slings as babies, but there are still mountains of benefits a toddler can gain from their parents wearing them.

Toddlers have a keen interest in exploring their environment - everything is a learning experience for them. Wearing your toddler gives her the advantage of having a VIP seat to all the things that happen above knee-level. This enhances a toddler’s learning experiences and allows her to add to existing ones. In addition, you will be able to have a running dialogue with your toddler as you both explore the world around you and experience sites, sounds, colors, and events for the first time.

With the enormous amount of information and new experiences in their world, toddlers can easily become over-stimulated. Using a baby sling allows your toddler to use it as a safe secure way to explore the world.

Wearing your toddler can be particularly helpful on crowded outings. Since she’ll be right by your side, you won’t have to worry about her getting lost in the crowd. Your toddler can take in her surroundings from the safety of a sling.

Slings come in handy for outings in otherways, too. More easily transported than strollers and wagons, slings can be put in a purse or diaper bag when your toddler’s legs start getting too tired to keep up. Once her legs are rested, she can pop down and start running again. This is a huge benefit, too, if you’re walking in sand, down steep hills, trails or stairs where your baby’s feet might not find good footing. Not to mention visiting trails, docks, outlooks, or other places are made easier when baby carrying as you can keep your toddler as close as possible without running after her every two minutes.

Children learn language from their surroundings. The more words they’re exposed to, the more their vocabulary is enhanced. When you carry your toddler close to your body, she’ll be better able to see the movements of your lips and mimic your actions when you speak to her or others around you.

Wearing your toddler while you’re carrying out your daily household duties can teach her practical life skills. Your child will learn cause and effect and how things work by watching you do laundry, wash dishes, vacuum the floor, doing yard work, filling the bird feeder, and any of the other chores or errands you need to perform. On those days when your toddler is feeling under the weather, she can rest comfortably against your body instead of being confined to a bed all day.

Just like infants, toddlers love being comforted by those who love them. Baby wearing can be used to soothe an upset toddler and also calm and reduce the occurrence of temper tantrums. Wearing your toddler can reduce the amount of jealousy he feels toward a younger sibling as you can alternate between carrying your infant and toddler. If dad is into the whole baby wearing scene, he can strap on a carrier and you both can cart your little ones around throughout the day. Baby wearing toddlers is a great way for dad to involve his kids in his interests and activities, too.

Baby wearing doesn’t have to stop just because your child has past the stage of infancy. Although toddlers thrive on independence, they love feeling the sense of closeness and security baby wearing provides.

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