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Is My Toddler Too Big For a Wrap?

No, your baby – even your toddler – is NOT too big for a wrap! How do I know? Keep reading and you’ll see!

For a toddler wrap, you will want to get a good woven wrap. You will not get the support you want from a stretchy wrap. With a sturdy toddler wrap you will find out how comfortable wrapping a one year old, two year old, three year old, or four year old can be! 

What will people say about your toddler wrap habit?

Strangers or even family members may cry in dismay, “He should be walking by now!”

But that just means they did not THINK (Is it True? Is it Helpful? Is it Inspiring? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind?) before they spoke.

How many parents don’t sometimes carry kids this age? Very few. Their legs are shorter, their stamina is unreliable, and their cooperation no better.

Will wrapping my toddler promote laziness?

Wrapping your toddler or even your big kid is not a sign of and does not encourage laziness.

Wrapping your toddler or big kid is, however, a great way to live a stroller-free life so that you and your child can walk hand in hand when appropriate and you can swing your child up for a ride in the toddler wrap when necessary or advisable.

• The two of you need never take up as much room as a stroller.
• You need not be balked by curbs, stairs, narrow aisles or doors as you would be with a stroller.
• You don’t have to dedicate room in your home or your car for that stroller.

You are free. Stroller-free!

Your child will benefit from being carried in a wrap!

Toddlers are, at times, needier than babies. They are awash in strong – very strong – emotions. They crave predictability and familiarity.

The safe place created by being wrapped on mom or dad can soothe an upset toddler. Even better, wrapping can avoid tantrums and tears that would otherwise be brought on by tiredness, overwhelm, fear, or the need for closeness.

So when can your toddler benefit from being wrapped up?

When sleepy or sick:

When over-stimulated:

When wanting to cuddle:

When little legs can’t keep up:

When toddler wants a view and to be part of the action:

And another time when you may be very happy to wrap your toddler? When you need to move in a certain direction at a certain pace, without stopping to touch every pebble.

Or, you know, when you have a gig and your babysitter is already booked:

Is a toddler wrap comfortable?

As your toddler hits 20, 30, even 40 lbs, other carriers may no longer be comfortable. A woven wrap is the perfect solution. Because it holds your child so close to you (no gaps), you share a center of gravity and with the wrap binding the two of you together snugly, it feels more like you have gained 30 lbs (pregnancy, anyone?) and less like you are carrying a 30 lb backpack. Your child’s weight does not hang off you or pull on your shoulders. And as long as you are using good posture, it should not cause any back pain or discomfort.

Which wraps are toddler wraps?

Woven wraps, not stretchy wraps, are what you want to wrap your toddler or a heavier baby or child. And while you can find endless internet chatter on which woven wraps are most supportive, comparing brands, weaves, and fibers, the fact is that any reputable woven wrap can support your toddler relatively weightlessly. Even a thin gauze wrap feels great with my 3 year old on my back as long as I wrap it well!

Many who already have toddlers or older, and who plan to use it frequently or for long periods, prefer a particularly supportive wrap:

Choose the wrap you like best from my store and start wrapping your toddler!

So how strong is a woven wrap?

Most manufacturers test their woven wraps up to 35 or 40 lbs. While wovens offer the perfect support for the particular needs of a newborn, they are also are regularly used with toddlers, preschoolers, and kids of any age that have needed to be carried whether regularly or in a one time situation.

Some exuberant babywearers have gone even farther, like Faith wrapped up on her husband’s back!

Um, I guess I have no room to speak. This is me in a Rucksack Carry. Green Mommy Shannon was the good sport who let me cuddle up on her back 😛

So you can trust me when I tell you that these wraps are very supportive and, yes, very comfortable!

However you do it, whoever you wrap, have fun and happy wrapping!