What age did you stop carrying DC?

[RosieLemonade]

Just that really. I still carry DD round the house at some point most days and often carry her on the stairs.

Using a carrier at around 5 years, but can do after that for holidays abroad etc. I pick them up and put them on my hip because it feels nice until 8 to 9 years. I pull them onto my lap to sit sideways for cuddles even when they are taller than me.

I can pick up all my children no problem and the oldest is 15 years and adult size. I’ll carry on picking them up for as long as they’ll let me. I think it’s a special type of relationship we don’t have with many others.

I have to carry ds age 2 out of necessity or I’d get nothing done! He isn’t that bothered either way, he only asks to ‘come up’ a couple of times a day.

On a side note, my dm (60) has been know to still pick me up from time to time 😂 ...usually after a glass of wine

About aged 2 or 3, with both of mine. They're now 5 and 8 and i don't think j I could carry them if I tried.

I'm always shocked when at their school there's parents who carry year 1 and 2 children out the school. Put them down FFS.

...also, how is everyone carrying their 7 year olds around when I can’t even manage a just 25 month old! I get tired after less than 2 minutes, what are the tips?

I could carry my two in a wrap/ carrier until 4. At that point the pressure became uncomfortable in my shoulders. DS2 did get put in DH's 65l rucksack just before he was 6 while on a long walk and DS2 got blisters halfway round.

I can still piggyback DS2 at 7... or more commonly at the moment, scoop him up and carry him back to the computer when he runs away during live learning! In the autumn his wellies were rubbing and causing a blister on a walk so we cut it short and DH and I took turns to piggy back and him walk a short burst for the mile back to the car.

I occasionally carry DS1 (10) in the house for a laugh, it's keeping grip on his length that's tricky, rather than weight. I can also fireman's lift him if required during a meltdown, but he is getting better at stropping off uptairs without intervention.

I'm 5'2. DS1 is halfway up my neck and DS2 is approaching shoulder height.

I used to wild camp a lot so was used to carrying heavy rucksacks. A baby felt light in comparison, so they were well into pre-school age by the time they weighed as much as the rucksack.
I was my fittest when I used to do a fitness class with one in the pram and one on my back!

@drkpl

...also, how is everyone carrying their 7 year olds around when I can’t even manage a just 25 month old! I get tired after less than 2 minutes, what are the tips?

I thought this. I can barely carry the wash basket these days without becoming out of breath let alone a small human 🤣

My 8yo jumps up and clings on himself. I only hold him for the hug. It’s just a matter of being braced for his weight. And I only carry him for 2-3 minutes at a time, then I peel him off again. Nothing like lifting a sitting toddler off the floor.

Erm about 18m when they could walk on their own. I'm a cm now and certainly couldn't be carrying 2/3/4 year olds as a lot of people do and some even older 😯😯

When I was about 37. Couldn't do it, anymore.

Carried my 3 almost 4 yo down the stairs this morning at her request. My 17 month DD is constantly attached to my hip so I think my eldest DD gets jealous. Hope I can continue to carry them for some time to come. Makes me sad that I already can't swing my 3 yo round as much when we're dancing.

I still carry my 6 year old. My 10 year-old is very slight so I can still carry him around fairly easily. My 7 year old is heavier so I still pick him up for a cuddle but don't carry him around.

I can't remember! I still used to pick her up for a cuddle for longer than was necessary but not to actually transport her. I do know she can carry me down our hall now!

I never really carried up stairs once she could walk. She had mastered going up and down stairs before she could walk. Our stairs used to go up from the living room so she spent a lot of time entertaining herself going up and down and I spent a long time sitting on the stairs supervising her.

Around 3. I'm only 5 ft so I physically didn't have the strength to carry him and he was too tall. I stopped being able to put him in a shopping trolley at around 2.5 years. I couldn't lift him high enough to get him over in to the seat. Hes 8 now and he comes up to my chin in height so no way could a I carry him now.

@PickAChew .
Mine were jolly good walkers possibly because I expected them to use their legs once they could.

I can remember carrying DC1 up the stairs the night before his 6th birthday and saying it was the last time. And it was, he’s a big boy.

DC2 however is a titch. I definitely still carried him regularly at 4 (little legs can’t keep up). He’s 9 now, the size of a 7 or 8 year old. I occasionally carry him up the stairs to bed for a joke. I’m pretty sure I still gave him some piggy backs in the summer. But basically we’re done with the carrying.

On a related matter, I was very sad to think of having no child sitting on my lap anymore. So I got a cat to sit on my lap instead.

Ds till he was 7, he is dyspraxic and was quite scared of stairs until then

I'm starting to find it hard with my nearly 5 year old. He's tall and I'm short, I get off balance. I'm not sure I could do stairs with him anymore. I can't put him on my shoulders at all.