“Pick Me Up Mommy” Ten Reasons to Hold Your Toddler by Joanne Baum, PhD The Parenting Maven

Some parents begin to think that toddlers shouldn’t be held as much as they were holding their babies a few months ago. But I think that’s largely a misperception. Toddlers still need a lot of holding. Think of life from their perspective: They’ve just discovered a whole perspective on the world from their legs instead of their knees. They can see more, climb more, explore more - which is heady fun stuff and scary to them when they touch more things that go "crash" and break or fall and thump. They need reassurance that where their brains are taking them is safe. They need more explanations of the new encounters they don’t understand. And they need holding and nurturing so they feel safe and can go back out there and explore some more…

Why They Need “Arm Time”

1. They need reassurance that where their brains are taking them to is safe.

2. They need explanations for the new experiences they don’t understand.

3. They need holding and nurturing so they feel safe and can go back out there and explore some more.

4. Toddlers still have "needs" for closeness and holding.

5. Toddlers are not as independent creatures as they may seem at times.

6. Toddlers are still very young and holding, when they ask for it, it’s still important to do with a generous heart.

7. Parents are feeding their child's self-esteem, confidence, trust, and sociability by holding them when they ask for it.

8. A child usually asks for holding when they need some security, closeness and human connection.

| Continued >>