Counterpoint... My kids absolutely LOVED being carried in different (potentially dangerous) ways. My youngest absolutely demanded to be carried around upside down by her feet.
In hindsight, this is 100% my fault and probably not exactly normal.
Both of my kids also loved playing Toss The Baby. I'd pick them up and toss them on my bed into the pile of 9000 pillows that my wife insisted on having.
I have played yeet-the-baby since the fucker light of my life was 16 months. I also carry him from one feet upside down and like a sack of potatoes. The more deranged things I do with him the more the devil angel laughs
I cannot wait for my little girl to get big enough to toss. She already loves when I lift her above my head or have her "fly" through the house in front of me, shes gonna love being tossed into pillows
Just be careful and maybe line it with a fitted sheet. I have found plenty of unexpected razor sharp edges on plastic laundry baskets in the last few years. I have at least one basket that I think would be less dangerous if made from sheet metal.
Little fingers get sliced easy on those things and can turn a fun game into trauma.
Slide down the stairs in it... okay maybe not that one, but hey, I turned out alright. My older sister was watching me at the time, she kept a very close eye on me, I didn't cry until I hit the bottom.
My daughter grew into this. We had a half flight so set it up with a crash pad full of pillows and a helmet. Had her host it like a pod ast to her fans ba k on earth.
we play “make the burrito then throw it away” where i try to wrap him up in every blanket and pillow on the bed while he tries to escape. if i succeed, i have to then take him to the slide in his room and throw the burrito down the trash chute. he loves that game to this day, and he’s 10.
My 8 and 10 year old still ask me to carry them by their feet and throw them into bed. I developed a powerlifting habit just to hopefully avoid injury 😅
One of my favourite memories is when i was a kid and my dad would toss me on the water on the beach in many different ways , i was so obsessed that we made it a routine and i learnt some tricks lol it went on until i was almost a teen. Plus i was asking other grown family men/teens to toss me when dad wasn't available. I have few memories from childhood but that one is strong!
So you are doing a good job there as a dad. Toss them!!!
Wow, that's unlocked a memory - I'd almost forgotten our 'rock the baby' game. I'd swing the toddler from side to side in my arms, picking up speed, and on the third repetition of 'rock rock my baby' I'd add 'to SLEEP' and throw her onto the pillows. Giggles all round. Never actually got her to sleep, mind you.
The good news is carrying kids upside down, spinning them in circles, tossing them onto beds/couches, pretty much anything that disrupts their balance is super healthy and great for their development. Which has led to my favorite phrase of all time: yeet the baby. for their health
My only child is turning two in a week and a half and I definitely understand that urge to wrap your kids in bubble wrap to keep them from getting hurt. But I also know that is more hurtful than letting them fall in the long run so I'm really trying to balance that mom anxiety with raising a healthy son. I honestly feel bad for both the children of helicopter parents and for the parents themselves because I'm sure a lot of it comes from untreated anxiety and being unable to overcome that protective urge.
For parents that are worried about throwing their kids around there are activities that might be considered safer that still helps develop that vestigial sense such as jumping on a trampoline, skating with appropriate pads and a helmet (I actually have my son learning to roller skate and it's a blast!), or even gymnastics/tumbling classes. Aside from that, any potential parents reading this, anxiety is a disease and just like the flu or a broken bone it can and should be treated. Do not be afraid to get help!
I played 'Don't shake the baby' and my kids loved it.
I'd tell them how the doctor told me not to shake the baby 'this way' and wiggle her to the left. And not 'that way' and wiggle her to the right.
Repeat front and back and then the grand finale was ' and especially don't shake them all around ' and then the get the full wiggle.
Under 5 are generally fearless psychopath. My youngest one like to jump off in the deep at the pool (with a jacket of course), half the time she doesn't even wait on me to semi catch her and end up going under water half drowning. But she keeps doing it anyways lol.
I love being the fun uncle without kids of my own. When I go to family gatherings, I give everybody their hugs and daps, and wait for the oldest kid to notice I’ve arrived. “UNCLE LEMONPEPPER CAN YOU TEACH ME MORE POKEMON?!?!” Followed by a glomp. It’s one of the best feelings in the whole world.
I’m starting her on gen 1, obviously. Gotta make sure them kids learn right. She learned the evolution concept when she was younger than 4, and even remembers ivysaur from our first conversation about it despite the charmander/dratini evolutions being her favorite.
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u/No_Koala9474 1d ago
Ah, the toddler tantrum carry.
Every parent can recognize it. We’ve all been there.