All right. I guess I'd better just go ahead and put this out there. My son is 7 years old, and on occasion, I still carry him. Yes, I'm aware that he's nearing the end of first grade and is perfectly capable of walking on his own. And yes, I know he's probably way too big to be carried, being that he weighs close to 50 pounds.
But even though he's too old, too heavy, and way too independent for me to cart him around in my arms like a baby — I still do it.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I'm raising my very own Suri Cruise — and I dig it.
Here's the thing — my little guy is my only child (I'm on the one-and-done plan), so I know all too well that my cuddling days are numbered.
Any day now, he's going to be absolutely horrified at the thought of holding my hand, letting me hug and kiss him in public, or (gasp!) allowing me to pick him up, hold him close, and carry him around.
Having him in my arms is one of the last bits of "little kid" I'm ever going to have, so I figure I might as well savor it as long as he's willing to let it go on. And I should add that the majority of the time, he asks to be picked up — not the other way around. He'll ask me to carry him upstairs for bedtime, or into the grocery store as we get out of the car, or after we've been walking around all day and his little legs need a rest.
And I know I probably need to go ahead and put a stop to it so he doesn't turn into a major mama's boy — but the truth is, I'm just not sure I'm ready to let go. (Literally.) What if I start refusing him and hurt his feelings? Or what if I say no — and then he never requests to be picked up again and it's all over in the blink of an eye? (Sniffle.)
Nope. I can't handle that. At least not yet.
Oh, and besides squeezing every extra hug out of this kid that I possibly can before he grows up — carrying him does come with one other huge bonus. If nothing else, it helps keep my arms toned. Sure, I work out when I can, but a little extra upper body work can't hurt, right?
(Psst! Katie Holmes? Give me a call, girl. I'm the only one who "gets" you. We'll do lunch the next time I'm in the city.)
Do you still carry your kids?
Image via Mary Fischer
