How to wean a child off your hands
Many parents believe that the most effective way to calm a small child is to rock him to sleep or simply carry him in your arms. Oddly enough, it is precisely those parents who most often use this reliable sedative for children who are interested in how to wean a toddler from the constant desire to be in the arms of his parents. Let's talk about why children ask to be held and how to minimize this tactile contact.
How to wean a child from rocking in your arms
Probably every parent has thought about why children calm down when they are picked up and rocked a little. Everything is quite logical. After all, while in the womb, the baby very rarely lay still. Most of the time he tossed and turned, danced, and turned from one side to the other. A small child remembers those rocking movements, the smell of his mother, and on a subconscious level, in the presence of these factors, he calms down. 
There are many opinions on why it is possible to rock a child to sleep or whether it is necessary to wean him. For a small defenseless child, it is important to feel how the mother’s heart beats, her smell and warmth. Psychologists say that children who are rocked to sleep sleep more soundly and their nervous system is more stable.
But at the same time, pediatricians say that young children have not yet developed the vestibular apparatus, and mild motion sickness can cause dizziness.
If parents have made such an important decision, they should gradually replace carrying in their arms with other methods of rocking. For example, you can use a pendulum-type crib, stroller, etc. But you need to take the child in your arms before he starts crying, otherwise he will understand that he can achieve what he wants with tears and will actively use this method of manipulation. 
To smooth out the transition a little, you can give the child a massage and pat him on the head so that he feels the parental warmth. Feeling it, the baby will fall asleep, and when sleep becomes sound, you can move him to the crib.
Psychologists say that in most cases, a child needs his mother’s presence, and not rocking in his arms. Lullabies are a great way to calm your toddler, but it is important that one of the parents sings them.
How to wean a child off your hands
Every parent at some point has to wean their child off their hands. After all, little toddlers are probably ready to spend all their time in the arms of their relatives. And at the first attempts to discipline the baby, he begins to cry and act up. This is how children learn to manipulate adults from an early age.
Of course, children are defenseless creatures who simply need parental tenderness and care. But you need to distinguish when a baby cries because something hurts, and when he simply shows his character. 
As practice shows, in half the cases babies cry for a serious reason. For example, a baby may be worried colic, hunger, discomfort due to a full diaper, extraneous noise or light. Considering that the nervous system of young children is very weak, they may cry due to normal fatigue.
It is not recommended to wean children under 6-8 months of age, as this, according to experts, can negatively affect the child’s nervous system. Therefore, it is better to do this difficult task after such an important period for the little ones. 
First you need to teach your child to calm down without hands. For example, you can distract him with a toy, rock him in a cradle or on a swing, or turn the baby over to a different position. If these methods are ineffective, parents should touch their child, hug, but not pick him up.
Psychologists emphasize that parents must understand the importance of tactile contact, so even during weaning, do not forget about touching. For example, this could be stroking, hugging, kissing and even a massage. In this way, it will be possible to avoid the child’s stressful state, since he will believe that his “hands” have simply changed shape and love; parental support is expressed in other tactile contacts.
