In general, for greater predictability, you want to try to reduce the ways that your children are caught by surprise. I often see toddlers being scooped up from behind by their mom or dad. Granted, if you are in a busy parking lot or a dangerous situation, you need to use any means you can to protect your child. But otherwise, I think of this approach as a mini-shock, a surprise that, when done habitually, says “my world rules” instead of “we’re doing this together.”
