UNITED STATES—The joys of being a new parent are incredible, but at the same time, it’s a life-changing event that takes time for some to adapt to. For starters, the good night sleeps that you enjoyed for such a long time are long over, especially for the first 6-8 months of the newborn’s life. This isn’t to say that all babies cry incessantly because I’ve known many who are quite content. As long as they are fed, their diaper is changed and they are provided comfort, they are good to go.
On the other hand, you have those babies that are spitting images of their parents: they tend to be cry babies. I’ve noticed this more with children once they reach that glorious age of 1. Why is one so important? To me it signifies that push that you made it through the rough patch. In my opinion, the first year of having a child can be the most challenging. This is not to say it becomes easier afterwards because that is not the case; it’s more adaptable for the parent.
My niece is the epitome of what some would call a baby that cries simply for the reason of crying. Something I’ve discovered is that she cries because she has attachment issues with her mother and father. If they are not in the room with her or close by, she simply unleashes cries that are so epic, it boggles my mind. She will literally cry 30-40 minutes until she gets what she wants. The bad thing about the situation is her parents cater to her needs. Why is that problematic? It’s teaching the child that if they cry they will indeed get what they want.
That is a behavior you want to nip in the bud as soon as possible, why? Well it just creates more problems along the way. The child could become entitled or worse, spoiled. There is nothing worse than a spoiled child who thinks he or she can get just about anything that they request. Something that I’ve learned from being around my nieces and nephews from birth to almost teenage years at this point is that it’s okay to allow a child to cry, especially if the parent is well aware there is nothing wrong with the child.
In essence, it teaches the child that whining is not always going to get them what they want. It molds their behavior to adhere to the parents’ demands. The parent should never be afraid of the child or do whatever it takes to halt a child from crying just because they don’t want to hear it. Yes, continuous crying from a kid can send a parent’s blood to boiling proportions, but that’s a part of parenthood. If you can’t take the crying, it’s not a good idea to plan on being a parent.
Patience is perhaps the most important thing to dealing with a baby. A baby might not fall asleep in 15 minutes, 30 minutes or an hour; it might take 2-3 hours in some cases. But look at it this way, the baby will eventually tire themselves out, they will get hungry, they will want their diaper changed. To tame the baby blues it’s all about providing comfort for the child, but at the same time realizing that babies are far smarter than we give them credit for. That mind may not be fully developed, but children do indeed know exactly what it is they want and what they need to do to get the things that he or she wants most.
Taming the baby blues isn’t always easy, but if you follow the rules it becomes less of a struggle each day. Consistency is the key to success!
