Listening to the wisdom of Grandma, "Dogs bark, cats meow, and babies cry." If there's something that all babies do...it's CRY. For some parents, it can become one of the most frustrating parts of parenthood. You want to soothe them, but you don't know what to do!
I have to admit that crying was never an issue with any of my six kids. Sure they cried, but not that often. When they did cry, I didn't have a hard time figuring out what they needed. I think I'm in the minority, however. Most of my friends that have had babies have suffered through sleepless nights of colic and hours during the day of non-stop crying.
I have to admit that crying was never an issue with any of my six kids. Sure they cried, but not that often. When they did cry, I didn't have a hard time figuring out what they needed. I think I'm in the minority, however. Most of my friends that have had babies have suffered through sleepless nights of colic and hours during the day of non-stop crying.
BTW- I think Shad has been the biggest crier we've had to date!
For many parents who aren't novices, the meanings of a baby's cry is something that we learn to recognize, but maybe have never understood why! Now there has been a recent study that has decoded the mystery and put it into a context that every new parent can understand. It takes the mystery out what babies are conveying when they cry. When I heard it, I could have knocked myself on the head and said, "Now why didn't I see that before?" Sure, put me in a room with a baby and I'll tell you what they need based on the cry, but to tell you how I knew it...it was elusive. Well, I just learned to recognize the sound, but not necessarily the structure of the sounds (consonant/vowel combinations).
Dunstan Baby Language is a wonderful DVD program for new parents to help bridge this gap in communication. Based on 5 basic sounds, you can learn when to recognize when a baby is hungry, sleepy, needs to burp, has discomfort, etc. You also learn settling techniques. It's a very easy system to learn and I would recommend it for new parents, especially those who really haven't dealt with babies much before having their own. Keep in mind, this system only works for the first few months of life (0-3 month) because then the baby's language changes. Of course, the first few months are the vital months of "cry time" and the biggest headache for some parents! Also, it doesn't make baby cry less necessarily, but it does empower a parent to feel like they have the tools to understand what baby needs. That in turn would make for shortened durations of crying. What a gift to any new parent!
You can find the Dunstan program almost anywhere on the internet. The cost is somewhere around $30. Just Google it if you are interested. It makes a great baby shower gift!
Of course, I have to say that I think PRAYER is one of the best tools for any new parent to utilize. I am a big believer that God can supply wisdom, give understanding, and impart confidence in a person - especially in parenting!
"But you desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there." Psalm 51:6 (NLT)
