How to Calm a Crying Baby

All you want is a good night sleep, and your child wont stop crying. Your brain is frazzled and your patience is worn thin. Here are some tips to get your kiddo calmed down and hopefully back to sleep.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Thermomater
• Music
• DVD/VHS
• Bath
• Tylenol

1. Check the basics. Are they cold, hot, wet or hungry? Is their diaper too tight, do they have painful diaper rash, or is something rubbing them wrong? Even if you checked these a half an hour ago, check them again. Many times this simple checklist can pacify a wailing baby.

2. Check their temperature. If they are coming down with something they might be feeling cruddy. Administer medication with a doctor's ok. A soothing bath can distract and ease achy muscles as well.

3. If they are still very young (under 6 months), try swaddling and rocking. This can calm them down and make them feel more secure.

4. Distract them. Some children start crying, and then get more and more upset just because they are crying and it's loud (my son even covers his ears because his crying is so loud). Soon they don't even know what they started crying about in the first place. This is the time to pop a calming CD into the CD player, and turn it up LOUD. As soon as your tot stops crying to listen, turn it down to a more soothing level. This worked more times than I would have imagined.

5. Change their environment. There were many times when my son was an infant, and he would wake up crying and not stop. After 45 minutes of this, I had convinced myself that he was sick and take him to the ER. Once we got there, he was bright eyed and bushy tailed. Just changing his environment snapped him out of his funk. It would have been cheaper to take him to the grocery store, with the same effect.

Tips & Warnings

• If you think you should go to the ER (or urgent care), then go. It is always better to be safe than sorry!
• NEVER EVER shake a baby. This can cause major brain damage or even kill your child. If you are feeling frustrated and at your breaking point, have your partner take over. If you are alone, call a friend or a relative to see if they can help you out. If there is no one, put your baby down (even if they are still crying) and take a five minute break to calm down. It is better for them to cry than for you to get so frustrated with them that you shake them.

Resources

• The Happiest Baby on the Block
• How to Calm Your Crying Baby

[maryellen1001]

on 12/24/2008 Great advice! 5*

[Virtuous1]

on 12/10/2008 5 stars...I love children...this is great for new parents.