Here’s some advice on crying from the book “How to Survive Your Baby’s First Year” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $12.95), straight from people who’ve done it.
“When your newborn cries a lot and you’re at the end of your rope, just put them in their crib, shut the door and come back in 15 minutes to try again after you’ve collected yourself. That’s what I always did and it saved me a lot of stress.”
—Kristi, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, mother of a 2-year-old son
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“My daughter screamed for the entire first year. I just tried to keep from jumping out the window. I held her incessantly and breastfed her incessantly and tried to pay attention to her as much as possible. That first year was very tough — she was not a cute baby. She was not fun.”
—Deb S., El Cajon, Calif., mother of a 22-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son
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“When our daughter cried, we made sure nothing was seriously wrong, and then we’d put her in her bouncy chair, the crib, or the Pack-n-Play, and let her cry. Usually, she would calm herself down. But before we put her down, we would always hug her and tell her we loved her.”
— Anonymous, Liverpool, N.Y., parent of a 10-year-old son and an 8-year old daughter
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“My husband and I found only two things that worked to stop my daughter from crying. One was to put her in her car seat and drive around. The other was to take her into the laundry room, and turn the clothes dryer on. The heat combined with the humming sound calmed her down.”
— Sandi, Allentown, Pa., mother of an 11-year-old daughter
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“Get away from the crying for a moment—even if you just go stand in the shower. Know your limits and know when to ask for help. Moms have to take care of themselves, too.”
— J.R., Chicago, parent of a 21-year-old son and an 18-year-old daughter
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“This runs contrary to the advice my parents gave me, but I believe very strongly if your baby is crying, pick her up. Don’t let her cry it out. Babies’ wants are their needs. I don’t think it’s possible to spoil a baby—a toddler, yes, but not a baby.”
— Mary Bright, Allentown, Pa., mother of a 33-year-old daughter and a 31-year-old daughter
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“If the baby is going crazy crying, step out of the room, take some deep breaths, and then come back. You need to get yourself together, no matter what’s happening with the child.”
—Shani Werhle, Israel
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“When it comes to getting babies to stop crying you really have to be creative. When my daughter would cry and cry for no reason, we found that giving her an ice cube to play with and suck on a little really calmed her. Bizarre but true.”
—Rob Marino, East Liverpool, Ohio, father of a 19-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter
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“The worst moments are when my daughter seems to be inconsolable and I can’t figure out why—she’s been fed, she’s clean and she’s not tired. When the baby gets like that, it stresses out my wife and then I’ve got to deal with both of them.”
—John D. Calley, Alexandria, Va., father of a 4-month-old daughter
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© 2006, Hundreds of Heads Books, Inc.