As a new parent, one of the hardest things to listen to is your newborn crying! We want to immediately do anything we can to help them calm down and stop the crying. What we need to remember is that up until their birth, your baby had never been put down! So as a newborn outside the womb, they don’t know how to be alone and not held or rocked. Until they developmentally learn how to self-soothe and they get used to being put down, we as parents want to try and mimic things that will help them feel secure and comfortable like they were in the womb.
There are a few ways to keep your little one in their own bed all night. Since every child is different and every situation is different, each family will approach this situation in a unique way.
What follows is a list of ideas for you to choose from. Pick one, two, or more that sound right for you and give them an honest try, based on your child’s needs. Keep in mind that your child is happy and would most likely be content to keep things as they are, so if you want to avoid tears, struggle, and anger from your child, don’t expect things to happen in a night or two.
You’ve brought your lovely new baby home from the hospital, and you eagerly show them to your three-year-old, who pats the baby lovingly. Five minutes pass, and your older child says, “Give the baby back to the hospital and come play with me!”
Whether the new baby is your second or fifth child, the whole family will have to go through an adjustment phase. “Sibling rivalry is the natural, normal competition between brothers and sisters vying for their parents’ love and affection. It exists in every family to some degree,” says Dr. Spock, the eldest of six children.
I am sure you have heard all the warnings about how tired you will be with a newborn baby. You have probably had a few people make jokes about how you won’t sleep until they are 18! As funny as they think they are, these tidbits of wisdom are certainly not helpful as you anticipate life with your new baby.
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