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Support > Positive Parenting
> Parent Tip of the Week
Parent Tip of the Week: Keeping Calm When Babies Cry
Even the most loving parents can feel frustrated, upset and angry when a baby cries…and
cries…and cries…especially when nothing you do seems to help them. To keep calm, we
suggest:
- Practice the basics: Before you start thinking that something is wrong because
your baby is crying, try feeding, burping or changing her. You may also want to
try putting her down to sleep, or even rocking her. Try to determine how much
attention your baby needs. If she still cries, look for signs of illness such as fever,
vomiting or changes in her eating or sleeping patterns.
- If your baby continues to cry even when nothing seems to be wrong, be realistic.
Sometimes babies just need to cry, and you are not a bad parent even if you can’t
get her to stop.
- If you feel yourself getting frustrated, take a deep breath and count to ten. Remind
yourself to stay calm.
- Try visualizing a peaceful or relaxing place to help keep your mind off the crying.
- Put your baby in her crib or bassinet, close the door to her room and simply let her
cry while you take a break…Taking a moment for yourself will allow you to
shake off frustration.
- Recruit someone else to be with the baby for a while, such as your partner, a
relative or even a babysitter if one is available.
- Allow yourself to express your feelings out loud, either to yourself or to a friend.
Bottling up your emotions will pile on the stress even more, so try to avoid it as
much as possible.
- Strap your baby in a stroller and go for a nice walk – either outside, or at a local
shopping mall if it’s too cold. Walking will help get your mind off your baby’s
crying.
- Getting enough sleep makes it easier for you to cope when your baby cries. Try
sleeping while your baby takes a nap if you need to catch up on sleep.
- If you truly find yourself unable to cope with your baby’s crying, contact your
doctor or mental health hotline for support. To learn about the types of treatment
that MHA offers, visit our Treatment Services for Adults page.
When your baby cries, it’s okay to think of creative ways to get her to calm down, but it’s
always best to treat babies very gently. Refrain from shaking them as a way to get them
to stop crying; shaking a baby can cause them to have severe disabilities and even result
in death. For more information on the effects of shaking a baby, read our Shaken Baby
Syndrome page.
Have a tip you want to share? E-mail Frances Platt at
PlattF@mhawestchester.org
with your Parent Tip of the Week!
This content was adapted by MHA from the website of the Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com,
a not-for-profit medical practice dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of virtually every type of complex illness.
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