Crying is totally normal for a toddler. In fact, you can anticipate two to three hours of fretting a day through the first six weeks of your baby’s life. As a result, once you’ve established that crying is an inevitable part of being a baby, the next phase determines whether the cries you hear are normal signs, which requires some practice.
When you’ve ruled out the obvious reasons for your baby’s crying, and your pediatrician says he’s not sick, try these tried-and-true methods to help clear the tears and make you both feel better.
- Offer a swaddle.
This warm wrap in a receiving blanket retains your little bundle feeling safe. Specialists think wrapping soothes babies because it creates a cozy, womb-like feeling. Many paternities find swaddling aids babies settle down faster and sleep longer.
- Encourage sucking
Babies frequently calm themselves with non-nutritive sucking, which does not fill their bellies but does calm their nerves. If your baby is crying, aid her in finding her thumb, fist, or finger, or simply hold one of your fingers. A concession also does the trick, but consider waiting until breastfeeding is well established before presenting one.
- Be entertaining.
Even young babies can get jaded -and if they do, it can cause them to get fussy. To retain your little one amused, try re-counting your activities, replete with silly noises and lively expressions. You can join her on the floor and demonstrate how her dolls rattle and spin, read a rhyming board journal or turn on some music and dance.
- Try a front carrier or sling.
Wearing your toddler and walking around is the best way to calm her. Babies love the feeling of closeness and the rhythm of their stages. A carrier is also convenient since your hands remain free for multitasking. Have your child face your body in a forward-pack carrier or a sling for the first three months when she needs the additional head provision. You can as well use a suspend, which is predominantly useful for on-the-go nursing and converts to a side or derail when your child grows up.
- Turn on the white noise.
Some toddlers calm down to rhythmic whizzing voices, which may remind them of the uterus. Ones to try: an emptiness cleaner, hair dryer, or fan. You can as well use a white-noise machine or try to calm your baby down with “shhh… sshh” sounds.
- Sing a song.
Your baby has no thought about whether you sing off-key or with perfect pitch. What he knows is that you’re sprinkling him with song-and affection. The next time he’s cranky, sing a classic lullaby, a cheesy 80s power song, or whatever melody you like.
- Get wet.
Fill the tub with warm water and make bath time a regular part of your toddler’s calming routine. This greatly helps to calm down your toddler, you can also do this while singing along to his favorite cartoon songs or rhymes.
As a guardian, you need to be creative to make your fussy baby soothe with anything. Especially things that make kids calm down and make them feel better.
