Читать книгу The Fussy Baby Book: Parenting your high-need child from birth to five - Martha Sears - Страница 53

At some time during the early months of living with a fussy baby, a well-meaning adviser almost certainly will suggest that you, “let your baby cry it out – he’s got to learn sometime”. This is misguided advice. It shows not only a misunderstanding of the communication value of the infant’s cry, but also a devaluing of the mother’s sensitivity.

Mothers are not designed to let their babies cry, nor are babies’ cries designed to go unanswered.

“If only my baby could talk instead of cry I would know what she wants”, said Jane, a new mother of a fussy baby. “Your baby can talk”, we advised. “The key is for you to learn how to listen.” Consider how much more aware you have to be when you are in a foreign country struggling to understand someone. You have to pay attention to body language and be more discerning, so that you can use all available clues to figure out what this person is saying. Once you pay attention to the clues, communicating still requires effort, but you quickly get the gist.

A baby’s cry ensures the survival of the infant and promotes the development of the parent. It’s a two-way communication system designed to get infants whatever they need to thrive, and to teach parents how to interpret their baby’s language.

But what am I?An infant crying in the night:An infant crying for the light:And with no language but a cry. ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON

When you learn the special language of your baby’s cry, you will be able to respond sensitively. Here are some listening tips that will help you discover what your baby is trying to say when he cries.