The first time you lay eyes on your child, there’s no doubt that you’ll be imbued with the need to do everything you can to support them. One facet of support that a parent can’t ever overlook is happiness! So, what can you as a parent do to ensure that your baby is as happy as can be from day one?
Apparently, a lot!
We’ve assembled a list of helpful tips and tricks that can help you make sure you’re raising the happiest, healthiest baby of all:
1. Respond to cries
Admittedly, this seems like a no-brainer. However, there are strategies that parents can implement to ensure that your baby is the happiest they can be. Despite the idea that you needn’t become a “slave” to your baby’s crying, it’s suggested that tending to your babies cries majority of the time can be beneficial for your infant’s overall happiness.
Harvey Karp, MD, professor of paediatrics at the USC School of Medicine and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block, says that “Babies go through these tsunamis of emotion. For babies, it’s contentedness, serenity and security that make them happy. Twenty times a day, something upsets them, and magically, arms pick them up and they’re fed, or someone comes and rocks them.”
If the solution to their cries and the key to their happiness is being held or attended to, you know what to do, parents!
2. Establish good sleeping habits
A good night’s rest can drastically change your attitude and behaviour over the course of a day. This goes for baby’s as well. If you consider the fact that they require way more sleep than you do, how could it not apply to them?
With that in mind, it’s important to develop good sleeping habits by instilling the importance and significance of sleep in your baby. Help them to understand that sleep is a pleasant state, and help do whatever it takes to get them to that point. For many parents, that might mean finding exactly where your baby sleeps most comfortably and for the longest. Whether it’s in their own bedroom, or in a bassinet in yours, do what it takes to develop good sleeping habits in your baby and see how happy they are after a good night’s rest.
3. Buy a white noise machine
A dreamless REM sleeping cycle helps newborns in many ways. It helps them build pathways in the brain, integrate their neurological systems and also develop language skills. | Image courtesy: iStock
Harvey Karp suggests that a white noise machine can be a wise investment for parents. He believes that these machines can produce high-pitch noises that can work to soothe crying fits, as well as low-pitch sounds that can help relax and calm babies which helps them sleep for longer.
Obviously, you’ll want to be mindful of your baby’s hearing, so be sure to do your research. A good white noise machine can help soothe cries and lead to more sleep for your baby. The result: a happier baby!
4. Learn how and when to swaddle
Swaddling has been in doubt for quite some time now, but the key is to know how to properly swaddle a baby and when to swaddle a child.
“For at least the first four months, all babies need to be swaddled,” says Harvy Karp. “For some, that’s all they need. Others will need [some other soothing method too]. If they’re colicky, they may need three or four or five at the same time to trigger the calming reflex.”
The “calming reflex” to which Dr. Karp refers is the snug, comfy feeling associated with being in the uterus. Apparently, being wrapped the proper way can help trigger a reflex in your children reminding them of their old living quarters and can result in a happier more comfortable baby!
5. Embrace pacifiers and thumb sucking
In addition to the calming effect of being swaddled the right way, Karp also suggests a similar effect that can be triggered by sucking. You definitely don’t want to let them continue this habit further down the road, but while they’re babies, it’s a natural recourse and function. Plus, it makes your baby happy!
Focus on letting your young baby be happy for now, and worry about removing pacifiers and thumb sucking from the equation when the time comes.
6. Practice the virtue of patience
Up to this point we’ve covered some basic ways in which you can directly affect your baby’s happiness. However, one strategy is to consider your own happiness! You can’t afford to overlook your own well-being if you want a happy baby! As Martha Sears, R.N. says, “A happy mother equals a happy child, so never feel guilty about taking time for yourself.”
But how can a mum maintain a constant sense of happiness? Be prepared!
Your baby will only continue to grow, and eventually, they’ll grow into the toddler stage. Many regard this stage as “the terrible twos”, so it’s wise to get ready! You’ll require more patience than ever when dealing with toddlers and to maintain the happy and healthy mentality that you and your baby have now, you’ll need to practice the virtue of patience.
Your own mental happiness has to be on par with your baby’s if you want to raise a happier baby. If you want that state of happiness to continue in their later years of development, you’ll have to work at it. After all, practice makes perfect!
This article was based on articles published by The Bump and Parenting.
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