How to calm a child if he is crying. Why does a child wake up crying? The baby is crying and won't calm down

A sleeping baby is a magical sight, akin to a miracle. And this picture seems especially implausible to those exhausted parents whose babies cry for no apparent reason, arching and screaming non-stop 24 hours a day. Do not despair! And don't beat yourself up - you're not a bad parent! You simply do not know the ways that can rock even the most capricious child without depriving his mom and dad of mental clarity, self-control and a sense of parental happiness. We will teach you how to properly soothe your baby.

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Believe me: there are no such children in the world, especially babies who would really like to torment their household with screams, howls and tantrums. And if the baby is not crying from pain or hunger, then most likely he is crying from discomfort - physical or emotional. Create more comfortable conditions for him, and you can quickly calm the child.

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From the very first words, it is worth noting that all the tips below on how to calm a crying baby (namely, a baby between the ages of 0 and six months) refer to those cases when the baby cries and screams “for no apparent reason” - that is, his tummy does not hurt (not swollen, not tight, well palpable), he is not hungry, not cold and does not need a diaper change. Rather, these tips are for those tired and exhausted parents in whose eyes the question is read: “How to calm a child who just likes to cry and yell?!”.

How to soothe a 0-3 month old baby? Get in his position!

One of the world's most competent experts in the field of baby crying is an American doctor, professor of child psychiatry, pediatrician Harvey Karp. For over 20 years he has been teaching young parents effective ways how to quickly calm a crying baby. Dr. Harp's book on these methods has long been the undisputed bestseller in its segment. On the one hand, these methods are extremely simple, judge for yourself:

swaddling;
holding in a position on the side;
"white noise" or hiss;
rhythmic swing;
sucking.

But refrain from surprise and doubt until you have tried all five methods in action. What is the essence of this technique? In his book, Dr. Harvey uses such an ambiguous concept in relation to newborn children aged 0 to 3 months, as " fourth trimester of pregnancy».

During this period of life, babies are in dire need of conditions that would closely replicate the intrauterine environment of the mother. It is in such conditions that babies instantly calm down, instinctively gaining a sense of familiar comfort and safety.

Actually, on this principle, Dr. Karp built his methodology. For example, the tight swaddling of a newborn imitates his presence in the mother's uterus in the last stages of pregnancy, where the baby is already quite crowded. The position on the side is also the most familiar for him. Hissing sounds are the most familiar to the baby, because being in the womb, he constantly hears the mother's breathing and the passage of fluids through her intestines. The unborn baby experiences monotonous motion sickness (almost shaking) all the time when his mother moves. And if you look at the ultrasound images, then make sure that starting from the 24th week, while in the mother's womb, the child reflexively sucks his thumb almost all the time.

Here is the nature of the origin of all five ways of effective motion sickness according to Harvey Karp.

And if you learn, using the tips of Dr. Karp, to imitate for your baby all these states that are most comfortable for him in the first months of life, then you will not have problems with how to calm the child. So:

5 magical ways Harvey Karp, or How to calm a child:

Method 1: Swaddling. Of course, keeping a newborn tightly wrapped in diapers is not worth it all the time. But if the baby is worried and cannot fall asleep for a long time, sometimes it is enough just to wrap it tightly in a sheet or diaper (you need to swaddle it with the handles) so that the baby immediately calms down.

If your baby is often restless and has difficulty falling asleep, it makes sense to buy modern diapers that even dads can use without difficulty.

Method 2: Position on the side. Place the child on your arm or on your knees on the side so that it seems to fall a little on the stomach. Gently support the baby's head. This position can also be used if the child suffers from minor colic.

Method 3: Rhythmic rocking (shaking). Holding the baby in the position on his side, start not hard, but rock him rhythmically from side to side. This method can be immediately combined with the following - with imitation of hissing sounds.

See clearly how to properly hold the baby on its side and rock it:

Method 4: "White noise". The point is to play monotonous hissing sounds right above the baby's ear. This is perhaps the most unusual of all Dr. Karp's ways to soothe a child, but it works superbly.

Method 5: Sucking. The pacifier is an excellent all-round sedative for the baby. With the same success, you can attach the baby to the breast (if you are a nursing mother) or give a bottle with a small amount of formula.

In Harvey Karp's own experience, sometimes one or two of the tricks on this list are enough to stop a newborn from crying and worrying. But often you have to use consistently and all five methods. However, according to the doctor, these simple ways, together or separately, help almost 100 percent of the time.

Wonder Week 37: World of categories

Around week 37 (between 36 and 40) you may notice that your baby is trying new things. At this age, the child begins to approach the study of the world more methodically. For example, your baby can pick up crumbs from the floor and carefully examine them, holding them between his thumb and forefinger. Or, for example, your budding young chef can redistribute the contents of his plate, checking how banana puree sloshes and how spinach squishes between his fingers. When conducting these studies, he will have an unusually serious, concentrated expression on his face. In general, these are the studies that will allow the baby to categorize the world around him.
Your baby is now beginning to realize that certain objects, sensations, animals, people can be combined into groups or categories. For example, a banana looks, tastes, and feels different from spinach, but both can be eaten. The child begins to highlight these important similarities and differences. The leap into the world of categories will affect all kinds of senses - sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Your baby will learn more about the people around him and about his own emotions. Speech skills will be intensively developed. Your child may not say the first words, but he will understand much more.
Like the previousworlds, the appearance of this turns the views of the child. Brain waves (EEG) of the child in this period show that intense changes are taking place. It changes the way your child perceives the world, and the child will be disturbed at first. The restless period will begin at 34 weeks, or between 32 and 37 weeks. It will probably last about 4 weeks, but it could take 3 or 6. When your child enters this hectic time, watch very carefully - he may be trying to learn new skills.

Features of this week:
As children prepare to enter the world of categories, they become more whiny than they have been in previous weeks. Mothers say they are irritable, restless, quarrelsome, discontented, uncontrollable, restless, impatient and always whining and in a bad mood. All this can be understood.
It is especially difficult for your baby now, because from his past jump he realized that you can leave him wherever you want at any moment and leave him alone. At first, most children suffer greatly from this, but then they learn to put up with it somehow in their own way. Just as everything started to go more or less smoothly, big changes happened again and everything fell apart again. And again, the restless baby wants to be with his mother all the time, knowing full well that at any moment she can get up and leave. This understanding further undermines the whole situation and increases tension.

How do you know it's time to grow up?

May cling to your clothes
Your baby may become anxious when you move away from him. Children who have not crawled yet can only yell in this situation. For some, any mother's step to the side is a reason for uniform panic. Crawling babies follow their moms and sometimes cling to them so tightly that the moms can't move.

Might be more incredulous
The child may want more than usual distance between himself and other people. The desire to be closer to mom is especially strong in the presence of other people - sometimes even if this “other” is dad, brother or sister. Often, the only mother is allowed to look at the baby and talk to him. And almost always, the only mother is allowed to touch the child.

Can snuggle tighter
When the child is sitting in your arms or you carry him, he may try to snuggle up to you as much as possible. And, perhaps, he will be angry when you try to put it down.

May require more attention
Most children require more attention, and even the calmest ones are not always happy when they are left alone. Some particularly demanding little personalities do not calm down until their mother's attention is completely focused only on them. And some are especially worried when mothers divert their attention from them to something else, as if they are jealous.

May sleep worse
Most children begin to sleep worse. They may resist lying down, fall asleep harder, and wake up faster. Some are especially difficult to lay down during the day, others - in the evening. Well, some are more awake both day and night.

May have nightmares
A restless child may also sleep more restlessly. He can scream, toss and turn and constantly spin - as if he were having nightmares.

Can become an unusually sweet child
At this age, your child may begin to try new ways to keep you around. Instead of whining and complaining, he may switch to a completely different way and start cuddling and kissing. Often, children go from one method back to another, balancing between wonderful and terrible behavior, testing what works best. Mothers of independent children are often pleasantly surprised that their baby finally clings to them so tenderly!

May be lethargic
The baby may become quieter in general. You may be less likely to hear him babble, less likely to see him play and move. Sometimes he can suddenly quit what he was doing and lie quietly, contemplating space. Don't worry, this is temporary.

May protest against diaper changes
When you put your baby down for a change of clothes or a diaper, he may protest violently - screaming, arching, acting impatient and uncontrollable. Most people do just that at this time.

It might become more O big child
Moms may notice a return to behaviors they thought the baby had outgrown. There may have been steps back, but what older child the brighter they are visible. Moms do not like to see such steps back - they feel insecure, although in fact this is absolutely normal. These backward steps indicate that there will soon be a breakthrough forward. Try to understand what kind of breakthrough it will be. Short periods of returns occur during each of the turbulent periods. Rejoice - this shows that your baby is moving in the right direction.

May lose appetite
Many children at this time are less interested in food and drink. Some may stubbornly eat one thing and refuse everything else. Others can only eat what they themselves put in their mouths. The child may become picky, spill food and spit. Therefore, feeding takes longer than before.
If your child was already worried during meals, now he may become uncontrollable - not wanting to eat when the food is in front of him and demanding when it is removed. Or one day they may require a lot of food, and the next they will not eat anything. Options are possible.

The best games for this time

We study
Some things are attractive to your baby, but learning them on your own can become dangerous for him. So help him! Hold a photo frame or a heavy figurine for him, so that he himself does not hurt himself, and does not damage them, and at the same time satisfy his curiosity.

Bells and switches
Let your child ring the doorbell. He will be able to immediately hear the result of what he does. Let him press the elevator call button. So he will feel that he is doing something grown-up. Have him turn on the light when it gets dark so he can see the effect. Sometimes you can even let him press the button on the bus or at the pedestrian crossing, explaining what will follow next and what to expect. This will allow him to understand the relationship between what he is doing and the result.

We walk and look
At this age, children cannot work up in any way. Taking him for walks now means teaching him a lot, he will see a lot of new things. Whether you're cycling, walking, just walking or hiking, remember to stop periodically so your child can take a closer look, listen, touch.

dress up
It would seem that many children do not have time to dress up. They are busy with more important things. But at the same time, they really like to look at themselves, and it becomes even more interesting for them to look at themselves when they do something with them. Take advantage of this. Dry with a towel, dress and undress your baby in front of the mirror so that he has time to play peek-a-boo with himself.

Words
Your child understands much more than you think, and he loves to show it. Now he will expand the range of words and phrases that he enjoys understanding.

We call
Name what the child looks at and listens to. When the child gestures what he wants, say his question for him. This will teach him how to express desires in words.
Let the child choose a book and give it to him. Sit him on your lap or next to you. So he can turn the pages himself. Point to the picture he is looking at and name what is shown there. If there is an animal in the picture, you can make a sound that this animal makes. Encourage your child to repeat this sound. Do not insist if the child is not interested. Some children need to be hugged or tickled after each page to get their attention back.

Tasks
When your child is holding something, ask if he would like to give it to you: "give it to mom!". Sometimes ask to give something to dad too. You can also ask your child to pass something to you, such as "give me a toothbrush" or "pass me a ball". Also, sometimes call him when he does not see you: “where are you?” so that he will answer you. Or ask him: "come here." Praise your child for participating in this game and continue only as long as he likes it.

Wannabe
Many children like to look at people and imitate them. If your child likes it too, imitate him and encourage him when he imitates you.

Do it like this
First provoke the child to imitate you, and then imitate him yourself. Often children are so addicted to it that they can do it forever. Change your gestures, make them slower and faster. Make gestures with one hand or two. You can accompany with sound or do it silently. Try also in front of a mirror. Some babies like to repeat their own gestures, looking at themselves in the mirror and checking how they are doing.

Conversation with a mirror
If your child is interested in articulation (how lips move during speech), sometimes do it in front of a mirror, turning it into a game. Sit in front of the mirror together and play with vowels, consonants or words - whatever your baby likes best. Pause for him to look and repeat. Many babies also like to copy gestures, such as hand and head movements. So try it too. When your child, repeating after you, sees you too, he will be able to better understand whether he is repeating correctly.

Sing a song
Sing a line from the song and let the child feel every movement that you make while doing it. To do this, take his hands in yours and do these movements together. The child can clap and raise his hands at his own pace. At this age, he is not yet able to repeat sequences of movements, but he can already enjoy such a game.

Changing roles
Encourage your child to play a certain role, and then try to switch roles for him.

Chase
The most simple game in "catch-ups". You can play it while walking or crawling. Crawl or run away from the child, clearly showing him that you expect him to crawl after you. If your child tries to catch you, try not to get caught. If, nevertheless, the baby caught you, or you caught him, caress him or lift him high.

hide and seek
Hide so that your child can see where you hide and let him find you. Also, sometimes pretend that you have lost it and are looking for it. Sometimes children hide well and sit behind the bed or in the corner very quietly. Usually they choose those places where you yourself have just been hiding or which became a super hit the day before. When you find each other, react enthusiastically.

2-3 hours a day. And crying always has a reason. Most often they are quite clear: a wet diaper, an approaching feeding time, or, for example, a fright caused by new toy over the cradle. But sometimes, baby tears are a way to complain to parents about less obvious discomfort.

Remember: a child never cries for nothing. Therefore, it is important to understand what worries him.

When to see a doctor urgently if your baby is crying

Call your pediatrician right away if a crying baby:

goes into crying for more than two hours;
has above 38℃;
refuses to eat or drink or vomits;
does not urinate or has traces of blood in the stool;
does not respond to attempts to calm him down.

This is how various diseases can manifest themselves - from influenza and otitis to concussion or digestive disorders. It is important to diagnose them in time.

If there are no dangerous symptoms, you should look for the causes of crying in other, quite ordinary things. Crying in infancy.

When you can deal with crying on your own

1. The child is hungry

Even if you feed your baby by the clock and are absolutely sure that the time for the next feeding has not yet come. The fact is that babies grow in leaps and bounds. And when the next growth spurt occurs, the child needs more food.

What to do

When you hear crying, the first thing to do is to take the baby in your arms and try to offer him a breast or a bottle.

2. He's scared

Maybe there was a loud noise outside the window. Or the door slammed. Or maybe the kid just lost sight of his mother. Be that as it may, even tiny children can experience anxiety, and tears are the most accessible way for them to show it.

What to do

Take the baby in your arms and, as in the previous paragraph, offer him a bottle or breast. Another option is a pacifier: for most babies, to calm down, just put it in their mouth.

3. Is he hot or cold

Parents often want to wrap up the baby. This habit was given to us by evolution: for tens of thousands of years, keeping warm was the key to survival. But there is another extreme: moms and dads arrange a “hardening” for the child, leaving him naked in a cool room. Since there is not enough fat in the body, the baby reacts to cold by crying.

What to do

Make sure the child is not cold or overheated. Check if his legs and arms are cold. Did the hair get wet, did it turn red (these are signs that the baby is hot). If necessary, throw a blanket over the crumbs or, conversely, remove excess clothing.

4. The child is physically uncomfortable

A full diaper is just one of the reasons for the discomfort that a baby may experience. It happens that other things cause discomfort. Perhaps, too tight diaper elastic rubbed the delicate skin and now this place hurts. Or, for example, between the fingers, "packed" in socks, a thread got in the way, which interferes.

What to do

9. He wants to sleep next to his mom.

By 6–9 months, babies begin to recognize themselves as separate beings. But even as they get older, they still sometimes want to feel in their mother's arms and may refuse to fall asleep if their mother does not lie down next to them.

What to do

Here the approaches differ. So, American pediatricians believe that you should not fit next to the child or take him in your arms at the first cry. It is worth waiting a while and then letting the baby cry for longer and longer before coming to him. This is supposed to train children's self-control.

However, if you have the time and opportunity, give the baby as much attention as he wants. But do not do this by stepping over your own fatigue and other needs. The more tired the parent, the worse he takes care of the baby.

How to soothe a child

Turn on soft, gentle music in the nursery. Perhaps a generator can help you.
Talk to the baby. The sound of a mother's or father's voice soothes and gives the baby a sense of security.
Help the baby change position - he may be uncomfortable.
Take the baby in your arms and press it to your chest. The mother's heartbeat, the smell of her skin, her breath, the close embrace - all this reminds the baby of that serene time when he was in the tummy.

How not to comfort a child

In no case do not shake him, even if he does not want to calm down, and you are very annoyed. Excessively sharp swaying can lead to the so-called syndrome Abusive Head Trauma: A New Name for Shaken Baby Syndrome baby shaking.

Toddlers have weak neck muscles that are not yet fully able to support their disproportionately large heads. Vigorous shaking causes the head to move back and forth sharply, and this can lead to serious head injury. This is the most common cause traumatic death in children under 2 years of age. It can also result in developmental delays, mental retardation, or blindness.

The child, even during the period of being in the womb, establishes a strong emotional connection with the mother, which helps him to catch any change in her mood.

That is why the newborn is extremely sensitive to the mother's condition. A crying baby may become additionally nervous when he realizes that the mother is worried, confused, feeling helpless or annoyed.

Pediatricians strongly advise approaching a crying baby in an even mood. If this is not possible (not every woman can remain calm in such an environment), it is better to ask for help from a husband or other close relative who exudes confidence.

Unlike older children, a newborn will never scream unless absolutely necessary. Infant crying always has some reason, even if it does not lie on the surface.

The cries and tears of a baby should not be ignored. Contrary to some beliefs, such crying is not good for the lungs or temperament.

On the contrary, the incessant roar can shake the nervous system of the crumbs and undermine his confidence in the world around him. Another undesirable consequence of prolonged screaming is a hernia of the navel.

Before you figure out how to soothe a crying baby, you need to identify the source of children's tears. Experts identify several main reasons:

Initially, mothers still do not know how to establish by the nature of crying what exactly the little one wants. But after a while different types children's cry become distinguishable, since the volume, duration and intonation in each case will differ significantly from each other.

How to understand the cause of the screams?

Usually the child cries because he is hungry, feels pain with colic, or something (or someone) scared him. In such cases, the newborn will cry very loudly, angrily and without ceasing.

Certain characteristics and signs will help determine which of the above factors is worrying the baby at the moment.

A hungry baby cries quite loudly, intensely and for a long time. If you do not immediately approach him, then he will begin to choke. And after taking on the handles, he will immediately begin to look for the nipple.
If pain is the cause of a child's cry, then plaintive notes can be heard in it. If the pain syndrome is sudden or sharp, the child will cry loudly and very loudly.
Is fear the reason for crying? Then the baby screams hysterically, starting abruptly and ending just as suddenly. Usually, when he sees his mother and feels the warmth of her body, he quickly calms down.

In other situations, the child begins to call his parents with calling cries, that is, in this way he tries to draw their attention to his problem. The baby cries a little, then stops to assess the parent's reaction.

If the mother or father ignores the children's demands, then the cries will be repeated again and again at different time intervals. Usually the child does not calm down until the source of discomfort is removed.

If it is not yet possible to determine the cause by the nature of crying, trust the logical conclusions. With a well-established diet, you can already guess when the baby is hungry, and in what situations it just got bored.

The five-step system includes the following techniques, which are probably familiar to many mothers.

Tight swaddling. The child, “shackled” in the arms and legs, feels the same tightness as in the uterus. This helps to return him to a sense of security and, therefore, calm him down.
"White noise". Many newborns fall asleep well under the monotonous hum of household units. Such sounds copy the noise of the working organs of the mother's body. You can turn on the hair dryer or hiss over the child's ear yourself.
Side position. Babies usually sleep better on their back, but they calm down faster on their side or tummy when their face looks down a little. You need to put the crumbs on your knees sideways, supporting the head.
Careful motion sickness. Lay the baby down so that his head rests on your palms and his face looks down. You need to shake the baby rhythmically, gently and not very sharply. This is reminiscent of the feeling that arose when the mother walked.
Sucking. Satisfying the sucking reflex is another effective reception. A newborn is given either a breast, or a pacifier, or even his clean finger.

Harvey Karp talks about how to soothe a baby under 3 months old, including in the video "Your Happy Baby". On the example of several babies, the author demonstrates the effectiveness of the five-step system.

How to calm a crying baby older than 3 months?

Karp's five-step technique really helps, but these techniques are already ineffective in relation to older children. To calm, for example, a 6-month-old baby, you need to distract him, and not swaddle, and use other methods.

Another helpful advice- make the atmosphere of the children's room more comfortable. Some sensitive children get tired of bright lights or too many bright objects.

Calming baby before bed

Many mothers complain that it is extremely difficult to calm the baby before going to bed. The main reason for children crying in the evening is banal overwork.

Judge for yourself, during the day the child learns a lot of new information, meets with various acquaintances or strangers. Lots of events and nervous system does not always cope with their processing.

If the baby screams and cries in the evenings for no apparent reason, most likely he is very tired. It is adults who can fall asleep from fatigue, while the child is overexcited and, on the contrary, refuses to fall asleep and cries.

If your child does not want to calm down before falling asleep in the evening, you should:

refuse excessive activity;
ventilate the room and bring moisture to optimal levels;
shake the child a little on the handles;
lay down and provide a pacifier.

Achieving sound sleep allows you to perform a certain sequence of actions. For example, a mother feeds a child, bathes in water at the optimum temperature, puts her in a crib, reads a book or sings a lullaby. Usually the baby quickly falls asleep after this ritual.

It is important to understand that the issue of calming the newborn needs to be addressed individually. For one child, motion sickness is suitable, for another - swaddling, the third is calmed only by dancing.

The task of parents is to study the preferences of their child and choose the most appropriate method. However, it should be remembered that the baby has the right to cry, thus protesting against various "inconveniences". Well, mom needs to be there, showing her love.

Crying is a way people release negative emotions. No one ever cries for no reason, although some people use tears as leverage on others. Adults are very self-controlled, they are able to restrain their own emotions, so they are rarely seen in tears.

Children are completely sincere creatures who have not yet learned to pretend and pretend that everything is fine, although in reality this is far from the truth. Children often cry and cry in such a way that their parents break their hearts. I want to comfort the baby as soon as possible and return a cheerful smile. How to calm crying children of different ages?

If a baby cries

Crying is for the baby the only way tell parents about the inconvenience that the baby is experiencing, because he still does not know how to speak. To calm the child, it is necessary to eliminate the causes of his anxiety. This is not so easy to do, given that the baby cannot talk about discomfort. Parents have to play guessing game.

The most common causes that cause a baby to cry are: hunger, a full diaper, a wet diaper and colic. These are the most common reasons that provoke crying daily. If the baby is crying, start looking for the cause, acting by the method of elimination. First check the diaper or diaper, if things are wet, change them. If the crying has not stopped, feed the baby, even if you have recently done so, he may not have eaten.

Take steps to eliminate possible colic. They begin at about two weeks of age and continue to torment the child and parents for up to three or four months. The reason is the immaturity of the intestine. With colic, the baby behaves restlessly, cries a lot, usually at the same time every day and after dinner, raises and stretches his legs if he is tormented by gases.

How to help? Do gymnastics - pull your legs to your stomach, hold a little in this position and lower. Massage your tummy in a clockwise direction. Lay your baby on your chest with your belly or place a warm, ironed diaper on his tummy. If all else fails, give medication or folk remedies approved by your pediatrician. Pay attention to your diet and exclude from it foods that cause increased gas formation in an infant.

Tears can also cause teething. This process is accompanied by pain and discomfort, so it often causes children to cry. Discomfort can appear in the gums long before the first teeth appear. Be prepared for the fact that from about three months you will need special pain relievers and rings.

If, by elimination, you understand that the baby is not crying because of the above reasons, continue to look further. What else can cause a newborn baby to cry?

The baby is cold or hot. Dress him up or undress him.
You recently fed your baby and now he needs to burp.
The kid got sick. Measure the temperature, observe the general condition and behavior, if you suspect the development of the disease, call a doctor.
The child received a large number of emotions in a short period of time. Often such crying happens at the end of the day, it is called "relaxing".
The kid is simply bored and lacks attention. Pick him up, hug him, play with him.
The child was injured. This is the most terrible reason, it must be excluded one of the first. A child can scratch himself with his nails, and there are also cases when hair is wrapped around the finger, which causes pain. Carefully examine the baby to rule out or confirm the presence of an injury.
The child does not like the clothes, he is uncomfortable, perhaps rubs somewhere.
The baby's bed is too cold.
The baby is uncomfortable with too bright light or loud noise.

White noise

Many adults do not understand how you can fall asleep to white noise, but it has been proven that it or any other hissing sounds relax and help you fall asleep. You can try to reproduce the sound "shhhhhh" yourself, or you can search the Internet for a recording of white noise. The sounds of working equipment have a similar calming effect: a hair dryer, washing machine, fan.

motion sickness

The classic way to soothe crying baby- motion sickness. You can rock it in your arms, in a crib or in a stroller. If standard motion sickness does not help, you can resort to unusual way- motion sickness on a fitball. Take the baby in your arms, sit on the ball and start bouncing lightly. If your hands quickly get tired of holding the baby, you can lower them to your knees, then the weight of the baby will be on your legs. So it is much easier to rock the baby.

Foot massage

Babies respond well to massage because they are very sensitive. You can do a full body massage, or you can use only the legs. Take the legs in your hands, holding them by the ankles. Gently massage your feet with your thumbs, gradually moving up and then down. Gently massage your little fingers, being careful not to injure them.

Hamilton Method

Paediatrician Robert Hamilton, who has thirty years of experience, has developed a method to help calm a crying baby under the age of three months, just at the time when he is tormented by colic. The method can also be used with older children. It is necessary to cross the arms of the baby on the chest, cover them with your hand from above, and lift them with the other palm, placing it between the legs. Rock your baby from side to side, as well as back and forth, and he will quickly calm down.

Harvey Karp Method

The method of calming, owned by pediatrician Harvey Karp, involves recreating the sensations that the child experienced while in the womb. The method includes several actions: swaddling, because it was crowded in the womb; laying on the arm on the side or tummy; imitation of the sound "shshshshsh"; the slight up and down rocking that the baby experiences in the womb when the mother walks.

other methods

Entrepreneurial mothers have invented a large number of ways to help calm the baby. What else can you do?

Take your child to bed with you.
Sing a lullaby.
Apply to your left breast so your baby can hear the soothing beating of your heart. If this does not help, change the breast, perhaps the right one is your baby's "favorite".
Turn on classical music.
Exit to another room.
Rock with your baby in a rocking chair.
Accompany the motion sickness process with an expressive story.
Turn on the water - its sound can soothe.

If an older child cries

At first glance, it is much easier to calm an older child, since he can already show or even say what is bothering him. However, with age, children become smarter and begin to manipulate their parents in the hope of getting what they want. For example, you went to the store together, where the child saw interesting toy. He really wants to possess it, so at first he will simply ask to buy it. Hearing a refusal, he is almost guaranteed to cry, thus arranging a kind of blackmail. As a result, a new difficulty arises: it is necessary to distinguish crying, which really indicates the presence big problem, from crying-manipulation.

A child who has left infancy begins to actively explore the world, as a result of which he often receives minor but painful injuries. The first reaction to pain is crying. If the baby is crying, first find out the cause of the tears. If the problem is serious, fix it. If the child is crying because of the little things or is trying to manipulate, you can resort to one of the methods of calming. In general, there are quite a few ways to calm a crying baby.

Please save your tears for later

This method can be applied if the child began to cry before going somewhere, for example, to the hospital or for a walk. Ask him to save tears for later, because otherwise you may not have time to do an important thing. It is guaranteed that in five minutes the child will forget that he cried at all.

Read with your child

If your child is over three years old, you can try to calm him down as follows: start lamenting "My poor child, they don't take you for a walk, they don't feed you, no one plays with you, they don't buy toys, you are my poor, poor."

We provide an object for a splash of emotions

Invite the child to throw out negative emotions on any object. Give him a pillow from the sofa and let him tap on it with his fists, or offer to play ball.

We speak a child

Start talking a lot, without stopping, try to "chat" the child. Tell him why a cat needs a mustache, why the sky is blue and why stars are needed in the sky. Your heated monologue will distract the child and make him forget about the tears.

Hugs and kisses

One of the most effective ways that can heal any emotional wounds of a child is a "gift" in the form of mother's hugs and kisses. Just hug the child tightly, kiss sweetly, have pity, show him how much you love him. Love can overcome any difficulties.

Please cry silently

Tell your baby that with his loud crying, he can wake up his dad, who wants to sleep after work, or his little sister, who just recently fell asleep. We can say that loud crying gives you a headache. In the end, ask to cry more quietly. If the child agrees, the crying will turn into quiet sobs, which will soon fade away.

Switching Interest

If the child is crying because he does not want to get dressed, tell him that on the street you will definitely look to see if the leaves have blossomed on the trees. If the baby fell and cries from resentment, invite him to urgently go to play. If he is crying because he wants to watch cartoons, invite him to leaf through a colorful book together. You can point your hand at the window and exclaim: "Look, what a beautiful bird has flown!". By all means divert his attention so that he becomes interested in something else and forgets about the original reasons for his discontent.

"Agree" with the child

Sometimes, to stop crying, it is enough to show the child that you understand why he is crying. Ask: "Are you crying because you hit and it hurts?" or "Are you crying because we didn't go outside because of the bad weather?" The kid will understand that you share his emotional suffering, and calm down.

Turning crying into a joke

Come up with a funny ritual that you will perform when the baby starts crying. For example, "dry" tears using a hair dryer, or "clean" a child of whims with a vacuum cleaner. Do not resort to this method if the baby is afraid of the sounds of household appliances. Start tickling the baby, he will laugh and quickly stop crying.

We introduce vitamins of laughter

Announce your child's favorite treat as "laugh vitamins", don't give it often, but treat it if necessary to stop crying. There is one difficulty here: having understood that they give goodies for stopping crying, the child may intentionally often shed tears. If you notice such manipulations, such a method must be excluded.