Settling Your Baby to Sleep

A sound of an infant's sudden shrill cry at night may break a mother's heart at first, but when it becomes a regular scenario, it becomes irritating. Scolding or shouting at your baby wouldn't be a great idea of calming him down. Talking with your child in a low, soft voice would be a better way to settle baby. A parent's voice is soothing enough for babies to feel safe and secured.

During the first year of life, the little tots are solely dependent on their primary caregiver, usually the parents. The infant is very much fragile and therefore requires constant caring and touch. If these needs are properly met by parents, the child will be able to develop "trust" among the people around him and may feel that the world is not scary after all.

In contrast, some experts may encourage moms to allow their babies to cry at some time during bedtime until the child eventually gets tired of crying and falls back to sleep. Others claim that it may foster child independence. A baby may usually cry whenever he feels that he is alone and scared. This feeling of abandonment may lead to disappointment and "mistrust" to the people around him especially his loved ones. If the child constantly feels deserted, he may develop depression later in life and may cause him to take his own life.

As parents, we should know the importance of parenthood by giving meticulous care on babies' most basic needs - love and support. A special caution should also be given to methods we use to settle baby as it may indicate behavioral dilemmas in the future.