The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block 2-Book Bundle pdfdrive com

Jessica tried to calm her frantic six-week-old by
wrapping him up, turning on a tape recording of the
vacuum, and putting him in the swing. But it backfired.
Like a little Houdini, Jonathan freed himself from the
swaddle in minutes and wailed longer and louder than
ever. I suggested that Jessica try tightening the wrapping
and turning on the real vacuum, not a tape. Jonathan’s
screaming bouts shortened from hours to minutes!
Most first-time parents don’t feel instantly comfortable with their fussy
baby’s need for vigor. Let’s face it, as a parent you’re given so much
contradictory advice. One minute, you’re warned to handle your baby
gently and the next you’re told to deposit your shrieking child into a
buzzing bouncy seat beside a roaring vacuum cleaner. Yet experienced
baby “wranglers” know the more frantically a baby is crying the tighter
his swaddling, the louder the shushing, and the more jiggly the swinging
must be, or else they simply won’t work.

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The fastest way to succeed in stopping your baby’s cycle of crying is to
meet his level of intensity. Only after your screaming baby pauses for a
few moments can you gradually slow your motion, soften your shushing,
and guide him down from his frenzy to a soft landing.
The best colic-calmers say that soothing an infant is like dancing with
him—but they always let the baby lead! These talented people pay close
attention to the vigor of their infant’s crying and mirror it with the vigor
of their 5 “S’s.” If crying is frantic, the rocking and shushing are as
spirited as a jitterbug. As cries turn into sobs, the response shifts to the
fluid pace of a waltz. And once the baby slips into serenity, their actions
slide into the gentle to-and-fro of a slow dance. Of course, any return to
screaming is immediately met with renewed vigor and a bouncy tempo.