Possible crying problems for a toddler
At this age your toddler will probably discover temper tantrums and unfortunately, some toddlers do still wake up at night and cry for their parents. You'll need to be consistent in your reactions.
Temper tantrums problems in a toddler
© Jupiter
A temper tantrum is an attention-seeking device. The tantrum will go on as long as you are giving your child your attention; it will be shortened abruptly if you withdraw it. The best thing to do is to leave the room; your child will come to no harm. A breath-holding attack is self-limiting, and your child will take a breath as soon as she becomes at all short of oxygen. If she is kicking and screaming, simply move articles out of reach so that she cannot be hurt and leave her to kick and scream. Don't be tempted to cajole your child, to lose your temper, to smack or to threaten punishments. None will do the slightest good to bring the tantrum to an end, or to avert the next one. The only course of action is to leave your child alone.
Night-time crying
Quite a few babies cry as they are going to bed at night. You can do a lot to avoid this if you establish a bedtime routine. This doesn't mean that you are inflexible, rather that you give the evening a rhythm that you and your baby get used to. Bedtime and bathtime should ideally be happy. From the time your baby is six months old she should be enjoying her bath and if you treat it as playtime you are off to a good start. By the time bathing is over, your baby should be relaxed and getting a little sleepy. If supper is also casual, informal and happy, with a drink, a story, a game or a song - whichever your child prefers - followed by bed and a firm but loving goodnight, then just leaving your baby should work. As children get older they tend to express preferences for particular songs that they even like sung in a certain sequence, or favourite stories that they will follow with you in their storybook. Some of them will drop off to sleep by listening to music or while you sit by them quietly reading or singing. Find the bedtime routine that suits your child best and follow it every night without fail. Familiarity brings security and that brings a happy child at bedtime, and she is more likely to go to sleep without a fuss.
Prolonged separation
The effect of prolonged separation varies a great deal with age. Before the age of six or seven months, there are usually no signs of distress when, for example, babies are admitted to hospital or are separated from their parents for extended periods. From the age of six months to four or five years, however, children are acutely distressed, and it is possible that boys are more disturbed by separation than girls. If young children have had an unhappy first experience of separation, they are more likely to be upset by a second. The longer the separation, the more disturbance the child shows, especially if it is separation from mother, father and/or siblings.
The effects can be mitigated by receiving mothering from another individual, say a foster parent or a loving nurse, especially if the following are noted:
- Care is given to follow the baby's known daily routine and the pattern of child-rearing to which she is used.
- A brief period of familiarization is arranged so that the child can meet the person who is going to take care of her before the separation occurs.
- Memories of the past are kept fresh in the child's mind by the caregiver talking about them.
New Babycare
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley
Text copyright © 2009 Miriam Stoppard
Posted 03.11.2010
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