Crying for Attention

Mummy is rather disturbed that these days I always cry for attention, and I want to be carried most of the time. I can't be in the stroller on my own and for long, and need papa or mummy to always look at me and play with me. And when I am sleepy, I'll just turn cranky and make a fuss, and demand to be carried. And once I am being carried, I stop crying almost instantly!

So my papa and mummy find it hard to have a decent meal outside, as very soon they will have to pick me up from the stroller . My mummy realises that she and papa have been giving in to my crying demands, which is not healthy at all.

My mummy is determined to 'train' me, and read the book 'The Baby Sleep Solution' by Suzy Giordano. It talks about a program that teaches baby to learn to self-soothe and to sleep 12 hours throughout the night.

Although I do not have a problem with sleeping through the night now, I have not learned how to soothe and calm myself when I am tired. I just cry and demand to be carried, and rocked to sleep. My mummy hopes that I can learn to self-soothe and sleep on my own.
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Four Foundations of Baby Sleep Success:
1. A baby must adapt to the existing family; the existing family does not adapt to the baby.
2. The parent must feel empowered.
3. Sleeping is a learned skill that need to be taught.
4. Sleep training requires commitment and hard work on the part of the parents.

'Rocking a 12 week old baby over and over again in a glider until he falls asleep is the equivalent of carrying a 2 year old toddler everywhere in your arms over and over again. In each case, the babies have the ability to sleep or walk, respectively, but the parents are constantly "fixing" it for them instead of guiding the babies to do it on their own.'

'The best time to cuddle and love your baby is when he is quiet and cooperative, not when he is crying. Otherwise you are rewarding negative behaviour.'

'Babies who have a schedule, sleep throughout the night, and have good sleeping and eating habits are happy babies. These babies always know where their place in the family is and they who are in charge. They know the love is there, they know the structure is there, and they know the security is there... Because they are well-rested, these babies will be more alert and more willing to listen during their awake times, which in turn means they will be more active learners. They will also be more willing to play contentedly by themselves and not require constant entertainment by parents and other caregivers.'
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Mummy and papa decided that the 'sleep-on-my-own' training starts tonight!