Conflict Management & Resolution
Most of the “conflict” your baby faces at this age centers around their bodily experiences of hunger, exhaustion, and discomfort. While it can be difficult to calm down a wailing baby who can’t tell you what’s wrong, sometimes a little detective work can lead to easy solutions.
Understanding why your baby is upset can be challenging.
It may take multiple attempts (and sometimes multiple caregivers!) to determine what is happening and how to help. Visit Comforting Your Crybaby to assess why your baby may be upset and how to help.
Remember: Even if you can pinpoint the source of your baby’s distress, it’s not always easy to calm them down.
Your understanding of what makes your baby fussy and how best to soothe them develops over time. Whether it be a few minutes cuddling together before work, or making your little one belly-laugh before bed, you will start to understand their quirks, funny personalities, and what makes them tick.
Your baby may want to take their sibling’s favorite toy or climb up the bookshelf to reach a special book and not have the capacity to understand why this is not acceptable.
- In these situations, distraction is the best way to resolve conflicts. Find some other way to appease your infant and resolve the conflicts.
- Struggling with new challenges and unfamiliar experiences can cause conflict, but also provide opportunities to build confidence and practice problem-solving! Click here for information regarding problem solving.