Helping Your Baby Cope
From tummy time and gurgling to sitting up, your little one is interacting more and more with the world…and this can come with challenges! When tears or frustration arise, help your child cope with these feelings by using some basic strategies.
Life with a baby can be unpredictable!
Encourage your child to practice skills for dealing with tough times, developing resilience in the face of challenges. There isn’t much that your baby can do without you, but look for opportunities for them to start practicing coping with age-appropriate challenges.
Tummy time! Put your three-month-old on their tummy so that they can practice lifting their head and strengthening their muscles.
- Keep sessions short (several minutes) and try to engage your baby by talking to them, and keeping them interested with fun and brightly-colored toys.
- If they begin to fuss or get upset, enthusiastically encourage them by saying, “Yay! It’s okay! You’re doing such a good job with tummy time!” and let them work through their frustrations for a few more seconds.
- Your infant won’t be able to understand your words but encouraging tones and enthusiasm can make all the difference!
Recognize their (and your) limits! There will be times when negative emotions take over, and no amount of positivity or cheerleading will help your little one to calm down and try again. During full-blown meltdowns, keep some of the following tools in your back pocket to help your little one learn to cope:
When your child is having a meltdown, it is completely natural to feel overwhelmed and ready to scream yourself. Much of how your little one learns to cope at this age comes from how you respond to them when they are upset. Be a model for your baby by taking a deep breath and speaking calmly.
When your baby becomes frustrated with a task, the tears are flowing, and their efforts to cope don’t seem to be working, pick your child up and move to a quiet space. Sit together while your child calms down.
Once your baby has taken a break from the situation, acknowledge their efforts but don’t revisit the task immediately. Try again at another time.