How to Put Baby Down for Nap Without Crying

Trying to cope with your first newborn is often more than difficult. No matter how much you read, how many courses you take, or how much online browsing you do, you should know that nothing is like the real thing. Every parent becomes a control freak the moment their child is born – this change comes naturally, but you should find a way to stay realistic and learn to differentiate between serious situations and the ones that are safe. Forget about your social life for a while because your new best friend will be your baby's pediatrician, and you two will probably stay up all night talking on the phone like real BFFs.

All joking aside, a question like this can be particularly problematic because your actions will reflect in your baby's behavior and, potentially, their health. So, let's find out what it is you need to do when your baby won't stop crying.

Determine the Cause of Tears

First of all, all parents go through that panicky feeling when they hear their baby crying – it's your human instinct, and you shouldn't fight it. However, you need to stop yourself from overreacting, because the chances are pretty good that it's nothing you should be worried about. There are three basic checks you need to perform – check if your baby is hungry, check is their diaper dry, and check if they are cozy and comfy. If everything on that list is A-OK, but your baby still won't stop crying, it's probably because they need to be comforted.

Research shows that newborns believe that the whole world is in the room they are currently in. When you leave your baby alone, in their minds it's like you left them forever. I know how terrible that sounds, and now you probably feel like you won't leave them alone even for a second, but you need to turn to your realistic self and act like an adult, not like an overprotective mother or father. Responding to your baby's crying each time they make a sound is unhealthy for them.

Implement a Sort of Bedtime Routine

Naturally, if the crying is continuous, you should definitely consult your baby's doctor. However, if there are no health problems whatsoever, there are a couple of things you might want to do to improve this situation. There are several ways to help your baby adopt good sleeping habits.

Repeating exactly the same sleeping ritual every night should do the trick. For example, bathing, feeding and sleeping in that order can really be helpful with this. The fact is you can't expect for your baby to follow your idea through right away, so give it time. For the first couple of days, you should visit your baby from time to time if they won't stop crying, but do your best not to pick them up – instead of that, just show up and reassure them you'll be back. Otherwise, cutting your baby off and leaving them completely alone might cause them to start being afraid of the crib because it symbolizes some sort of solitude for them, and that will only make things worse.

You Need to Be Strong for Them

Once again – no parent in the world can completely ignore their baby crying, and it will always make you feel bad in a way. It's extremely important not to be selfish about it – you need to think about what's best for your baby, not how to soothe your conscience. If you do decide to respond to each sound, your baby will get used to this weakness of yours, and it will start crying whenever they are bored and wants to be entertained.

Decisions like this will definitely have an impact on the future of your child's development, and you should think them through carefully. Once you make a decision, stick to it – it will build your baby's character, which starts happening sooner that you realize.

How to Put Baby Down for Nap Without Crying

Source: https://www.lifehack.org/312545/can-put-crying-baby-its-crib-for-little-while

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