Bonding with your Baby

April is a month full of awareness topics. One issue that I find especially important to me as I work with babies and small children is preventing abuse. This month is National Child Abuse Prevention month.

About a year ago I shared a post about "Purple Crying". In that post I talked about what to do when your baby is crying and won't stop. It was about managing your own emotions because sometimes babies just cry and it can be very hard to deal with.

This month I would like to talk about bonding with your baby which is one of the tips from childwelfare.gov's National Child Abuse Prevention month for Strong and Thriving Families:

"Here are some ways to promote bonding:
• Respond when your baby cries. Try to understand what he or she is saying to you. You can’t “spoil” babies with too much attention—they need and benefit from a parent’s loving care even when they seem inconsolable.
• Hold and touch your baby as much as possible. You can keep him or her close with baby slings, pouches, or backpacks (for older babies).
• Use feeding, bathing, and diapering times to look into your baby’s eyes, smile, and talk to your baby.
• Read, sing, and play peek-a-boo. Babies love to hear human voices and will try to imitate your voice and the sounds you make.
• As your baby gets a little older, try simple games and toys. Once your baby can sit up, plan on spending lots of time on the floor with toys, puzzles, and books.
• If you feel you are having trouble bonding with your infant, don’t wait to get help. Talk to your doctor or your baby’s pediatrician as soon as you can."