When I first had a baby, a lot of people mentioned that I should let it cry, specially in the mornings. Crying is good for the lungs according to old wives’ tale. After 3 kids, I’ve learned my lesson well. Lungs and crying may be connected but the disadvantage outweighs the benefits. Also, there are other ways to make your baby’s lungs stronger other than crying.
The old saying goes that when you don’t let the baby cry, they will grow up to be a spoiled baby. It can be true specially if you always give in to what the baby wants. But you pacify them without giving what they want. You can talk them as they cry giving them the solution for what seems to be the problem. Or you can carry them as they cry while you try to explain why it is not OK to eat chocolates at night. Or you can just hug them, for us, I find giving my breast seems to work all the time.
Here are 5 reasons why you should not let your baby cry:
Letting the baby cry can lead to a frustrated kid. Letting the baby cry can be very traumatizing to your kid. They maybe a baby but their emotional needs as as big as those of the adults, even bigger actually. And they don’t fully understand what frustrations is all about. How to handle it and what needs to be done to make them feel better. Letting them cry just worsens the situation. It can lead to them being frustrated all the time. Instead of letting them cry, show them how to deal with their frustrations. Is it about the car that won’t start, show them how it works. Give them a solution and not a cold face.
Letting the baby cry can be be damaging to the developing brains of the baby. Neurobiologists say high levels of stress hormone cortisol are ‘toxic’ to the developing brain, according to Penelope Leach.
Letting the baby cry alters the mood of the parents. Admit it moms, crying baby is the worst thing to hear any day. It can easily change your mood into a grumpy old woman. Why the need to lengthen that stage? It eats you up right? The things you need to do but the baby is crying at the background. Stop whatever you are doing and fetch your baby. The human touch can make your baby feel better and yours too.
Letting the baby can also affect older siblings. The frustrations from the baby’s cry is reverberate around the house. This can be felt that just by the baby but almost everyone inside the house. If you have older kids, crying baby can affect their moods, their study habits and at night can also affect their sleep.
Letting the baby cry can lead to baby having low self esteem and trust issues. Trust me on this one. This is from my own experience. I let my 3rd son cry when he was a year old. Thinking all the theories about letting the baby cry correct. I was thinking he would learn how to pacify himself and that he would be more independent. The opposite happened, he was the clingiest amongst all my kids. He was so shy when he was in pre school and he cries a lot. He also have trust issues back then and though we were able to correct it, still it is manifested from time to time. Up to this day, I feel guilty because I let him cry when he was a baby. So moms, I am appealing all to you, DO NOT LET YOUR BABY CRY!
Madz | Mommy N' More says
April 28, 2018 at 2:18 pmI also heard that myth that crying is good for the lungs, especially in the morning but never believed it. I mean, a baby cries because he or she is expressing a need and it’s our responsibility as moms to fulfill that and not just ignore. Yes, it’s quite stressful for me to hear a baby’s never ending cries and for the baby as well to cry and cry without consolation. It’s great that these days we have more info about the benefits of attachment parenting.