How to Raise a High Needs Baby Our first three children were relatively “easy” infants. They slept well and had predictable feeding routines. Their needs were easy to identify and satisfy. In fact, I began to suspect that parents in my pediatric practice who complained about their fussy babies were exaggerating. “What’s all the fuss […]
Does Attachment Parenting Result in a High-needs Baby? Do we do attachment parenting because our babies are high need? Or are our babies high need because we do attachment parenting, so we let them be themselves and showing all their needs? So many times, I hear “easy baby” stories. I wonder whether I had chosen […]
HOW CAN I CHANGE MY 3-M-O HIGH NEED BABY SO SHE DOESN’T NEED TO BE HELD ALL THE TIME? “I’m desperate for your help. I have a beautiful, alert, healthy, strong and happy daughter (3 months). When she was born, the nurses at the hospital suggested I sleep with her for the first few weeks […]
High-Need Infants Sleep Differently “Why do high-need children need more of everything but sleep?” a tired mother once asked me. Until we had a high-need infant, I would have guessed that these babies would be worn out by the end of the day and would actually need more sleep; certainly, their parents do. A tired […]
Understanding High-Need Teenagers and How to Help Them Thrive My eldest daughter is 15 years old. When she was an infant and toddler, she was to the rule a high- needs baby. Your book was the only thing that kept me sane and helped me cope with this very, very challenging baby. As a 14/15-year-old […]
You Will Survive. Your Child Will Thrive. Life Will Go On. Still, it’s hard to imagine even wanting to have another baby after you’ve held this one all day and been awakened three or more times at night. It’s hard to envision someone ever saying to you, “How blessed you are to have such an […]
“Why is my baby so different? She is not like any of my friends’ babies. They sleep through the night. They’re happy being held by anyone. My friends don’t seem as tired as I am. What am I doing wrong?” Sound familiar? Your baby acts the way she does because that’s the way she is. […]
1. It wasn’t our fault. Hayden fussed because of her temperament, not because of our parenting abilities. 2. Hayden’s persistent personality forced us to keep working at a parenting style until we found what worked. 3. When in doubt, listen and respond to her cries. She is trying to tell us something. 4. Our job […]
Over 50 percent of an adult’s body is water; that figure goes as high as 75 percent in an infant. Blood is 80 percent water and even muscles are 70 percent water. The waterway flows through your body, delivers nutrients to cells and carries away waste. Water acts as your body’s cooling system, moving heat […]
Disciplining a child who is “differently-abled” is likely to bring out the best and the worst in a parent. Parents try to help a child make up for what’s missing by increasing their love and attention, yet children with special needs trigger special frustrations in parents. Be prepared to run out of patience. We focus […]
The Many Breastfeeding Baby Personalities A breastfeeding baby can have different nursing personalities. Some are cute, some are annoying, and some can even be painful. There are ways to deal with these personalities without getting frustrated or making baby upset at feeding time. Identify your baby’s breastfeeding personality and see how to encourage them to […]
Handling Negative Labels Against Children Hi, Your article on the “high needs baby” applied to my child. However, he is now 4 and is, what I referred to as, a “spirited child”. He is the graduated high needs baby. I think this term will help other parents whose babies were “high needs” and are now […]
