Dear Dr. Heather,

I’m writing to inquire about our 25-month-old grand-daughter and the attachment that she has to her mother.

Don't Take It Personally, Dad.

Her parents have been very responsive to her since her birth. Our toddler is easy with other people including her regular caregiver, grand-parents, other extended family and just about everyone else. The problem is that when her mother is around she has a strong preference for her, to the exclusion of most others. This happens about 60% of the time.

Her mother and father are gentle and kind and fun-loving. They respond to her emotions and explain the world to her. They are consistent with their house “rules” and explain the world to her so that things make as much sense as possible. She is a bright, articulate, inquisitive, active little girl and appears to be developing normally. Again, the problem is just that she clings to tenaciously to her mom. This is trying on her dad and also tiring for mom.

Any tips on how to reduce the clinging and increase her involvement with others when her mother is present?

Thanks very much.

Grandma
~~~~~~

Dear “Grandma”,

What you’re describing is the sign of a healthy attachment to her mother. Babies at this age have a hard time being in intense relationships with more than one person at a time. Strong parental preferences are COMMON. Unpleasant at times, inconvenient often, but COMMON and NORMAL, at this age. The first step is understanding it, the next step is rewarding her when she works well with her father, you, or other adults. She should be gently encouraged and praised for steps in the right direction, but never scolded if she prefers mom, since this will only work against you.

Your granddaughter is at a stage of venturing out into the world, and then coming back to her “base of comfort” as needed to “refuel”, emotionally. As she gains confidence this will naturally abate. Also, as she grows closer to age 3, she will be more curious about the different activities her father and you can share with her, and this will help too.

I can certainly relate, as I am currently on both ends of the preference spectrum with various of my own children. I’m top of the list with my 9-month-old and 4-year-old, and bottom of the totem pole with my 7 and 9-year-olds — Daddy is their current favorite. All of us need to be understanding about the temporary preferences that our children express — please don’t take it personally, nor should her father. Your time (and his) will come…I promise!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

Sure, she sleeps OK in the stroller.

But Tough Love is rough on me — and on the family. A fussing (or screaming) baby feels like a constant reminder of some kind of parental inadequacy, and is really grating on the nerves. Not to mention the fact that it often happens at ridiculous hours of the night when most other babies are surely sleeping soundly. And forget sleep for poor mom. I’m a zombie.

But persist I must. I won’t give in to an 18-pound 8-month old, no matter how cute she is (in the daytime, at least). It will be worth it in the end.

Here are my tips for getting through this rough time, if you’re going through Sleep Training:

Make sure you and your partner are on the same page. There’s nothing worse than arguing about sleep training techniques at 2 am, standing outside the door of a screaming baby. Agree ahead of time — or don’t attempt it.

Prepare the older kids for nighttime noise. I tell my lightest sleeper that he may hear the baby fussing at night. “But you’re a big boy and can roll over and go to sleep. Soon we’ll all get better sleep.”

Use a little reverse psychology on yourself. (You’re so sleep deprived it just might work!) Instead of preparing for a night of sleep, prepare for a night of watching “guilty pleasure” TV, listening to great music from your (childless) past, or even folding laundry. Fooling yourself into thinking you don’t really need to sleep somehow makes it less painful to be up at weird hours.

Take a deep breath, have a zen moment, do some mindfulness meditation, yoga, or pray – pick your version of expressing gratitude and relaxation. Having a non-sleeping, screaming baby at 2 am is really hard. But in the scope of things, not really that big of a deal. A few moments recalling the years when we feared we couldn’t get pregnant, or thinking of friends who have a baby who’s quite ill, and others who have God forbid lost a child, and I’m ready to get through another tough night of sleep training. Having a healthy, happy, non-sleeping baby is a high-class problem we’re blessed to have, quite honestly.

I’ve written other posts about getting through the sleep deprivation aspect of this, but let me also mention our friend caffeine here. Don’t overdo it. At my peak, I have a mug of java in the morning, some iced tea at lunch, and another cup of coffee around 2. That’s 3 servings a day. Any more and I get frazzled and nutty — and no more awake than if I had stayed with the 3 servings. Studies say that some coffee is fine for most of us, but too much will definitely make you feel worse.

Sleep Training eventually works — I’m writing this now as the baby sleeps nicely in her crib. Get through the rough nights and I promise things will improve!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

Dear Dr. Heather,

My 2-year-old granddaughter is stressed about her new house. Her parents moved a couple of weeks ago, and then her mother had a new baby. Emma seems to “love” her new brother, so I can’t imagine that he is upsetting her. But I am concerned that her mother is not giving Emma new routines in the new house. Emma is overtired and cranky. She is a lovely, intelligent child and I am worried about her. Doesn’t she need routines?

Sometimes it's all too much for a little kid!

Chris

Dear Chris,

It’s tough being a grandma — you can see that your kids (and grandkids) are suffering, but there’s little you can do about it, since you’re not the parent.

But yes, the changes that Emma has experienced are quite pronounced, and even a 2-year-old picks up on all the changes. The new baby is a big part of it, believe me. At times she is thrilled and entertained by the new baby, but deep down she suspects that the baby is the cause of all the problems in her life right now. That’s why we always remind parents to NEVER leave a baby alone with a toddler — no matter how much the toddler “loves” the new baby. Too many “accidents” happen to babies that way. But don’t blame Emma — she really can’t help herself. It’s her age.

And of course you are right that Emma needs routines, as close as possible to the old routines as possible. But right now, with the new baby, all bets are off. Her poor Mom is struggling with the new addition, PLUS a new house, AND being up all night, and so she gets special dispensation to be disorganized and “out of it”. The name of the game now, with your family, is to GET THROUGH IT, in any reasonable way. Let the new routines emerge naturally and support Emma’s parents as much as possible. The better they feel, and the more rest THEY get, the more their own natural instincts will kick in, and they’ll naturally start to establish new routines.

But if there aren’t many routines yet, and Emma is cranky and overtired for a few weeks — it’s OK. We assume that a few weeks’ disruption will naturally return to normal after an adjustment period. If not, talk to Emma’s parents about your concerns, but until then, I would suggest simply supporting the family and being understanding of a cranky toddler. (And after all, grandmas get special dispensation to spoil their granddaughters, especially when they’re a little stressed out, right?)

If things don’t improve in a few weeks, let me know.

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

A Concerned Dad

Dear “Concerned”,

That’s an old wives tale, but one that many people still believe. Here’s the deal: if he’s not working on locomotion — in some form or another — at this age, it could be reflective of some underlying issue. But ANY of the goofy forms of locomotion exhibited by babies at this age counts as “normal locomotion” — the “Commando Crawl”, the “Tushie-Scoot”, the “One-Kneed Creep”, and of course regular cruising and walking. Apparently the Back-To-Sleep campaign has resulted in an increase in babies who skip crawling, as they don’t get as much practice on their tummies. But getting mobile is the important thing.

Look at it this way: crawling is a drag. Walking is a lot more fun –and a lot less gross — for parents (Think: less opportunity to find and eat yucky stuff off the floor!). Plus you’ll save tons on Spray ‘n Wash since his knees won’t be dragging through the dirt all the time. And for you parents of girls — rejoice! You can finally bust out the pretty dresses! (There’s nothing more frustrating to a crawling baby than having a dress get caught up underneath her over and over!)

We look for some form of mobility — attempts to crawl, scoot or walk — by about 10 months, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Your pediatrician can do a quick review of your baby’s developmental progress if you’re worried.

Enjoy — and double-check your baby-proofing. This phase begins the wild time of The Mobile Baby With No Self-Protection Mechanisms! You’ll be running around after him very closely for the next year or so!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

As I kept having babies, the ability to even try to maintain a quiet home was beaten out of me. It simply wasn’t possible. And guess what? The babies still slept as they were going to sleep (still, mostly not very well). But slowly, it dawned on me that the normal, medium-noise level of the house not only didn’t seem to worsen the baby’s sleep…it improved it.

Turns out, babies are used to a ton of noise in-utero. The mother’s body — and the typical household — make it fairly raucous in there. So don’t worry about a little noise — in fact, noise machines, fans, and radios turned down low have all been found to encourage a good snooze.

I have found that a sudden CHANGE in the noise level of the house can disturb sleep; for instance, a generally noisy house turned quiet all of a sudden is just as likely to wake the baby as is the big roar of the garbage truck outside her window. But all in all, the baby will get used to the noise level in your house, and eventually allow you to sleep (a bit) too. So don’t make yourself nuts trying to shush the other kids (and your entire neighborhood). Just breathe deeply, and try to grab a nap!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

It's harder on us than it is on them

Of course, all went very well that day, and for all these years since. But that day ranks up there with one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. Here are some tips for those of you facing that fateful day:

Ease Into It Slowly

You and your baby will adjust more smoothly if you plan to be away for progressively longer periods of time. Start out slow: figure out the least amount of time that you’ll be able to handle being away, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Arrange to have the sitter come anyway, and explain to her that you’ll be coming and going as you all adjust to the new arrangements. Or if you’re leaving her at daycare, work out a “transition” time with the teacher so that you can come and hang out for awhile at drop-off and pick-up times, helping your baby (and you) to adjust. Eventually build up to the length of time you’ll usually be away. For some, this may take days — or weeks. That’s OK.

It May Be Harder For You Than It Will Be For Your Baby

Regardless of baby’s age, talk to her about your plans to leave in advance. Even if she doesn’t understand your words, the tone of your message will sink in. It will also be therapeutic for you to talk about it. Up until about 5 or 6 months, your baby will be pretty cool with you being away for awhile. Older babies and toddlers will need more “practicing” in advance, but for most, their protests will only last a few minutes at most after you leave. A good sitter will have a plan to distract her quickly after you’ve gone. Have the sitter call you when the baby calms down — you’ll feel much better.

Know That You’ll Feel Like A Part Of Your Body Is Being Removed

You’re supposed to feel that way — Mother Nature makes sure of that. Know it in advance and make plans to deal with the feelings: Call an understanding friend after you leave, and make plans for a fun thing you haven’t been able to do because of the baby. But don’t let the feelings keep you from getting the sitter in the first place.

Each Time It Will Get Easier

As long as your sitter is good, you’ll feel better and better each time you leave. And then you’ll start to feel a developing sense of relief and gratitude that you don’t have to do it all yourself. You have help now! HOORAY!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

Thanks, Carla

I’m going through the same thing that reader Carla asks about: A baby who is lukewarm, at best, about eating baby food. Carla’s son is 7 months old, and mine is 6 months. As parents, we’re genetically wired to FEED OUR CHILDREN. They must eat to grow, right? So, what if they won’t eat? Here are some tips for parents like me whose babies would rather play than eat:

Babies Vary Widely and Can Still Be Normal

Some babies just don't like baby food

We’re used to our babies marching along in lock-step with their baby peers on the magic developmental continuum. But this is where babies start to diverge. Some are huge eaters from the get-go (I had two of those), and some eat like little birdies (got two of those too). Think of adults (or even big kids): Some pack it away, others seem to subsist on air. When our first baby (a non-eater) dropped on her weight curve late in her first year, I started panicking. But her pediatrician pointed out that “some kids are slender. Be happy, she’s healthy.” He also pointed out that she still had enough cute baby chub to make baby dimples on her knees, despite her skinniness. She’s now a skinny (and healthy) 9-year-old who still barely eats, some days. But our second kid ate so much that first year that my life seemed to revolve around procuring, preparing, and providing food to him. As a 10-month-old, one of his meals (of which there were FIVE per day) consisted of: half a block (and I mean half of the whole pack) of tofu, half an avocado, one cup of cheerios, and 6 ounces of milk. Of course, as always, check your baby’s weight and eating habits out with your pediatrician.

It’s a Learning Curve (for Some)

For some (like my second), eating is EASY. They know what to do immediately and do it with vigor. For others, it’s a slow process that takes weeks (or months) of introductions, playing, experimentation, smearing, blowing raspberries (wonderful, trying to scrape solidified baby oatmeal off your jeans!) and basically NOT eating, before any food is consumed. Our first had this weird habit of sucking the “juice” out of any food, then spitting out the rest. This went on for months. She also really just preferred her milk. So although it’s tiring to prepare yet another meal that you suspect won’t be eaten, keep soldiering on, and don’t let it get to you. This is a learning process that will set the tone for other parenting issues later on. Just breathe deeply and try not to worry about it as you dump yet another uneaten meal down the drain!

When to Ask for Help

Luckily, well-baby checkups are frequent during the first year of life, so you’ll have ample opportunity to discuss any concerns with your pediatrician. If there’s a concern, you can be referred to your local “Feeding Team”, a group of clinicians who work with babies and these challenges at many children’s hospitals. They are awesome specialists who can help. Barring any medical concern, you can feel comfortable that a slow, steady, and patient approach will win the day. Remember: You can’t force your baby to eat, sleep, or poop. It’s a process of learning and support that helps guide their development — but a process that ultimately has to be driven by BABY, not eager parents like us.

Good luck, and happy eating (eventually).

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

He didn’t stay long enough to explain this pithy statement, but it really is true. Our hearts are rent open forever, exposed outside our bodies, by the vulnerability we now feel, and by the love and havoc wreaked by these tiny creatures. The first baby gets the brunt of our fears, projections, stress and worries. Becoming parents changes us from the inside out, and those early weeks and months are unique in our lives.

People, you’ve been good to me these past 2 years. I appreciate your support, your questions, and your stories. Now it’s time for me to take the next step and announce my next project — No, I’M NOT PREGNANT AGAIN. (Sheesh! I just had my fourth….give me a break people!) No – I’m writing a book. And I need your stories for my book on — what else? — parenting babies.

I need the lessons you learned, the dilemmas that vexed you, the memories you’ll carry with you forever. And I promise I’ll share mine too.

Please try to dig down in your memory for dilemmas, lessons learned (or not learned) and things you wished you’d known in those early weeks and months of parenting for the first time. And if you’re living it now, even better — what anxieties do you have? What challenges you most? Thanks in advance. Comment here, or email me.

As always,

With aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

Thank You,
Angie

Dear Angie,

Thanks for your question! You’re not the only one to wonder about this; our 3rd baby used to do the same thing, with a very similar music box. We’d be asleep late at night, then all of a sudden we’d hear that familiar tune coming from his room. What the heck? We’d wonder. Our little guy was in there, happily rolling around, very pleased that he’d turned on the music all by himself.

At first we worried that we’d have to take out the music box, since we didn’t want him to be up and playing, late at night. Then I realized…Hey, instead of crying for me at midnight, he’s entertaining himself. This is a good thing, right? I left him alone in there and sure enough, he’d fall asleep on his own after awhile.

Because the overall drift of our parenting goals is to support them in being independent, as soon as they are ready. And babies and toddlers DO normally still frequently waken at night, it’s just an issue for us when we have to get up too to help them get back to sleep. But if they’re handling it on their own? That’s a good thing. I also recall that the late-night-music-party was a short phase. The excitement ran out after awhile and then we were on to the next dilemma.

And now that your little guy is approaching toddlerhood, you’re going to get a lot more testing along these lines. The nap issue is always going to be there, in one form or another, through toddlerhood. The music-box thing is only his first effort to avoid naps. Most toddlers go through phases where they’re really good at napping, and then take a stab at trying to stay awake. Let your expectations be known, urge him to nap, but don’t get too worked up about it. He’ll make up for any lost sleep at night, or when he’s done testing you with that particular phase.

But I also hear that you’re concerned about being consistent as a parent, and not wanting to send him mixed messages. Listen: Don’t worry. It sounds to me as if you’re trying to be very consistent, and all you can really do is send a general message of what you expect from him. There is a lot of parenting advice out there that says you need to be consistent to a fault. I don’t agree with that. These are people we’re talking about! And rigidity is never a good approach in dealing with people, large or small. We have to be flexible as well as consistent, as our kids think up all sorts of new wrinkles to throw at us.

I, too, used to over-worry about the importance of being perfectly consistent, until my mentor suggested that I lighten up. “A habit isn’t a habit until it IS a habit,” she told me. In other words, you’re trying to be consistent in order to instill a sense of structure, predictability, and behavioral expectations. But you can do that by being generally consistent; it doesn’t have to be a 100% effort. I promise: You’re allowed to be flexible — I even strongly SUGGEST that you’re flexible. It offers a good model to our kids that we can consider new situations and not be rigid about them. Consider every new situation afresh, THEN make your decision.

So next time you hear that familiar music drifting out of your son’s room late at night, try to let the music calm YOU back to sleep too. Your baby is getting bigger, and soon he’ll be getting into bis “big boy bed”, and then you’ll have reason to worry about new things…wandering in the night, monsters, and everything that goes along with THAT phase. So enjoy this time when he’s still captive in his crib!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

If you’re new to BabyShrink, welcome! I’m a Maui mom of four young children, and a licensed psychologist specializing in babies and young children. I’ve been answering reader questions here for two years now, so take a look around the site, and hit “Ask Dr. Heather” if you can’t find an answer to your parenting dilemma. I’m happy to help!

And for those of you not lucky enough to live in Hawaii, here’s a link to the Advertiser story.

Much mahalos, Zenaida!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink