Keeping a baby happy...

[TriWinkle]

Have you ever considered the ridiculous things you've done to keep an infant happy? Silly faces, goofy songs or weird noises? (Perhaps it's just me)

For example, I realized I had an entire conversation, while carrying my six month old around, to the tune of "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain" by replacing the lyrics with whatever I needed to say.

The fact that I realized it only AFTER I had done it means I may have lost what little sanity I had left.

[Suzyq2u]

It is funny! We sing - a LOT. Names gets inserted into made up songs, I'm sure folks think we're insane....but if you've ever had a baby you think nothing of it LOL. Though I must say after a long break it's nice to have a baby in the cart again at the store so I don't look like I've totally lost it -- I'm "talking to the baby" after all hehe

[Ardie/WI]

That reminds me of a friend of ours who we ran into.

I noticed that she still sways side to side! I remember back when she had wee ones at church and that was how she comforted them. Then came her grandbabies and she comforted them that way.

She is still swaying, baby or no baby!

[bluemoonluck]

After 10 long months of trying to convince DS (now 14 months) to sleep in his crib - leading to 5-10 trips a night down the hallway (and very little sleep) for me, I moved a futon into his room and now I co-sleep with him.

He's still up 3-4 times a night for milk, but we BOTH sleep so much better!

[Usingmyrights]

Bluemoon, I don't know why your son is having trouble, but with ours it was the pacifier. If he lost it in the middle of the night he'd wake up and wouldn't self soothe. We ended up not letting him use it at night time and after the initial falling asleep he first few nights, he'll now sleep all night.

[Brighton]

I once sang The Gambler, the Kenny Rogers song for 6 hours on a car trip to keep a 19 month old happy. It was worth it, he is 20ish now and still remembers that trip.

[bluemoonluck]

Originally Posted by Usingmyrights

Bluemoon, I don't know why your son is having trouble, but with ours it was the pacifier. If he lost it in the middle of the night he'd wake up and wouldn't self soothe. We ended up not letting him use it at night time and after the initial falling asleep he first few nights, he'll now sleep all night.

DS won't use a pacifier.... he's never been interested in them at all. When I had DD 12 years ago, she slept on her own just fine as long as she had her paci, but DS is a different story.

He's starting to develop an attachment to a stuffed bear, so I'm hoping he'll get better at self-soothing soon. Of course I'm due to give birth to another DS in early July, and I'm sure that will throw the toddler for a nice regression loop

[jen74145]

I keep catching myself rocking the (empty) shopping cart at the grocery while I'm reading ingredients or whatnot. You know, that little back and forth you do to buy more time from the cranky baby sitting in the seat.

My son is almost five. lol

[Bret]

Originally Posted by Brighton

I once sang The Gambler, the Kenny Rogers song for 6 hours on a car trip to keep a 19 month old happy. It was worth it, he is 20ish now and still remembers that trip.

We had twins and I liked to help and muti task whenever possible to try to get a little ahead once in a while. I could never learn how to hold both of them and fold clothes at the same time. I found that you need to know when to hold'em and know when to fold'em.

[Ardie/WI]

Originally Posted by jen74145

I keep catching myself rocking the (empty) shopping cart at the grocery while I'm reading ingredients or whatnot. You know, that little back and forth you do to buy more time from the cranky baby sitting in the seat.

My son is almost five. lol

I still do that and my children are 50 and 43!

[empofuniv]

Spent last weekend at DD's house and while her 2 older ones were in school her 3yo and I had tea parties and sang silly songs and when she needed to rest I held her and rocked her and told her a story about Princess Sparkle who was wearing a red cape w a hood when she went to visit her g'ma and she met a wolf and they went to visit the little pig who lived in a straw house and went on and on just adding in different characters. My SIL thought I was crazy. But it kept her giggling.

[All country]

I was making all kinds of silly faces and such today just to make my 7 week old grandson smile. His smiles make it worth it.

[kareninaustria]

I opened this thread WHILE singing a silly song to my 6-month-old on my lap! Surprising coincidence.....

[ChristieAcres]

I sang silly songs, usually the ones I made up, as trying to sing the ones I know (including nursery rhymes) were out of tune. I can't carry a tune worth a whit, but gave birth to a daughter who is a gifted singer?! It still cracks me up to remember that sweet little happy face with big green eyes, giggling at her silly Mim (she named me that and it stuck). As she got older, she never tired of me singing or making silly noises. This all graduated to doing impressions of all sorts of cartoon characters, which I am actually good at (not singing, lol). When I read stories, I would get into the characters and do "voices" for each of them. Also, I made up stories. The great thing about all this was the memories both my DD and my DS have of me being so silly. My DS enjoyed all the silliness just like his DS did. We just had DH'd middle DS over with his 4.5 month old baby boy. I enjoyed being silly with him and he enjoyed it. Yes, looking forward to more fun with my grandchildren (a GDD and a GDS thru marriage to my 2nd DH). My bio DS an DD aren't married and no children yet. DD is now engaged, so...

[mmoetc]

We refer to it as baby's superpower- the ability to get otherwise rational adults to engage in a wide variety of silly behaviors with a complete lack of self consciousness. I'm off to be overpowered by the grandson in a couple of days. Can't wait.

[Horseyrider]

I remember reading some years back of how these silly songs actually help to wire an infant's brain. Deprivation leads to cognitive and emotional troubles later, so it stands to reason that we are hardwired to do it ourselves, in response to the needs of our growing babies.

Me, I did my share. Sing, dance, rock, love. It's actually not silly at all.

[TriWinkle]

I saw one of the memes/pics (whatever you call them) on Facebook that looked like it was a sign outside of a bar, which read:

"No matter how big and bad you are, when a two year old hands you a toy phone you answer it."

That could be read as an observation or instructions.

[KIT.S]

I was so embarrassed: I was standing in the veggie aisle and someone's kid was whining when I realized I was rocking a 10-pound sack of potatoes on my hip. You never outgrow it.
Kit

[Homely]

This thread is making me smile!
This:

Originally Posted by Brighton

I once sang The Gambler, the Kenny Rogers song for 6 hours on a car trip to keep a 19 month old happy. It was worth it, he is 20ish now and still remembers that trip.

reminds me of reciting Squidward's (from Spongebob) "scary" story over and over and over to keep DD entertained during a layover. We had three hours to kill and it was me, her and her nine month old younger sister.

[Taylor R.]

I can always tell a momma at the store without her babies, because she's swaying back and forth the same as I am. I can't tell you how many women I've asked, "How old are your little ones?" I've never been wrong yet.

I catch myself using words like tinkle, owwie, bahootus in adult conversations. I have to dig through the stash of small toys in my purse to find anything in it. I waltz in public regularly to no music because my three year old loves it and it makes her giggle. I am more comfortable eating standing up because I've spent the last 8 years dancing around the kitchen and making sure that everyone has what they need. I make people uncomfortable at their houses because I don't sit down. I'm used to hovering in order to make sure my kids don't destroy things.