Quote From: vanjuraMy wife and I have a 2 ½ year old son doing very well. We also have a 9 month old daughter that is not doing so well. She gets upset very easy and the only way to calm her is a bottle or the best solution is to pick her up. My wife says she distracts her with food, toys or picking her up but I see it as rewarding her behavior. Our pediatrician says to try to isolate her when she acts this way and that has not worked. Some other people say it’s best to pick her up. That stops the crying but it just comes back at a later time. My concern is rewarding temper tantrums with anything. How have some of you delt with a very sensitive baby?
I'm a mother of 2, with #3 on the way. My take on it is that 9 month olds don't have much in the way of communication skills. She obviously needs something from you. Picking her up isn't spoiliing or "giving in" it's letting her know you're trying to understand. I feel like isolating a child at that age makes them feel like their feelings are not important to you and that they cannot depend on you. Believe me, I know the emotion of looking at that little creature with the intelligent eyes and feeling like they know exactly what they are doing. Then reality clicks in and I know at 9 months their social interactive experiences are not nearly as complex as all that. My first was extremely sensitive. I carried him in a sling most of the time and never failed to respond to his cries. It was alot of work. But I have a very happy, socially well adjusted son, who knows he is important to me. This really worked for us. He is very compassionate towards others. He has a good handle on his emotions. I feel rewarded now for all that work. I really enjoyed reading Dr. Sears' books . Especially the Fussy Baby Book regarding these situations. Even though at times I didn't feel like anything they said was nearly as exhausting as what I was going through. I felt reaffirmed that I would not be "spoiling" my perfect baby. Good luck. That seems like last month and my son is nearly 5. They are only little for a short time. It is well worth your while to put in the work now! My view. WIth respect.
