Page 10 - Baby Sleep Miracle (Mary-Ann Schuler) : Flip It & Read It
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→ When babies cry, it helps them to have a responsive, caring, and

               sensitive parent who helps them calm down. This gives the child the

               message that their basic needs can be met and there are ways to handle

               distress. This step requires that parent(s) know how to read their child’s

               signals and gestures, as well as have a host of calming strategies at their

               fingertips.




                 → As a child matures, he learns to internalize strategies to self-calm.

               Consistent use of good calming strategies helps the child lean which ones to

               call upon in different situations. The child also observes others solve similar

               problems and learns when and where to use which strategies.




               Calming strategies and environmental modifications are most useful when

               one anticipates what could go wrong and have things in place for that

               moment when the child needs them.



               This leads to the importance of teaching the child to understand the

               precursors of irritability, to anticipate the onset of frustration and distress,

               and to use appropriate strategies that are available.




               Self-calming depends on the ability to problem solve before, during, and

               after a distressing episode.



               The child gradually learns a variety of ways to help himself organize and

               monitor his own actions and to tolerate various negative emotions.




               To help your child become a thinking child, it is useful to help him or her

               step out of the negative emotions and be thoughtful about the sequence of

               events that occurred. Many parents say things like “I’ve told him a thousand

               times that when he falls apart, he needs to go to his bedroom and calm


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