ways to quiet a 6 month old?

**Becky** · 06-01-2005, 03:24 PM

How do you keep a 6 month old happy? how do you play with them?

Is it good to just let them cry some times? or when the baby starts to cry, do I really need to try to do something to make him stop? Or is it good to just let them cry some times?

**Role Modlin** · 06-01-2005, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Becky

How do you keep a 6 month old happy? how do you play with them?

Is it good to just let them cry some times? or when the baby starts to cry, do I really need to try to do something to make him stop? Or is it good to just let them cry some times?

Sometimes it's good to just let them cry, especially if you know they're not hungry or in need of a change.

Gracie Love · 06-01-2005, 11:11 PM

sometimes you can try peek a boo. or play with a rattle. my favorite and the boys favorite was: I would take a stuffed animal and say its (whatever its name was) is going to get you and tickle them with it. There are games you can play with a 6 month old. But a swing or bouncy seat is good too.

Yes there are times that babies need to cry but there are also times that they need to just be held.

guitarguy · 06-01-2005, 11:23 PM

give em' a bottle of whiskey and a corn dog, set em' up in front of the tv and turn on wrestling and they'll shut right up........

Oh, wait a minute. Thats not how to treat a 6 month old. Thats how to treat an upset redneck. Well they act like they are six months old sometimes right?

**Becky** · 06-02-2005, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gracie Love

sometimes you can try peek a boo. or play with a rattle. my favorite and the boys favorite was: I would take a stuffed animal and say its (whatever its name was) is going to get you and tickle them with it. There are games you can play with a 6 month old. But a swing or bouncy seat is good too.

Yes there are times that babies need to cry but there are also times that they need to just be held.

aaah, those are great ideas!! yea, i find sometimes the baby is only quite if i'm holding him, AND walking

if I'm sitting still while holding him, he crys. it's really hard some times cause he's so heavy!! walking non stop and carrying him is hard

3e3c3e · 06-02-2005, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Becky

aaah, those are great ideas!! yea, i find sometimes the baby is only quite if i'm holding him, AND walking

if I'm sitting still while holding him, he crys. it's really hard some times cause he's so heavy!! walking non stop and carrying him is hard

We found that true with our twins - and it's close to impossible to walk around with both of them in your arms.

What we have found works is to keep them busy with new things to explore. My wife is reading a book that talks about that a baby has an incredible ability to learn about things very quickly - partly why they get upset is they are bored and can't find anything new to learn about. The book states that the reason they enjoy walking around is they can see many new things that they have never experienced before.

A very interesting thought - and we have found it to be somewhat true. Switching toys every few minutes and entertaining them seems to work well. Of course sometime they just want to be held and know that they are loved and cared for.

~3e3c3e

Gracie Love · 06-02-2005, 10:39 PM

The bottom line Becky is you will soon learn the difference in cries and needs of that baby. Just do what you can. Even as a mother youhave times where you need a break for a couple of minutes. Swings and bouncey seats were the only way I got any house work done with Ethan. They are right about them needed stimulation. We have had the decussion before, but the Baby einstien tapes and DVDs and the CDs are very stimulating to a baby. Ethan still likes them very much. It will give you time to go potty with out a baby crying or a chance to get anything else you need to get done quick.

Since you are babysitting, I would suggest that you talk to the mom to see how she perfers you handle it because we all our own preferences.

**Becky** · 06-04-2005, 09:18 PM

lol, kk, I'll take your word for it

I'm already starting to learn when the baby is hungry, it's deffinatlly a little helpful. Unfortunatlly, sometimes I have to try to keep him quite even when he's a bit hungry. Cause if the mother isn't ready to feed him, then she doesn't want him crying either.

Gracie Love · 06-06-2005, 08:44 AM

Babysitting is the best form of birth control available and it is free. I take it you feel very sleep deprived. Unfortunately when they are hungry they let you know and there isn't much that will calm them down. Both of my boys refused pacifers, because they thought that I was the pacifer. At least you are past the colic point. I have been very blessed that my kids didn't have colic at all. Both have been content and happy baby's. Even when Ethan was really sick he was still a happy baby.

Oh another thing for playing with a bby of that age is they love faces. SO a baby mirror is a good idea. they will lay on thier tummy on the floor and stare at themselves. And they start to coo and gurgle at themselves. It is really cute.

If I were you I would invest in a good book like What to expect the first year. It will give you a heads up on what they are going through and how to inspire thier mind and ideas for playing and what not.

IF he is 6 months he might be getting ready to start teething which is fun. The best teether I have found is a clean washclothe that is wet with cold water and been put in the fridge for a while. It is a really good teether. The texture of the washcloth helps massage the gums. But they like different types. Ethan went between 3, the washclothe, a vibrating one, and a gel filled one that had rubber bumps on it.

exo · 06-07-2005, 02:16 PM

I would say that it depends largely on how the mother has been raising the child so far. If she has attended to his every need/want/desire/whine/etc. (read: picks him up every time he cries or has any hint of discomfort), then that is what the baby expects at this point, and that is why it works. There's not much you can do to change what will comfort the baby if the mother is the primary person who is raising the child, and this is her 'style' of parenting.

The others have given some good ideas on how to comfort a baby in general.

**Becky** · 06-07-2005, 05:15 PM

yea.. she trys to let the baby cry a little.. and i stress the world little

but that's not my job. If I can't keep the baby quite, she tells me to bring the baby to her. This is all well and fine, but I know very well that she counts on me to keep the baby happy, so she doesn't go off her rocker, and so she can get things done.

Gracie, not exactly babysitting, because the mother is home the whole time, and for the most part, she's holding the baby. But for the times when she gives the baby to me, either cause she's got stuff to do, or she becomes extra stressed and upset.. that's when these suggestions come in handy

I've been doing what you guys suggested, and it's been working

One thing I've done is give the baby a different toy to play with every time he starts to get board with the last toy, and stuff like that.

I discovered that you can do sit-ups with a baby, it thrills this one to peices

3e3c3e · 06-07-2005, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Becky

I discovered that you can do sit-ups with a baby, it thrills this one to peices

Our guys love that. Joshua likes it when you sit him up, then stand up, then sit back down and final lay down. He just smiles and talks the whole time.

~3e3c3e

nate95366 · 08-25-2005, 04:22 PM

A good cry is sometimes a good thing. But it's only a good cry if: the diaper is dry, the clothes aren't cutting off circulation, the room is decently comfortable, naps have been on schedule, and food isn't an issue. After that, crying has great exercise value provided you can handle the noise.

Nate