10 ways to quickly calm a crying baby

It happens that children cry not for objective reasons, but just like that: they are bored, hot, did not like something, they want mom's attention. This often happens in public transport or any other place where you don't want to listen to a child crying. Then our 10 tips on how to calm the child will come to the rescue. And since the methods differ markedly depending on age, we give recommendations for three categories: 0-1 years, 2-4 years, 5-8 years. Read on and find out what to do if the baby cries.How to calm a baby

How to calm a baby?

It is important to remember that babies cry for up to a year from hunger or thirst, an attack of colic, teething and other uncomfortable, painful conditions. Experienced mothers react sensitively to the intonation of crying and can almost accurately understand what is bothering the child.

The first step to calm a crying child should be actions aimed at eliminating the cause of tears. And only then it is worth resorting to one of the 10 ways to calm the crying baby:Swaddling.

1. A baby in diapers feels protected and calm, like in a mother's tummy. But we advise you to leave tight swaddling in the past. Wrap the baby's torso with a diaper with an edge in the area of the armpits, leaving the handles free.
2. A dummy. The process of sucking it calms the baby, because it simulates eating. It is not necessary to give a pacifier from birth, when breastfeeding is not yet established. 
3. Carrying. A hand carrier, a car seat cradle, a sling, an ergo backpack will help the baby calm down. In these carriers, he occupies a physiological position, he is cozy and comfortable. 
4. Swaying. You can rock your baby both in a crib or a stroller with a cradle, and on your hands. Try not to let the range of motion be too large. Best of all — smooth, slow and calm motion sickness. 
5. Faint noise. Absolute silence not only does not help to calm the child, but can also cause him to cry for a long time. In the uterus, the baby is not isolated from external noises, nor from the sounds of the mother's body. The presence of "white noise" is natural for him. Turn on the hair dryer, vacuum cleaner or a special application on your smartphone to calm the baby with a constant soft sound.
6. Washing. Sometimes the baby can be calmed by the usual washing of the face. If you are not at home, just moisten a handkerchief or napkin with water and wipe your cheeks. 
7. Massage. A relaxing massage will calm anyone — both a child and an adult. Rub the back of the baby, massage the arms and legs (especially the feet), stroke the tummy clockwise. If the reason for crying is colic, then put the baby's tummy along your arm (it's better for dad to do this) and wear it in this position. You can also take the child on the handles, picking up under the tummy — moderate pressure of your own weight will help to rid the intestines of accumulated gases.
8. A change of scenery. The baby is crying on the street — go indoors, raged at home — go for a walk. Fresh air will help calm down on the street, and at home — a familiar environment. If you are walking far from your place of residence, go to the store: an abundance of bright pictures and different people will distract the baby from crying. 
9. Entertainment. Tickle the baby, show the toy, give it to the hands, talk on her behalf in a funny voice, sing a song or dance with the baby in your arms. 
10. Calmness. Sometimes crying can cause emotional overload. If you were in an entertainment center or on a noisy playground, after which the baby starts crying, create a calm environment for him. Turn off the main light, leaving the twilight, remove all noise sources, sit next to the crib or take the baby in your arms, shake, feed. 

Read also: How to protect a child from abductionHow to calm a 2-4 year old child

What should I do if the baby is crying?

Children of kindergarten age can already explain the reason for their tears, which greatly facilitates the task of parents to eliminate it. In addition, in 9 out of 10 cases, it is possible to anticipate the negative reactions of the child to certain phenomena and to develop tactics of behavior in advance. 

So, what should I do and how to calm the baby when he cries:Avoid provocations.

1. If you know exactly what situation your child will whimper in, just try not to allow it. For example, children are often afraid of Santa Claus or a clown. It is better to postpone communication with these characters for some time. 
2. An important matter. Did the baby cry? Remember that you just planned to make dumplings together or go on a slide. Why waste time crying?
3. Cry wisely. To stop crying, a request to do it quieter or in another room will help. Choose the argument according to the situation: dad is sleeping, the cat will be scared, the neighbors are angry.
4. Switch attention. The most effective way, but the difficulty is that the child will quickly feel the falsity of your "Look, the bird flew" and will cry even harder. It is better if you switch the child's attention to a really interesting thing: a new application in the phone, a cool car on the street, a tower crane that deftly carries concrete slabs on a construction site. 
5. We'll cry later. This technique is not only effective, but also useful. It helps to train the ability to manage your emotions. Just offer the baby: "Now let's get out of the trolleybus and cry, okay?". The child will be a little discouraged by the request and will forget about his desire to cry.
6. Let's cry together. Just sit down opposite and start "crying" too. When asked why you are doing this, answer that you are very sympathetic to the baby and you are also offended. Crying together is not so interesting, so the child will calm down quickly.
7. Conversations. The more, the better. Start actively asking something from a child who is about to cry. And if he doesn't answer, say it yourself: a lot, actively, for a long time. After a minute, the child will be carried away by the conversation and there will be no trace of the desire to whine. This method is especially suitable if the child is crying for any reason.
8. We cry quickly. Works well with younger children (2-3 years old). Hurry up the child: "Let's finish crying faster, Grandma is coming to visit us." This is another way to develop the ability to manage your emotions.
9. A moment of humor. Moms know how to make their child laugh: funny words, funny nicknames, funny songs and so on. Is the crying coming? Replace it with tickling!
10. Help from others. If there is a father/grandmother or other relatives nearby, ask them to stay with the child. Sometimes a child's crying is directed at a particular person to cause his reaction, and whining in front of other people is just wasting his strength.

How to calm a crying child in 5-8 yearsIf you have ever thought about what to do if a child cries for no reason, then the situation changes with age.

The child grows up, and his crying necessarily has reasons. It is unlikely that a 7-year-old will cry from boredom: he will quickly find something to do in almost any situation. Therefore, if a son or daughter of school age is crying, it cannot be ignored in any way. The cause of tears may be physical or mental pain, resentment, an unpleasant incident, problems with friends or adults from the immediate or school environment.

No matter how serious the situation is, tears of grief cannot help. Therefore, use our tips to calm the child down:

1. Attention to the problem. Show that you are fully ready to help the child. That he was not left alone with his problem, even if it does not require a reaction directly from you.
2. Understanding the seriousness. Sometimes children's sorrows seem far-fetched to us. Indeed, what is there to cry for a girl who has not received a cherished cardboard heart for Valentine's Day. But in fact, emotions at a young age are a very subtle sphere. And we, the parents, need to treat them carefully.
3. Hugs. A crying baby needs your hugs more than ever. Sit down next to me, hug me, kiss me, wipe your tears and tell me that everything will be fine. 
4. Let me cry it out. Sometimes no words will help to calm the tears. Just give the child time, having previously expressed his willingness to listen and help. 
5. Rituals. Come up with some kind of ritual to help cope with surging emotions. In Guatemala, for example, parents give their children a box of rag dolls before going to bed. The child chooses one of them and tells her about his problems/fears. And in the morning, the toy disappears (not without the help of parents), taking with it all the bad things that gnawed the child. 
6. Make me laugh. If you understand that the child's problem is really nonsense, then a banal face or a funny story will help relieve tension. 
7. Verbalization. This is a technique from the arsenal of practicing psychologists. Even the most intimate secret or terrible fear loses its emotional intensity while speaking out loud. Repeat the reason for the child's sobbing, do it several times. After hearing the description of the problem from the outside, the child will turn off emotions and move on to the constructive.
8. Choice. Give children a choice: what would they do to solve the problem that caused the tears. Suggest options yourself or let them offer their own. Translate their thoughts into a rational plane.
9. Perspective. Show your child your calmness and cool attitude to the situation, as well as confidence that you will cope with it. Soon he will catch this confidence from you and stop crying. 
10. Raising self-esteem. In a half-serious form, say the problem out loud with bewilderment: "Well, how can such a smart boy not be able to solve the problem?!". The child will try to confirm his status — he will stop crying and calmly cope with the task. 

*****

As the famous psychologist Louise Hay wrote, "tears are a very powerful river of life, bringing with it renewal and purification." This is a natural reaction of the psyche, which you can learn to control. We hope that you have found useful tips for yourself and now know what to do if the child is constantly crying or from time to time.