Good baby vs bad baby?
I’m often asked if Beckham is good, OR if he cries. Well, last time I checked it was perfectly normal for babies to cry, to fuss, to not know how to communicate their emotions other than being fussy and crying.
I’m also often asked if he is good and lets me sleep. And again, last time I checked it was normal (and needed) for a newborn 3 week old baby to wake up every 2-3hours to feed!
I think it’s important to NORMALIZE baby behavior and the way we speak about them.
Babies sleep often
Babies wake often
Babies feed often
Babies cry often
Babies fuss often
Babies poop and pee often
Babies need cuddles often
There are no good & bad babies.
Sure, some may sleep through the night or longer stretches sooner, some may be less fussy, some may poop less frequently, some may be more chill & less active, some may be able to spend longer periods of time left alone, some may have no or less colic, less witching hours... And yes, those things selfishly make parenting easier. But guess what? That doesn’t make them better babies.
By acknowledging and accepting that each baby has its OWN unique personality, patterns, rhythm, ways they react to developmental changes... and removing expectations on how they “should” be, it makes our parenting less stressful.
Being able to go with the flow while discovering how OUR kids are, without comparing & expecting them to be like others, and planning ahead knowing that these things are NORMAL, it overall makes the journey more laid back.
So let’s normalize baby behavior!
And let’s stop labeling good and bad babies!