As we come to the end of an extremely trying 2020, here’s some wisdom we should take into the new year: “It’s okay. Take a deep breath.” No, this isn’t the slogan of some meditation guru; it’s what a little two-year-old told his crying baby sister to calm her down. Later, the clip of the adorable big brother went viral on TikTok, and it’s the first time their mother had ever posted something on the site.
Two-Year-Old Calms his Crying Infant Sister
According to Kristen Reformato, from New Jersey, this isn’t the first time two-year-old Beau calmed down his six-month-old sister, Ainsley. However, she was finally able to capture the moment on camera. Of course, that sort of cuteness has to be shared.
“My sister was like, ‘You have to put this on TikTok,’ so it was actually my first TikTok post,” Reformato said. “On TikTok, we’re at 4.5 million [views] for that particular video. It’s crazy.” [1]
The viral video clip shows the two siblings lying side by side in bed, where Beau clutches a toy truck. When Ainsley begins crying, Beau chimes, “It’s okay! It’s okay!” in an adorable voice. Then his sister looks toward him, suddenly quiet, and he whispers, “Take a deep breath.” And he demonstrates a yogic breath for her. This little scene occurred when Reformato was preparing them for a nap, but she wanted to take a picture for her husband first. That’s how the camera was ready when Beau began calming down the crying baby.
Overall, Beau is an outgoing little boy who loves waving to passing grocery shoppers. He’s also a dutiful older brother to Ainsley. As a result, his calming words are all over parenting blogs and news outlets. [2]
How to Calm a Crying Baby
While Beau’s relaxing technique is great for adults, it doesn’t work on babies, except perhaps Ainsley. In fact, calming a crying baby is a relentlessly difficult issue that all parents face, and most don’t have a baby-whisperer like Beau to do the job for them.
In short, babies cry to indicate the need for some kind of care or comfort. The difficulty often comes at figuring out which one. These reasons could include:
- A dirty or wet diaper
- A want to be held
- Feeling too hot or cold
- Tiredness
- Hunger
- Boredom
- Overstimulation
Sometimes crying babies seems inconsolable. For some reason, this always seems to occur when the parent is tired and has little energy left.
Here are some methods to soothe a crying baby:
These tips are mostly trial and error until a parent finds what the crying baby responds to most. Some methods may work better at some times than others, depending on how the infant is feeling.
- Play some soft sounds or music in the background to distract the baby.
- Older infants may like a certain blanket as a comfort.
- Hold the baby in your arms or in a sling and sway or dance gently. Talk to them or sing. Movement and sounds could distract and comfort them.
- Put the baby in a stroller or car seat and take them out for a walk or drive. Some infants enjoy the lulling movement and it helps them fall asleep.
- Firmly stroke the back of the baby’s back as they lay against your chest or in your lap.
- Put them in a warm bath. Some babies hate baths and scream throughout the cleansing process, but if the child seems to enjoy them, baths could be a way to calm him down. [3]
If the baby seems to cry constantly, there may be other reasons why. Excessive crying could be a sign of colic, a condition no one knows the cause of, but some doctors believe it’s a kind of stomach cramp. If a child cries for over three hours a day on a regular basis, that’s often a sign of colic Unfortunately, there’s little to do to treat it aside from comforting the baby as much as possible until they stop crying.
Another reason for constant crying could be a sign of illness, especially if the babies show symptoms like a high temperature. In these cases, bring them to a health care provider. Even if they don’t show strong symptoms, trust your instincts as a parent if you feel they are acting differently.
Know that it’s okay to ask for help. Feeling overwhelmed by a crying baby is something that happens to almost all parents. Have a friend or relative intervene so you could take a break. If all else fails, you could place the baby on his back in an empty crib and take ten minutes to calm down before returning to the child. [4] You could take some advice from Beau and remind yourself, “It’s okay. Take a deep breath”.
Keep Reading: Video Of A Teacher Showing Kids The Proper Way To Wipe Has Gone Viral
References
- “WATCH: Toddler calms crying baby sister within a matter of seconds.” MSN News. October 23, 2020.
- “2-year-old immediately calms crying baby sister in viral video.” Good Morning America. Nicole Pelletiere. October 22, 2020.
- “Soothing a crying baby.” NHS. January 10, 2019.
- “What to Do When Babies Cry.” Kids Health. Michelle M. Karten, MD. November 2019
