Dec
12
2008

‘Seasonal Baby Syndrome’

Okay, there is no such “syndrome”, but there is an increased stress level in many families due to the holidays. This wonderful, magical, social, and fun time is also marked by lots of additional stress in our lives.

Yesterday I attended a weekly music class for babies and toddlers that is usually a highly participatory, fun event. The group was large, and both babies and adults were cranky, subdued, and not engaged nearly as much as usual. My ‘armchair diagnosis’ is sensory overload from all the ‘extras’ already going on because of holidays. I heard a couple of Moms comment on their incredibly long lists of extra things they were trying to accomplish because of holidays, and several bemoaned how close together Thanksgiving and Christmas are this year!

While I have no solution to the overwhelm many adults succumb to during this season, I do suggest shielding your baby from it as much as possible. Be aware that your baby absorbs all the ambient ‘energy’, whether or not it is directed at her. Even if you are wisely maintaining the regular routines, she is also picking up the heightened state of excitement everywhere, from the retail buzz in stores to festivities at friends’ homes. If you carefully limit how much you choose to expose baby to, you will have much less stressed out crankiness with which to contend.

Happy Holidays!

Email and phone support available throughout!

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Jul
21
2008

Stress, ‘corrosive cortisol’, and your baby

Highly recommended book for all parents:

Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain

by Sue Gerhardt

A highly readable and lively book about the neuroscience, psychology, and biochemistry behind the shaping of your baby’s nervous system, this book confirms many important correlations between love and brain development. The chapter on ‘Corrosive Cortisol’ alone makes the book worth reading. Secure emotional attachment is vital for a lifetime of mental and emotional health.

Persistent powerlessness (the very nature of babyhood) and unrelieved, chronic stress are clearly identified as causes of damage to mental and physical health in babies. The importance of tender, protective parenting cannot be stressed enough. However, many parents are so stressed themselves that offering this type of parenting is challenging, to say the least.

The link between emotional insecurity and cortisol dysfunction is clearly documented. Tuning in emotionally and being available to your child is vitally important. Creating optimum support for yourself as a parent is a wise and powerful choice. Ensure that you are available to your child on this level.

Please see my website for details on how I provide coaching by phone and email for busy parents.
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