Why is it not easy to decode the signals sent by a baby?

Situation : Sylvie tries to understand what Léance is trying to tell her when she grimaces, cries or squirms.

Better understanding The importance of taking the time to get to know your child. Supporting professionals and parents in the evolution of their practices.

Tell me… Why is it not easy to decode the signals sent by a baby?

Parents need to give themselves time to bond with and get to know their newborn, as every child is unique and expresses themselves differently. Research shows that across cultures, a newborn's cries activate specific regions of the mother's brain: those associated with care, movement, and speech. The mother, therefore, seems to be biologically programmed to react to her child's cries, like two transmitters and receivers tuned to the same channel. Now, the challenge is to interpret these signals sent by the child. Even though she hasn't figured out what's bothering her baby, Sylvie remains sensitive and attentive. By trying to understand what her little one wants, she learns about her, just as Léance learns about her mother. When a parent feels overwhelmed and finds it difficult to stay calm, they shouldn't hesitate to ask for help and call on those around them to take over. After a few tries, Sylvie finally understands what her little Léance was trying to tell her: she simply needed to sleep!

Supporting the child can mean:

• Remain sensitive and attentive
• Try to understand what the child wants
• Comfort the child by talking to them or holding them in your arms.
• When a parent feels overwhelmed and finds it difficult to remain calm, they should not hesitate to ask for help and call upon their support network to take over.
• As a professional, it is your mission to support the parent in their difficulties, so do not hesitate to discuss with them what you discover about the child in your care.
• Listen carefully to the child's cries to try to identify the differences between the cries

Our articles on the same topic

• How to decode a baby's cries?
• Baby's cries
• Crying: listen to it, it's trying to tell you something!
• Tears
• Dr. Swaenepoel's lecture on baby crying, TPEP17
• Conference on children's emotional management, TPEP17
• Video of PrIscilla Dunstan explaining the different cries of a baby