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Child Behavior  (Expert Forum)
 | 
SHOULD I WORRY?
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development

SHOULD I WORRY?

by lovely909, May 27, 2008 02:05PM
My baby is 6 months old. My self and my husband are very concern about his behavior. since he was born, he has this anger issue. he will cry and cry until he got the attention he wanted. as soon as we turn away from him he will do it al over again to get us to play and talk to him. i thought it was weird since he was a newborn and i thought he cant understand whats going on... well, he mellowed doew a bit but recently about a month ago, he started it up again. just when ithought "oh great, he is gettin bigger so he is now growing out of that stage" NOT, i was so wrong, last night i couldnt satisfy him. i would hold him and talk to him give him attention but nothing i didi helped. My husband had enough so he out him in his crib to cry him self to sleep. it worked for about a 30 min nap then he woke up and did this again. we cant seem to get him to stop crying. his pediatrician says he's ok and theres nothing worng with him. he says its normal behavior but my god, we feel like were getting drained from this behavior. we have 3 other children and this is the first we experience and it just seems like we cant enjoy our only baby BOY. he crys like with this anger and hate... he will even yell at us in baby yell... :) cute to think of it but not so cute when its happening.
please help me....

by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., May 28, 2008 05:21AM
I agree with your pediatrician's advice - your son's behavior is not indicative of a problem. Is it difficult to manage? Yes, but that is part of parenting. When you think of his upset as hate, you are personalizing the behavior and this will not help. Your son is uncomforatble and he is conveying that in the only way a very young child can. Children vary in their need for close physical contact. If you choose, you can wean your son to some extent by soothing him but not picking him up. Every time you do that you are, in a asense, reinforcing the behavior, but I don't want to convey that that is a bad thing. Just as children vary in their need/desire for physical contact, so adults vary in their capacity to provide such contact. Only you and your husband can make that decision.
Member Comments (4)

by pixijal, May 27, 2008 04:13PM
Seriously?
You don't have an ill behaved 6 month old...they don't exist.  It is highly possible that he is 'teething'.  Give him Tylenol or use Orajel.  

OR

Is he overtired?
At about six months of age, babies develop sleep association.  To make sure he is well rested, establish consistent nap and bed time routines.  He now has the ability to remember from one minute to the next.  If you need to do the 'cry it out' method....go in his room every 5-10 minutes only to reassure him.  Do not talk to him or pick him up.  
Pat his back, or bottom to let him know your still there.

by empoweringparent, May 28, 2008 02:43AM
yes. But 6 months old baby is not big problem about behavior. I found one website about child behavior article which is very useful to you. Website is http://www.empoweringparents.com

by lovely909, May 28, 2008 11:46AM
To: empoweringparent,pixijal
Thank you all for your advise. I just feel like its too much since this is the first boy born and he's so much more different than my girls. I know he's just a baby and this is the only way he can express himself but im only human and i get overwhelmed.

empoweringparent,
i know he is teething and i have tryed orajel and tylenol but it doesnt work. I do appreciate your help on this though.

pixijal,
thank you for the site you provided, i will check it out. :)

and for the doctors advise, thank you very much for your advise and opinions. hearing this coming from another doctor, makes me feel a lot better about my sons behavior being normal.

thanks again.
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