In fact, crying is the baby’s first sound message. It is the first attempt of the baby to communicate with the world around him. As the baby is unable to put its feelings and desires in words, it communicates by crying!
It is a matter of common experience that newborn babies cry a lot during the first few months. As the baby starts growing up, there is a marked decline in this practice. By the time the baby is two years old, this habit is almost gone.
It is interesting to note that this practice doesn’t just express wants and discomforts like hunger or illness. Normally the tears do not appear unless the baby is really distressed.
Most mothers are able to distinguish between cries indicating hunger, anger or pain. They are able to tell, with some degree of accuracy what the baby wants. For example, if a baby is hungry, it will continue to cry even when fondled. But if it is crying from boredom, it will stop crying when picked up or when moved to other interesting surroundings.
Recent studies have shown that if a mother is sensitive in this regard, and responds accordingly, the baby will cry much less by the end of the first year as compared to one who is not. Knowledge of the basic food-stuffs essential to a growing child is necessary to become an ideal mother.
By the age of four or five months most babies start making certain special sounds. These sounds are called babblings. It has been observed that babies enjoy these sounds.
It is not always possible to know why a baby cries. There are occasions when the baby is neither hungry, tired, uncomfortable, bored nor frightened but still keeps on crying. However, usually the baby’s cries are meant to communicate some message.
