Child Behavior - Strange Crying

His behavior may have NOTHING to do with his folks keeping or not keeping him on a schedule.

Our oldest is growth hormone deficient. He didn't have any odd self-soothing behaviors, but he almost never had to SELF-sooth. I ended up co-sleeping with him originally because it was the only way I could get ANY sleep. He just would NOT go to sleep. He was up several times a night, he went down late, and woke up early. He hardly ate. It didn't matter WHAT we did as far as trying to schedule him.

He has NO developmental delays - he just didn't NEED to eat or sleep because he was growing so slowly. His GHT (treatment) started at age 4. He is now 6 and sleeps, most nights, from 8 until about 7, just like most kids his age (*relief*)

We also have an adopted son who does rythmic head banging when he is frustrated or tired.

Both of these boys are wonderful, happy, and bright.

Our third son sleeps fine. But he is up early!

Do what you can, but you may want to ask the parents about this as well. As there may be something going on other than not enough sleep.

well, how long have you had him? I think it wouldn't be outside of your authority to have a delicate talk with the parents, just asking and observing, more than advising. And it could be like mommy^3 said, where it is a hormone thing, but I was wondering... Is this a first baby? If so, then maybe the parents just think it's normal baby behavior, and don't realize anything may be wrong.

In my infant development class, my teacher brought up a story where a babysitter realized a 6-month old to be blind, or visually impaired. She knew the baby wasn't in the norm of behavior, and recognized some of the symptoms. But the parents, being first-timers, only thought they had a very quiet, nicely behaved baby on their hands. Of course this is a different scenario, but maybe you could satisfy your concern, at the same time helping your friends deal better with their baby.

Always a difficult position... commenting on a friend's parenting style, but in this case, you are also coming from a lot of baby experience too.

The only thought that came to mind is when you mentioned how rythmic his crying and body movements are. A deeply autistic boy in my circle of friends had similar self-stimming behaviors when he was a baby, but I don't recall odd crying. I'd just watch attentively for now, perhaps mention to the parents that you've never seen behaviors like this, and wonder aloud what his pediatrician has to say about them.

I agree with Mommymommymommy...there are going to be children who you can't get on a schedule, and it may have nothing to do with what his parents have tried. The parents may already have discussed it with the pediatrician, since you are unsure if he is 6 or 8 months, you probably do not have a complete picture here. You could start by asking Mom how she helps him soothe, and if she has suggestions for you to help him sleep more and eat more at your home because you would like to help him be more comforatable while he is with you. That would be a nonthreatening way to find out what you really need to know without suggesting that she has not done something that she may have already tired. Being a Mom with kids who have issues for whom typical solutions do not work, I am defensive when ever someone suggests an obvious (and long ago tried) soloution to me because it seems insensative that anyone would be so presumtuous (and also assume thatI am so dumb) that I had not already tried that completley obvious solution. Just a thought on how to make sure that you do not anlinate someone who might need you to be sensative and supportive in the future.

M.

This might seem kinda out there-- do you think he might have hearing issues or painful ear infections? That DEFINITELY messes with sleeping and eating.