Let Sleeping Babies Lie Cont.

It is so vital for parents to understand the varying cues babies display to their caregivers.  Establishing a foundation of good communication, according to the Journal of Perinatal Education, fosters a peaceful and happy relationship between the child and parents.  Because children do not develop adequate verbal skills until well into the toddler stage, it is up to the parents to become non-verbal communication experts toward their own children.   

Definitely Disengaged!

Even newborns can give off certain cues to caregivers alerting them to desires for play and rest.  Following the cues can prevent a lot of crying (from both parties) in the household.  The Journal provides a table to which you can refer to guide you in reading your baby.  The disengagement cues are especially important to "catch" in order to make a good night for everyone.  

As soon as Grace starts to show these cues, my husband I try to get her ready for bed or nap time.  If we are distracted and miss it, sleep for everyone can be postponed for several hours.  Although, lately, it seems Grace has been actively fighting off sleep in order to try to engage with her daddy, despite our efforts to create a "sleepy time" atmosphere for her.  As you can see, no technique is the guaranteed ticket to sleep but it does provide a nice framework from which we can work.