Analyzing Karp´s Happiest Baby on the Block

944 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Influence on child development

Introduction There is no greater feeling a new mother can have than a smiling baby. Every new mother struggles with making their babies happy, because they cannot speak just yet. The first form of communication they have is crying, but parent are not able to always able to figure out what the baby wants at first. When I read “The Happiest Baby on the Block” by Harvey Karp I was very intrigued. The step to making your baby happy was not only helpful, but simple as well. This book takes a psychological approach because it is so similar to the Erickson’s Trust vs. mistrust stage. I will begin by introducing the books theory, and then I will explain why it relates to Erickson’s trust vs. mistrust stage. Relationship to Child Development (Emotional, Social, and/or Physical) The method is called the five s’s which consist of the following; swaddling, side/stomach position, shush, swing, and sucking. These five steps make the baby feel like he/she is still in the mother’s womb. When babies are born they are not actually ready for the world, and should still be in the mother’s womb for a fourth trimester. The fourth trimester is from the age of birth, to eight teen months. Since we know that this is not possible, the babies first few months are known as the fourth trimester. During this time your baby is fully dependent on you, it is ok to constantly be there for them when they are crying. This helps the trust you and other caregivers. During this fourth trimester stage is when your baby will either learn to trust or mistrust you, it is crucial to teach your baby to trust you. This book will teach you how to help your baby trust you if you have a fussy baby using the five s’s method. The first step to the method is swaddling. You start by... ... middle of paper ... ...ry. By using the steps in this book it can help a stressed mother make sure that the baby’s need are met, without having to have a constantly fussy baby. When you can calm your baby down, it give you the courage to help you baby learn to trust in yourself and others. It is possible to have a happy baby. With these steps and physiological proof that it is important for your baby to trust, it is a must when it comes to the method. “Happiest Baby on the Block” was a fascinating read and it brings a whole new perspective of Erikson’s trust vs. mistrust theory into play, as well as really showing how to raise a happy and healthy child. There is truly no greater feeling a new mother can have than a happy smiling baby. Works Cited Karp, Harvey. The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer. New York, NY: Bantam, 2002. Print.

Show More
Related

  • The Case for Co-Sleeping with Your Baby

    935 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sears, William. Nighttime Parenting How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep. Franklin Park Illinois. Le Leche League International, 1990. Print.

    Read More

  • Neonatal Case Study Assessment

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    The human infant is called a neonate who is less than 28 days old. (Potter, Perry, Ross-Kerr, & Wood, 2009, p. 333) The newborn goes through mostly reflex changes during this critical time which leads to bonding and deep attachments between the parents and the neonate during the first 28 days. The neonate I worked with was 18 days old, male, Muslim, goes by the initials MK and lived in a townhouse with his parents. During birth, the family requested as many female staff as possible due to religious reasons.

    Read More

  • Postpartum Depression Essay

    1437 Words  | 3 Pages

    When a woman gives birth to a child, it can be one of the most joyous and exciting moments in her life, yet it can also be diff...

    Read More

  • Infant Attachment

    1419 Words  | 3 Pages

    Infant attachment is the first relationship a child experiences and is crucial to the child’s survival (BOOK). A mother’s response to her child will yield either a secure bond or insecurity with the infant. Parents who respond “more sensitively and responsively to the child’s distress” establish a secure bond faster than “parents of insecure children”. (Attachment and Emotion, page 475) The quality of the attachment has “profound implications for the child’s feelings of security and capacity to form trusting relationships” (Book). Simply stated, a positive early attachment will likely yield positive physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development for the child. (BOOK)

    Read More

  • Erik Erikson's Stages of Development

    3327 Words  | 7 Pages

    The First stage in Erickson’s theory is trust vs. mistrust, this stage occurs during infancy, from birth to one years old. This stage is all about trust, it is the stage where you hopefully begin to trust not only yourself but others as well (Crandell and Crandell p. 36). An infant gains trust in infancy because they can not do anything for themselves, they depend on others to do everything for them therefore in this stage they develop trust in others, their caregivers, that they will do all that they can to take care of their well-being. Developing trust in infancy is crucial because this makes the individual grow up feeling safe and secure in the world. A positive outcome of an infant developing trust is that they grow up feeling safe in the world, a negative outcome would be that the individual grows up in fear of the world. There is no way to develop one hundred percent trust or one hundred percent doubt, Erikson believed that the best way to come out of this stage is with a balanc...

    Read More

  • Postpartum Psychosis Essay

    835 Words  | 2 Pages

    The health professionals are able to monitor and assess the condition of the new mother with the help of psychological therapies. Psychological therapies are important in providing effective coping measures to an individual. However, in other clinical settings, patients undergo mother-infant therapies for counseling and support

    Read More

  • Murray Bowen's Family Systems Theory

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    The foundations for a child’s development begins not only in the child’s first year, but also while they are in utero. A child’s development can also be influenced by how much the parents are contributing to the development of the child. A couple that interacts well with one another as well as with the child can have “positive impacts on a child’s cognitive, language and motor development, this can also positively benefit the couple relationship, and the parent-infant relationship,” (Parfitt, Pike, & Ayers, 2013). A parent’s especially a mother’s mental health can greatly impact a child’s development if a mother is less stressed the will be more comfortable around the child creating a better mother-child attachment which also promotes language development. (Parfitt, Pike, & Ayers, 2013). If a father’s is positively involved in a child’s life early on that the child will have a greater reduction in cognitive delays, this is especially true in boys (Parfitt, Pike, & Ayers, 2013). Another positive key in a child’s development comes from the sibling relationships. Siblings help a child learn social, emotional, cognitive and behavioral

    Read More

  • Relating Erikson’s Theory to My Life

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before I started nursing school I was an Early Head Start Home Visitor to families prenatal to three years of age. With this experience I have been in many homes with various different parenting types. I strongly agree with Erikson’s Trust vs. Mistrust theory . Seeing this first hand with parents who would not hold their baby because they were afraid of “spoiling” or just propping the bottle so the baby would not be so “dependent” absolutely blew my mind. I could not imagine having a baby that you did not hold. I always wanted to voice my opinion but I could not be judgmental so I actually would print out curriculum to take the following week on Erikson’s theory. Many parents would shrug it off as others would actually read it and be very interested. There was a difference in the way the children acted as they became older. It was very apparent to me on which parents offered the loving and nurturing environment that Erikson believed every baby needed.

    Read More

  • Babies Movie Analysis

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Babies documentary, the four babies are in their first year of life. This is Erikson’s stage, Trust vs. Mistrust. The question during this stage is, “Is the world a safe place or is it full of accidents and unpredictable events?” During this stage, the infant looks to their primary caregiver for care, whether stable or unstable. Infants try to find a send of predictability, consistency and trust. Erikson believes that all caregiving behavior will lead to this. If the infant receives stable care, then they will develop a sense of trust. If they don’t, they will develop a sense of mistrust for the

    Read More

  • Essay On Social And Emotional Development

    1863 Words  | 4 Pages

    It discusses how children are born with that needs to connect with individuals around them. Teachers and providers create positive relationship with children from birth through the early years. The foundation for that healthy social and emotional development because it affects her children see the world, express themselves, manages their emotions, in establishing a positive relationship with others. There were several areas of development that included social interactions that focus on the relationship that we share and include relationship with adults and peers. Emotional awareness recognized and understands your feelings and actions of other people, and self-regulation where you have that ability to express your thoughts, feelings, and behavior in a socially appropriate way. There were many tips that were listed when working with infants from talking and reading, having that warm, responsive, and consistent care, maintaining predictable routines, and getting to know each child while following their lead. The importance of supporting children and developing social skills is critical for learning, happiness, and long-term. This development begins during infancy and can be supported through simple social games, emotional role model, and imitating an infant's facial expression and sounds. The importance of social-emotional development and toddlers makes an impact in a child life when these skills are developed starting in infancy. Encouraging positive behaviors and using positive discipline practices that helped to develop the ability to make good choices as well as recognizing the confidence that is built when these behaviors are repeated. This is a process for young children to learn these behaviors always remembering that a patient response will help especially when the behaviors are

    Read More

  • Erikson's Theory Of Psychosocial Development

    1065 Words  | 3 Pages

    The first stage in Erikson’s psychosocial theory is the Trust vs. Mistrust stage. This stage is from birth to about one year of age. This is the time when an infant child learns to depend on another for affection, comfort, and nutrition eventually learning to blindly trust the primary caregivers to provide these things (Cooper, 1998). When the infants needs are met, then the infant develops a specific attachment with their caregiver, if the outcome is negative then the infant learns to mistrust the people around them and the environment that they are in. This brings us to the next stage in psychosocial

    Read More

  • Eric Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

    1431 Words  | 3 Pages

    Erikson’s first stage was trust verses mistrust and it occurred from zero to 18 months of age. The point of this stage is to establish trust. Erikson believed this was the most important period in a person’s life. Since a baby depends entirely on his/her parents, the care giving plays an important role in the shaping of this stage (Cherry, 2011). If the child successfully develops trust then the child will feel safe and secure in the world, but the lack can lead to thoughts of an inconsistent and unpredictable world (Cherry, 2011). In the business world, the lack of trust can create a whole new problem. The lack of trust can lead to the “…unseen cost in life and business…” as said by Stephen Covey (2006). Lack of trust creates “…hidden agendas and a guarded communication, which slows the decision-making process” (Covey, 2006). When there isn’t trust in a situation, it hinders productivity, innovation (Covey, 2006).

    Read More

  • Theories Of Erikson, Sigmund Freud, And Lawrence Kohlberg

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    1.) Trust vs. Mistrust: Infancy (birth to 18 months) During this stage an infant is defenseless, afraid and relies primarily on their caregivers for the essentials of life. The infant is uncertain of what the world around them is all about; they learn safety, stability and consistency of care from their caregivers. If

    Read More

  • Erik Erickson's Psychosocial Theory

    458 Words  | 1 Pages

    Erik Erickson has devised a theory of psychosocial development. It explains the impact of social experience throughout a life time. The first stage is infancy. This occurs between birth and the ages of 1, is called trust versus mistrust. This is the most fundamental stage in life. A baby during this time is completely dependent on its care takers. It needs food, love, and nourishment. If the baby is not given those things during this particular time it is not going to have trust in the adults in its life. While no child can have one hundred percent trust or one hundred percent distrust there can be balance. When this occurs, hope in the baby can be achieved. The second stage is early childhood. At this stage the child is starting to become

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Erikson And Piaget's Theory Of Cognitive Development

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    Erikson believes that during this stage, children will seek approval from others by displaying skills that are valued by others. Additionally, he believes that if this initiative continues, the child will develop confidence in their ability to achieve their goals. During the first few stages of both theories, we see challenges in the development of the child and we also see challenges that a child might face during some, if not all, forms of attachment theory. For example, a parent ignoring the child and speaking to them in a negative manner during insecure-avoidant attachment can be challenging for a child and lead to insecurities and the feeling of not being loved and/or wanted.

    Read More

More about Analyzing Karp´s Happiest Baby on the Block

Open Document