Attachment

[Sandbox Sally]

I disagree that babies "need to learn" to self soothe. Babies need their emotional well being taken care of as much as their physical well being, so that they can be detached creatures as they mature. When you ignore a baby's cries, whether it's with leaving them to self soothe on the floor or in their cribs, you are teaching them to give up, not to be independent. This is where my child care philosophies differ from the mainstream, and I understand this completely. As caregivers to multiple small children, we cannot always meet all these emotional needs, but we can certainly try if we want to.

I am not saying anyone is wrong for leaving an infant to cry, I just don't happen to subscribe to the whole "spoiling" point of view when it comes to babies. It's also true that I might not always be able to babywear multiple children, but I try to tailor my business around my own childrearing beliefs, and if a baby wants to be held, I will hold them, every time. I normally wouldn't accept two small children at once, thereby eliminating or reducing the risk that two babies would need me this much at one time as a childcare provider. I can do one baby at a time, though! I am able to do this by using various baby carriers, which allow me to fix snack, read stories, push a swing, all while "holding" the baby in need.