Learn to let your baby be

It's called "ferberizing". The Ferber method is a technique invented by Dr Richard Ferber to solve infant sleep problems. It involves "baby training" children by allowing a child to cry for sometime before offering comfort.

Know More: There is no fixed "ferberizing" time suggested; but in the Indian context, if you can ensure that your baby is otherwise safe, at least 15 minutes should be good to begin with - starting at 3 to 4 months. Remember, your watch starts ticking from the time he actually begins to cry, not from when you laid him down to sleep. And start early; don't delay beyond the 5th month!

What our columnist Dr Shelja Sen says: The practice needs to be thought through carefully by parents before it can be implemented for their children. It also calls for tremendous discipline and self control on the parents' part.

Tough Call

As a mother you may find it difficult to "ferberize" your child. Even if your infant is crying for no apparent reason, your strong maternal instinct pushes you to pick him up and soothe him. This is possibly the first step to spoiling your child. So let him cry. Literally. But here are a few things you need to know:

1. Try and get your baby used to a routine before bedtime?He's most likely to fall asleep, if you stick to a pattern.

2. When putting your baby to sleep, check and double check his bed and room temperature, make sure that his diaper is changed, the lights are dim and he is in a comfortable position to sleep.

3. Once you feel that your baby has dozed off completely, quietly leave the room.

4. Chances are that your baby is going to start wailing before he feels hungry/wet/uncomfortable, but try not to rush to pick him up. You can also install a video camera to monitor his actions, if needed.

5. After sometime, you will notice that your baby has become relatively calm and the unnecessary wailing has stopped. Reason? Your baby is well aware now that his tantrums are not going to meet with any results!

Mom Talk

Here's how she does it

Shilpi Parashar, 30, mother of five-month-old Vihaan believes that "ferberizing" the child proves to be beneficial in the long run.

Being the first born in our family, Vihaan is always surrounded by over-protecting and pampering relatives. However, of late I have noticed that he wails for no apparent reason and seems to be perfectly fine when someone picks him up! So I have been trying to just let him be for some time before I offer any help. It has begun to have effect because he seems to be getting the idea. He does cry and wail, but I am glad I have managed to control myself!

As told to Ishita Sharma