How to deal with a cranky child

My first child was very cute,  loving  and social. He loved to play around and be with every one. My second child was also cute and  loving , like any other child but gradually she became too cranky. As an infant she used to get get cranky for breast feeding  and for hours i used to lie beside her feeding. The story went on even after she was an year old. Though she took solid diets but was too reluctant to take feed from bottle and always wanted breastfeed before sleeping anytime during the day. So eventually she turned out to be a very cranky child who would cry for anything she wants. But Now she is well disciplined , goes to a preschool , is very less cranky and of course eats everything and no breastfeeding. So here i would like to discuss my experiences of controlling a cranky child.

Patience is the key

First of all learn to be patient with the child , if the child goes cranky and we also show our anger , the result is nothing but a more distressed child who is not being listened to. Try to pacify your child by diverting their attention to some other thing which they enjoy. And if they don't succumb to your attempt as in my case try to ignore the child for some time and let some one else pacify her. If that doesn't work too then be assured that your child is really asking for something

Check for symptoms

As i said in the earlier paragraph if a child is not getting diverted to any other form of play or not even getting quitet by any other family member than there might be some problem that your child is indicating. So check for any indications like diaper is not too wet or the child is hungry or feeling sleepy or may be wants some fresh  air and wants to go outside.

Observe and keep check

Its very important to observe the behaviour of the child whether its a chronic behaviour or an occasional one. For anything chronic need attention , as in the case of my child, the doctor has refferd or iron supplements which i ignored thinking the diet is enough supplemented with iron why to give other supplement. But when her growth was not up to the mark i started giving iron tonic and the outcome was tremendous physically and mentally. She was more joyful and less cranky and would not throw things around and was eager to learn.

Check for any deficiency with doctor

As i said in the previous paragrsph my child had some iron deficiency which was hindering her proper growth and not letting her be herself. At this tender age the children are not able to express thier feelings well and thats what lead them to react harshly. So check for any repetitive change in attitude and dont feel shy in discussing it with your paediatrician.

Give your child enough time to play with you

With my elder child studying and i being a working woman it was difficult to give enough time to her. But gradually i realised that my company makes a difference, playing with her supporting her in in all her activities make a difference. Running , walking, dancing , singing together everything counts. All children need is love care and attention and the crankiest of the child can be made to calm down.

Don't push

If a child is not willing to eat or sleep or play, let him or her be himself and let them take the lead and do whatever they want to do don't push