James: In regards to M.D.M.’s article, I’d like to add something to his Question #4, There is no reason to smother a baby or toddler to keep them quite as in that M*A*S*H episode mentioned. I learned an old Indian trick years ago, when my kids were young and restless. All a mother needs to do is blow lightly in the child’s face when they start fussing and about to cry. This blowing lightly momentarily takes their breath away, and they stop fussing, and concentrate on breathing, It doesn’t take much blowing lightly in their face, and they soon drift off to sleep. This works good on infants and kids up to about two years old!
Nothing is more distracting than being in church and have some mother not knowing what to do to keep her baby from crying, and disturbing everybody around her for several rows, until the only thing she can do is take the baby out of the room. I read about this in some old book on Indian plains tribes, the mothers used to run out into the woods or high brush with their child and hide, when the village came under attack, and this blowing lightly in the child’s face to keep them from fussing or crying saved many lives. So after reading this, I tried it in church when my youngest son was a baby, and started fussing and crying, and it worked wonderfully! Something good to know if you have a baby and don’t want to disturb people in church! – J.M. in Utah
Letter Re: Key Questions For and About Your Children
