Courtest Dr. Harvey Karp
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When I first met Dr. Karp it was at a busy gala with lots of noise and lots of people. A new mom came up to us with her screaming daughter on her hip and introduced herself to the good doctor. Within 2 minutes the baby was gurgling and giggling even though it seemed like Harvey had just been talking to the mom. "This is why they call him the baby whisperer," I thought. The mom was aghast and said she'd never seen her baby do that before. Harvey explained that he could teach her how to do it; it really wasn't anything magical.
In an exclusive interview with Planet Green, Dr. Karp gives us his top tips on having happy babies and kids. The biggest news? They don't cost a cent!
"Babies and kids are a lot of work...but they are also an incredible amount of fun if you know a couple of unexpected secrets that can make life so much easier. When it comes to babies perhaps the BIGGEST secret is that they are born 3 months before they're fully ready for the world. Of course, I've never talked any woman into actually keeping the baby inside for the full 12 months, but here's why this is such an important idea: The womb is a symphony of sensations with lots of jiggly rocking, constant soft touch, and the sound is louder than a vacuum cleaner...24/7! So the whole idea that newborns need peace and quiet is s myth! And, the whole idea that they cry because they're over-stimulated is wrong, too! Of course your baby will cry if you slam doors and clang pots by her head, but most newborns quickly fall asleep at noisy parties or when you run the hair drier. In fact, you can imitate the womb by doing what I call the 5 S's--swaddling, side/stomach position, shushing, swinging and sucking--and dads can usually do these better than anyone in the family, by the way! you can turn on your baby's natural calming reflex and soothe her crying in minutes (or less). And if you use swaddling and a soothing white-noise CD all night long (played about as loud as a shower) you'll instantly add 1-3 hours to your little one's nightly sleep! Sounds like a pretty good Father's Day present, don't ya think?"
Check out Dr. Harvey Karp's soothing techniques in this video.
And besides being good for moms and dads, it turns out good sleep habits may make your kids healthier and leaner as they grow.
Dr. Harvey Karp is the creator of the DVDs The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. More than 1,500 professionals are teaching Happiest Baby classes across the US. For information about a class in your neighborhood check out the Happiest Baby website. He's also a huge advocate for kids with his work with Healthy Child Healthy World, and his innovative take on how we can communicate with tantrum-throwing toddlers. I'm just hoping he'll tackle teenagers soon!
Difficulty level: Easy
Find great gift ideas for dad in TreeHugger's Father's Day Gift Guide.
Lynda Fassa is Planet Green's babies and family expert. She's the founder of Green Babies organic cotton baby clothes and the author of Green Babies, Sage Moms: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Your Organic Baby, and the forthcoming Green Kids, Sage Families: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Your Organic Family, both from Penguin NAL. Read her previous posts here.
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