Can you spoil a baby?

March 21

You have a lot to worry about when you have a newborn. Things like feedings and diaper changes and if you’ll ever get a good night’s sleep again. But there’s one thing you don’t have to worry about: spoiling your baby. When your baby cries (totally normal, all babies cry), your instinct may be to leap into action to pick her up and see if she’s hungry or wet and to soothe her.

That’s when you might hear someone, perhaps a well-meaning in-law or neighbor, make a comment like, “You’re going to spoil her if you do that. You don’t want to spoil her, do you?” And your mind goes to films like “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and you worry about having a little Veruca Salt in a few years.

Nobody wants a spoiled child, and setting limits and expectations can be a challenge for parents, but it’s a challenge for later on, not for when you have an infant.

Doctors, child development experts and scientific researchers agree…

You cannot spoil your baby by responding when they cry or by holding them too much.

In fact, holding and loving and responding to your baby is just what they need from you. Babies cry because they’re hungry, most often, but also if they’re wet or cold or need to burp. And sometimes they just want to be held close and comforted. Crying is their way of communicating that to you. It’s a signal that they need your care and attention. This video tells us more:

Responding to their needs helps your baby feel loved. Infancy is an important time for you to bond with your child, to help them feel that their world is a safe place and that you’ll be there for them. That sense of security helps their brain grow and develop in the best possible way.

There’s even evidence that children whose caregivers are more responsive to their needs in their first year of life go on to be more self-reliant have higher self-esteem, are more able to manage stress, form healthier relationships and perform better in school.

So don’t worry about spoiling your new baby. Hold, hug, and snuggle them as much as possible. And don’t worry about how little you’re sleeping either. It’ll get better.

Since you cannot spoil a baby, what is your top tip for making a baby feel secure and loved? Let us know on social media at Arizona PBS KIDS on Facebook.

About First Things First

First Things First is Arizona’s early childhood agency, committed to the healthy development and learning of young children from birth to age 5. Learn more about early childhood programs at FirstThingsFirst.org.

This article first appeared on FirstThingsFirst.org.