Can delaying response to a crying infant help teach them patience?

Question

Crying is a common behavior in newborns, signaling hunger, discomfort, or insecurity. Is it possible to teach a newborn patience by delaying our response to their cries? Are there any physical or biological developments occurring when babies cry? Please provide reliable references on this topic.

Answer 1

Newborns cry because they need attention. Rather than learning patience, research indicates that not responding to their cry increases their cortisol levels as well as placing a child at risk for poor emotional attachment with adults. There is also the risk that your child is in pain or sick and needs your prompt attention. Here is an article that further presents this information.

As a child grows, they develop different cries that parents can identify as fussy or attention seeking verses more serious demands for attention. Until that time, a caregiver needs to respond to a newborn's cry.

Answer 2

When you fail to respond to your crying newborn all they learn is that you are unreliable, not to be patient. Crying is not a pass time, the baby is not just crying to cry as others have mentioned. In addition to getting the physical needs that have prompted the crying met, the baby is learning to depend on you to meet their needs and respond appropriately. If repeatedly the baby is not responded to, the child learns you are not to be trusted to meet their basic needs. Although, it seems that all an infant does is cry, soon enough they will be able to express themselves more fully, in the interim, make sure you infant feels safe, loved, and cared for above all else.