Why Good Babies Cry

Taking parents and care givers from exhausted exasperation to relaxed confidence and playful problem solving.

“Babies who know they’re cared for and cared about have fewer behavioral problems and stronger relationships.”

Why Good Babies Cry, adds to a growing body of medical, psychological, and sociological literature illuminating the dramatic influence of nurture on nature.

You can create a positive foundation for your baby’s life by understanding and integrating the connection building tools Dr. Pam Oatis offers.

Focused on six listening tools, Why Good Babies Cry equips readers to build, maintain, and repair the vital connection based relationships in a baby’s first year that maximize brain development and health for a lifetime.

Focused on six listening activities, Why Good Babies Cry equips parents to build, maintain and repair the vital connection based relationships that maximize brain development and health for a lifetime.

Bonding & Connecting Tools

Six listening tools for building, maintaining, and repairing those vital connection-based relationships

Bonding & Connecting Tools

Six listening tools for building, maintaining, and repairing those vital connection-based relationships

Listening Partnership

Listening Partnership is an intentional adult-to-adult relationship of exchanged listening with respect, care, confidence in each other with no advice, interruption, or judgment while keeping confidentiality to ease the stresses of care giving.

Special Time
Special Time is child led play with fresh adult attention as if meeting the child for the first time. A simple and effective tool that builds and strengthens close relationships even and especially in difficult times.
Playlistening
Playlistening is lighthearted, attention that may be initiated around an emotionally charged situation. The adult’s silliness and less powerful role can include affectionate, physical contact. Notice when they laugh, without tickling, and do it again. This builds a child’s confidence, connection, and resilience.
Staylistening
Staylistening is providing a physically close loving safe presence as your child cries. Using only a few kind words, no shushing or distraction, keeping them physically safe allows the tears and tantruming to resolve the upset and build closeness.
SETTING LIMITS

Setting Limits is bringing a warm firm, “No” to a child with unworkable behavior. Next pay loving patient confident attention allowing laughter to bubble with Play Listening or Staylisten as the child’s tears release upset feelings. Both laughter and tears resolve the upset and create connection.

Parent Resource Group

Parent Resource Group is a structured meeting of parents who take turns listening and talking about the things that matter to them following the Listening Partnership guidelines. The shared struggles, success, love and sadness build community that empowers all involved.

Features of Why Good Babies Cry

Key neuroscience facts related to early child development

Evidence based model for
successful caregiving in a baby’s first year

Understanding your infant and baby’s emotions

Listening skills for everyday life that turn struggle into connection

Stories of strife and triumph

Deep appreciation for the hard, vital work of caring for babies in their first year

"From a pediatrician's perspective, this is a sigh of welcome relief for sleepless, weary parents."

David Blank, M.D. of Longmont, Co

"From a pediatrician's perspective, this is a sigh of welcome relief for sleepless, weary parents."

David Blank, M.D. of Longmont, Co

About the Author

Pamela Oatis, MD

Dr. Oatis, nurtured her own children and also has provided primary care pediatric services to thousands. She has done research, spoken at many events, leveraged resources to provide health care for those in need and and is writing a book.

Pam Oatis, MD, has been a pediatrician for 30 years serving central city and rural families at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio. In addition to primary care pediatrics she established the Mercy Family Care Team to serve children with complex illness ensuring medical care and resources including Hand in Hand Parenting.