An Unexpected Aid in Coping with Colic
As you navigate the choppy waters that are colic, it’s important to have a sense of humor. Remembering to laugh is one of the things that can make a huge difference in how you cope with this parenting challenge. (We were blessed with two colicky infants—you can imagine how much sleep we got.)
Our family’s experience may help you. When our family experienced our second case of colic, we were much better equipped to deal with it. And because we knew how trying it could be, my husband and I devised a system to share the responsibility of caring for our daughter while also allowing small breaks for both of us.
It all started one night after dinner when my husband was trying to watch a game on television and I was holding our crying infant. It occurred to me that this situation was an opportunity, so I handed him the baby saying, "She obviously isn't happy with your choice in programs."
A little while later, he returned our still crying child and said, "She was rooting for the team that lost. She's taking it harder than most of their fans."
And so it was born. We had a new unwritten rule: the unhappy baby was his or my responsibility unless we could find a clever way to lighten the tension caused by the hours of crying.
It became a hilarious game of wit:
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"She didn't think he should have been voted out at Tribal Council."
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"She heard what was on the menu for dinner."
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"She can't believe you’re wearing that shirt."
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"She didn't get into Yale."
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"She heard your mother was coming to visit."
We had found the silver lining!
Suddenly, colic wasn't so bad. Giving each other a way to laugh during the stressful times minimized the tension and reminded us that we were in it together…as a family.