The Baby Whisperer

Open Letter To My Grandsons

Dear Beloved  Posterity,

My mind drifts around these days.
A hazard of old age, I suppose.
Well, it just so happens that I recently witnessed a "toddler meltdown," which caused it to drift way, way, way, back to the days when your grandfather was the baby whisperer.

So, I've decided to pass this skill on to you.
Everybody can thank me later.


So, here's what Grandpa did, back when he was just plain Dad.

Someone would hand him a screaming, wildly overstressed infant or little kid.
No one had been able to comfort or quiet this little soul no matter how hard they tried. The poor child had completely lost it and was hysterical.

Sensory overload was often to blame.
A combination of "too much," happened just before the melt.
A long stretch of "too muches," in most cases.
Things like distant relative holding, car seat incarceration, theme park excitement, noise, shopping, travel, time between naps, all converged in a perfect, tiny storm of epic proportions.

If the little human was a baby, Grampa usually lay down very close to it on the bed or floor.
Right next to the child's ear he began to whisper very softly using his deepest man voice.
I never could hear what he said because the sound was so quiet and low.

He just kept whispering through all the screams and crying.

After a few minutes the screams would lessen in volume and then turn to whimpers. Whimpers turned to tiny hiccups.
Larry would keep man-whispering while starting gentle patting.
Soon the baby was asleep.

Melting older kids would get held in a big hug.
Once I saw a three year old kicking Larry in the stomach with mighty blows while holding him close and tight around the neck at the same time.
Like his little life depended on it.

Then, with these boiling over little people, your grandpa started those close, deep, man-voice whispers and kept it up until calm returned.

After a while the kid would sit quietly on Larry's lap, usually with his head on his shoulder.
Sweat and tear stains dried until he was ready to hop down.

I'm still grateful for this baby whisperer thing of your grandpa's.

I've never known a woman who was able to do this.
Believe me I've tried.

I think it may be that mothers and fathers have different skill sets.
You think that's part of the plan?

***********
"Hear ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding."
                                                                        Proverbs   4:1