Shut up tricks!

Reading a different thread, I realized someone is throwing cheese puffs on the floor to make the kids shut up - very funny and unexpected. It made me think of my trick to make them shut up. Whenever my babies scream, all I have to do to shut them up instantly is to go to a sink and turn the water on. For some reason that sounds shuts them up insntantly, NO MATTER how upset they may be. It's strange and I discovered it by accident, but hey, it helps us a lot, really. Also the teething books that make a scrathy noise they calm down if we use that one also, but the water is easier. The books are good on the go - in the stroller or car.

So I am curious, what else do you guys do that makes your babies shut up and calm down? I hope we can all find some good tricks.

 

I wish I had a trick! My son cries all the time. Usually, its a sippy cup of water that will quiet him up, but not every time. I'll be watching this thread to see what others have up their sleeves.

 

The faucet used to work for my boys when they were only a few weeks old - or a few months old. Then we realized that Baby Einstein - the one with the Seasons - if we skip to Chapter 6 where it's the really upbeat music - that immediately shuts them up, and still does! Over the summer, we could also bring them outside ... amazing how one second they are screaming, then once we are through the door, it's complete silence! LOL

 

Sippy cup of water or a mum-mum. And right now they love "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" :smilie_xmas_116:

 

When our boys were newborns and really colicky my go-to trick was to swaddle them up, put them in a bouncy seat in our dark bathroom with only a nightlight on, and then turn the tub water on. They could be screaming bloody murder, but within a minute they would stop crying, and within a few minutes they were usually asleep. When the tub was nearly full I turned on the whirlpool jets and turned the water off, and they would sleep like that until their next feeding. Amazing what the sound of water can do

 

When my guys were inconsolable as tiny infants, I would sing The Lion Sleeps Tonight at full volume. 2 repetitions of the chorus and they would be stunned into silence (kind of like the aliens in Mars Attacks when they heard that Slim Whitman song, but without the exploding heads ). Not sure how I stumbled upon that trick, but I used it *a lot* during the first year!

 

Arghhh, I wish I had known that one!!

I am a big puffs fan! I also use the TV sadly. We watch Sprout - a 24 hour pre-school channel. That usually shuts them up quick. Sesame Street, The Wiggles, The Mighty Jungle... they are my friends!

 

Snow White or their CD of children's music

 

Sesame Street CD and "feeding the chickens." :lol: Someone admitted that in the confessions of the SY, and I was so happy that I wasn't the only one who fed my kids this way.

 

My twindles and my DD2 calm down to "Oh Holy Night" and "Silent Night". Too bad I don't have a nice voice. I feel sorry for whomever is around when I start singing the notes to Oh Holy Night. They also like the song Margaritaville and It's Five o'clock somewhere. Sad I know...songs about drinking but I think it was because I listened to them a lot when I was pregnant. It doesn't calm them down like it used to though. The Christmas songs work better. I was actually thinking about making up a cd to play in their room at nap/bedtime of those songs. lol

 

In the early days - Running water and the Vacume worked great. So did taking them outside.

Now, if they get upset, I call for our dog. They love to 'look' for him around the house. When the find him, they will climb on him and pull his hair. The dog is fine with it, so I am too! Also, we use sippy cups, TV (but they still are not that in to it)...don't get me wrong, I'm totally going to be a mom that uses the TV when I need to. My new motto is no shame in staying sane, what ever it takes!

 

I don't know if this is considered feeding the chickens or not, but we have a small square ottoman with tray on top (the padded ottoman top turned upside down) in the living room. And that is where we ALWAYS sprinkle puffs, raisins, goldfish, whatever their snack is. When they get cranky after dinner (and I know they probably aren't even hungry) yet they are throwing tantrums for no reason, I drop a handful of puffs (ie. flavored air) on that ottoman just to shut them up and it works every time. I also try to use a wipe to clean it off periodically since our cat likes to lay there sometimes... :unsure:

 

Running water...Wow. I would have NEVER thought of that! LOL! I will be watching an infant starting in February-I'm going to have to remember it!

Let's see...I remember many times picking up both boys on my hips, the remote control in my hand, and singing/dancing to the radio. They could be hysterical and that would instantly calm them down. And now at three, it STILL works!

Baby Einstein videos. Those are always great. My kids were big on the Baby McDonald and Baby Noah.

For Annabella singing, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" did wonders and well as the ABC song.

 

Runnin water and the vacuum

 

LOL - my boys LOVE BOTH of those songs!! Singing those songs helps to quiet them right down!

 

Has anyone tried bubbles?

 

Yes! My guys would get to laughing hysterically when I blew bubbles, and Jack would try to pop them with his head. :lol:

 

Pig noise, they alway laugh so hard every time I make big noise 100%..BUT they don't when their dad does it lol. Maybe its their mommy thing hehe