There are many situations that might require a change of custody. Change of custody can be due to divorce, the death of a parent or can be a situation where the child is taken from his parents and placed with a family member or a close family friend. Regardless of the situation, it’s important for babies to form a strong bond with their new caregivers. There are several ways a guardian can build a strong bond with a baby.
Baby and New Caregiver Spend Quality Time Together
Babies thrive on attention. One of the most important things a caretaker can do to build a strong bond is to spend quality time with the infant. The primary caregiver should provide the majority of baby care during the bonding process. Some experts recommend the new caregiver do all diaper changes, baths, feedings, bottles, dressing in the morning and readying the child for bed, etc. for a set period of time. The baby needs to know who is responsible for his daily care and who will provide his daily needs.
Bottle Feeding Can Strengthen Caregiver-Baby Bond
Feeding the baby from a bottle offers a wonderful way for a new caregiver to bond with his or her guardian. Even if the baby has been taken off the bottle, the caregiver might consider putting him back on for a certain period of time. Bottle feeding establishes good eye contact while the guardian is holding the baby in a secure position. The baby will feel the love and security.
Rocking the Baby in a Glider Rocker or Rocking Chair
Rocking the baby in a rocking chair or glider is another wonderful way to snuggle while spending quality time together. Read to the baby, offer him his bottle or just comfort him with your presence before naps or bedtime. The soothing motion of the chair along with the cuddling he gets will help the infant feel more secure. Spending time before naps or bedtime while snuggling in a rocker or glider will help soothe the traumatized child.
Play Interactive Games With the Infant
Games that garner the infant’s attention while helping him focus on the caregiver will also help stabilize the family bond. Fingerplay, rhymes, chants, handclap games and songs will engage the baby in playing with the caretaker or guardian. Peek-a-boo seems to be a universal game all babies love to play. Just don’t overdue it and stop if the baby isn’t responding well to the attention.
Bathing a Baby Forms a Good Bonding Experience
Offer the baby a bath in a warm, secure and peaceful environment. Talk to the baby so he becomes familiar with your voice. Apply lotion and powder and pamper the baby with soothing aromatherapy after bath time is over.
While the bonding period can be challenging, most babies will adapt pretty quickly to the new family dynamics. As the primary caregiver, do as much hands-on care as possible, play interactive games and spend time rocking the baby in your arms. By spending as much time as possible working on the strong bond, the new baby will most likely adapt and thrive.
Paige Dooly - Paige Dooly is the author of nineteen books and novellas and has written and published over 200 articles. As a homeschooling mother of ...
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