80:20 Rule

Have you ever noticed the 80 : 20 rule?  You know, that 20% of people on a project are doing 80% of the work?  Or that when people form impressions of you, it’s 20% what you say and 80% how you say it?
 
I think this also applies in some ways to moms and babies. For sure when you talk to a baby, they do respond to how you interact with them, and how you say things. Babies will laugh and smile at complete gibberish, young children love to comply with silly requests to get dressed, but become stubborn and defiant with demands to hurry up and put on your sweater.  A friend was telling me how she makes a game out of getting her little one to put her socks and shoes on.  Now, they race the clock to see who can put their socks on faster, instead of constant reminders to “Put your socks on”. 
 
Babies are like this too, when introducing any new feeding routines, foods or techniques. It’s a dance where success is more dependent on how fun, calm & nurturing you are, rather than having the feeling that we need to do this “at all costs.” Feeding babies is a highly emotionally charged experience when you break it down.  Some parents worry that the baby is not getting enough and could become sick.  Others, worry that the baby is eating too much and will be overweight.  All of this is dependent on parents own relationships with food. 
 
I think it comes down to the 80 : 20 rule here to.  It’s not necessarily what you’re doing, it’s how you’re doing it.  If a mom is comfortable with her choices, no matter what they are, the baby will pick up on that calm confidence and be less likely to be anxious and fussy.  This is a difficult skill when you’re just starting out, and many moms have told me it gets easier with the 2nd or 3rd.  So maybe the old rule to take a deep breath, or take a few before trying to get a baby latched on, or introducing a new bottle or nipple will help you get to the 20% of how you do something.