Baby

Meet Elizabeth and Laura. They're about the same age (nearly 10 weeks) and, coincidentally, both have two big brothers. But that's not the most important resemblance.

What Elizabeth and Laura have most in common is their temperament.

"Elizabeth is a really fussy baby," says her mom, Laura Lirette. "She is just never happy or content when awake. You have to keep her moving; she won't ever just sit on my lap without bouncing, rocking, walking or swinging."

How about Laura? "Naps during the day are non-existent and she hates to be put down," says Jessica Schmitt. "She doesn't like the swing, she hates the car seat and she often refuses a soother." This mom's salvation has been a baby sling that allows her to carry on with her busy life with a "baby on board."

Laura and Elizabeth are not "fussy" because of parental spoiling or incompetence, stresses Aletha Solter, who is a developmental psychologist at the Aware Parenting Institute in Goleta, California, and author of The Aware Baby. Being an effective parent to a high-need baby starts with accepting that she really does require the extra care and attention she craves.

Each high-need baby has unique sensitivities, so there are no shortcuts to discovering what works best with your own child. Still, there are some basic principles that can make life with your little live wire easier.

Originally published in Today's Parent, August 2006