A Poem: Baby Hasn't Read The Book

My Mother in Law is very wise and often chuckles that these babies don't get the 'manuals' that us parents do! This week, I had a day when baby wouldn't nap, and when she eventually did drift off, a waffly poem came into my head... here goes:

Baby Hasn't Read The Book 

Yesterday my baby didn’t have much of a nap.

I’m not sure why- I did try to put her down; Rocked her around; Went for a walk; Tried not to talk- But- my baby hasn’t read the book. The book said put her down in her own bed. Which is all well and good- until my baby screamed off her head... The book said she was over tired or under tired or nearly tired or I was tired? Some tick-a-dee-boo like that. It said she could be too stimulated: brain fully wired. Well, I Googled what I should do and it said: Stand in a dark room and sway, I read. But baby hasn't been on Google- I haven't introduced her yet? So I swayed until my arms were sore, But baby stayed awake instead. I took to Mumsnet and filed through the forums- so much advice? I paid attention to the comment which sounded most nice. But I don't know if baby would've picked the same post? Would she know that ‘mumla20’ suggested a walk by the coast? Luckily we live by the sea, so I took her outdoors, But nevertheless, there was still not a snore. We came home. I downloaded an app. It played the noise of the vacuum... Now how about that? Babe's eyes started to drop! It was working, I thought. Maybe baby had downloaded the app? Six more apps I bought! Out of nowhere her eyes sprung open- It was back to square one! The book said this was the bad habits I'd begun... I wonder if baby knew we were forming such traits? Had she heard about ‘these games' from one of her mates? It was time to change tact, stay at home, in a den. We snuggled. We fed. We sat still. Watched a box set. I did some washing up. She rolled. We sang, then snuggled up again. She shut her eyes. She drifted off. I was chilled. But the book- but the book – Didn’t say this was the drill?! But baby hasn't done the reading, How is she to know? One day it might be rock-a-bye; The next it wont be so. And whilst it might be helpful to read snippets of these things- I’m gonna do whatever works, And embrace all that baby brings!  

(Mum on an Island)