Is he a good baby?

I know I'm a word pedant, but this question annoys me. I normally answer "I'm lucky, he's easy to care for" or "I'm having a good time with him". Today I said they're all good babies.

What I think is - he's certainly not done anything immoral, he doesn't swear or talk back and even if he cried constantly I wouldn't consider him 'bad" because there is no evil intention there and I'd love him anyway.

As I say I'm pedantic (don't get me started on 'less' instead of 'fewer") but does this question annoy anyone else?

I always say, I don't think you can have a bad baby :) I also get is he a better baby implying Paris was not, to which I reply I think I'm a better parent... they are both fantastic kids. I hate it too... I think its overall question for "how is he sleeping/feeding etc" but what would happen if you broke down and said NO I'm not sleeping he's not sleeping he's not feeding... I think they'd honestly run in the opposite direction so its a silly question to ask. Wouldn't you love to reply with, no actually we think he might be possessed we have an exorcist coming next week... (straight faced of course), I'd love to see the reaction LOL!

It's definitely a pet hate of mine for sure.

*hugs*
Cailin

I agree - there are no good or bad babies, just BABIES! That said, I have a "good" baby but I always describe him that way - "good" rather than just good, cause like you I don't believe in labelling them....

The other thing I think is 'is there a baby code of conduct he should be following'. I love the exorcist comment.

I HATE IT! it is so annoying. i normally say, she is good most of the time but doesnt like to sleep. but just because she doesn't like to sleep doesn't mean she is bad. it is a silly question for sure and it is amazing how many people ask it, from family and friends to strangers!

I also hate it!. People used to say it about Kaitlyn ..as in ohhh she is not a good baby is she ...as she was not a fan of sleeping much!. I just said to them she was like me ...stubborn and spirited and I love her sleep or no sleep hehe.

The other day a girlfriend of mine said 'he would be the perfect baby if he didn't cry in the carseat', referring to her baby!!!!! WTF.
I detest comments like these. There are no 'good babies' or 'bad babies'. Babies are babies, they all have their moments. If they didn't, then maybe they aren't developing very well!
What I always think about are those mothers that have seriously ill children, or babies with reflux/colic, or babies that just like to hear their own cry, these aren't 'bad babies' at all.
I get asked quite often, is she a good baby, does she sleep through? What makes people think that ALL babies sleep through? Yes, you are very fortunate if your baby started sleeping through at 6 weeks, but the majority don't and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
BTW: these questions I get asked are normally from the older generation ?!?!

My baby is a perfect baby, I don't care how well s/he sleeps, feeds or whatever. It's only when they steal the car and kill someone that they're "bad"!

I agree ryn. I wonder if people think I'm bad because I don't sleep well LOL! Silly!

*hugs*
Cailin

It's a stupid question and I don't think people really think about it before asking it. I think they're just trying to make idle talk and seem interested, iykwim?
I've had all manner of different sorts of people ask me if Gabby is a "good" baby. I was quite baffled the first time I was asked.
Then I wondered... maybe before I had her, I may have asked someone the same question?

DebbieLee, I think it is idle chatter of kind of like asking if you have done your chrissy shopping yet.

Ryn, I agree with you about your baby being the perfect one. My ma swears I never gave her one bit of trouble (I never cried when I woke up, I didn't have teething issues, I always smiled, etc) Well what do you think I found when I was reading some letters she wrote my aunt when I was a baby? A bit where she says "this letter would have got to you sooner but Aurora has been teething and I have had to spend days comforting her" - LOL!!

Similarly, I think my baby is good and a perfect little lamb, even though he woke up the other night at 10,30pm, 1.30am, 3.45am and 5am.

You kow I never thought of this question annoying me until reading this thread... YES it does annoy me, everyone asks if Kiara is a good baby!

I will definatley be saying that they are all good from now on! I have been saying though that I wouldn't care if she wasn't as I am just greatful that she is here!!!

:

---

Next time someone asks me if Ambah's sleeping through, I will scream!!!!!!! My automatic response to "is she a good baby?" is either of course, or I didn't know babies could be bad. But this gets followed up by, "is she sleeping through yet?" I swear people started asking me that when she was 2 weeks old!!!! Also her cousin (8 months at Christmas) has been "sleeping through" since he was 3 weeks old - which meant he'd go down at 10.30 / 11 o'clock at night and sleep til morning. So, he was the perfect bubby of course, and poor Ambah, who would do her big long sleep from 6 or 7-ish til about 6 hours later was the "bad" baby who didn't sleep through (sorry Amy if you're reading this, love Declan heaps, just hate the comparisons).

---

Don't worry hun, know you don't like the comparisons and I don't think I would either.

Each baby is different. As everyone else has said no baby is really a bad baby, they all do things at different times etc. People say my baby was a good baby because he slept through the night, but he normally doesn't sleep much through the day so does that make him a bad baby because he wants my attention during the day since he is awake and I don't get much done.

good baby for sleeping through at night ... bad baby for not sleeping during the day ... you can never win can you lol

Ive never really thought about this question. I get asked it alot and i just say something like 'we are very lucky, shes a happy baby and easy to look after'... or even if i dont want to talk (who wants to talk to strangers!?) i just say ' yes she is very good'. I just think its small talk and i dont take it too serious... i think when ppl say "good baby" it just means is the baby easy to look after. i dont think its a good and evil thing LOL

I really dont' think people mean anything by it. It actually doesn't annoy me, I just say mostly!! I have to agree, crying in the car is AWFUL, wouldn't say it makes coco bad, but it certaintly drives me NUTS!!!!!!!!!!