"In This Moment" Campaign Empowers Parents to Keep Their Cool

Few, if any, parents raise their children without moments of frustration. It is normal for parents to feel discouraged and impatient, and it is normal to feel that they are going to lose their cool.

But many parents think that what they feel is abnormal, and they may feel guilty or isolated because of that. 

Parents should not feel alone or ashamed during these moments. 

"In This Moment" reminds parents to make the right decision

That’s why Children’s Hospital Colorado has joined with Kohl’s Cares and the Kempe Center to launch a positive parenting campaign. Called “In This Moment,” the campaign empathizes with parents and empowers them to make the right decision when their baby is crying and they are about to lose their cool.

Parents, caregivers, physicians, and community members can visit CalmACryingBaby.org to learn more about why a baby cries and how to calm a crying baby from the Kohl’s Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Campaign.

We can prevent shaken baby syndrome

Though children’s frustrating behaviors can cause several negative reactions from parents, including physical and emotional abuse, the campaign focuses on shaken baby syndrome (SBS), a serious type of brain injury. SBS can occur when an infant or toddler is violently shaken. 

Babies’ neck muscles aren’t strong and don’t provide much support for their large heads. When someone forcefully shakes a baby, the baby’s brain repeatedly strikes the inside of the skull, injuring the brain. It is the leading cause of trauma death in children under two, but it is totally preventable.

Campaign inspired by real parents' frustration

This type of abuse occurs most often when a parent or caregiver is alone with a crying baby and there is no one to relieve them. The “In the Moment” campaign seeks to help parents feel that they are not alone in the challenges of parenting, and that it is okay to take a break or ask for help.

Testimonies from parents of young children inspired the campaign. The parents shared their experiences of frustration. “As a parent, you can have your best and worst day in the span of an hour,” said one mother. 

“In that moment when I’m about to lose my temper, I have to remember that it’s just a moment and it will pass,” said another mother. “I have to remember that he’s just a baby and this is the only way he knows how to communicate with me.”

In fact, crying is one of the only ways a baby can communicate. To learn more about why babies cry, how you can help prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome, and how you can share this information with others, visit CalmACryingBaby.org.