I once heard a story about the amazing baby calming chops of a father from Boise, Idaho. At a neighborhood softball game, his wife sat in the bleachers, their baby on her lap. When the little girl began to wail, the dad immediately called a timeout, sprinted from third base, 5 S’ed his little baby into serenity and ran back to his position…all in under 2 minutes. The crowd went wild!

Men don't typically excel at breastfeeding, but we’re quite good at swaddling, jiggling and shushing. To us, wrapping babies is like a puzzle to figure out, and we’re pretty willing to put some oomph in our calming. While moms tend to prefer soft singing and gentle swaying, dads are apt to crank up the volume on their shush and add some bounce to their jiggle, quickly reaching needed “takeoff velocity” to flip on the calming reflex.

Remember, the 5 S’s only work if done just right. Time and again, dads prove they’ve got serious game!

About Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, one of America’s most trusted pediatricians, is the founder of Happiest Baby and the inventor of the groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper. After years of treating patients in Los Angeles, Dr. Karp vaulted to global prominence with the release of the bestselling Happiest Baby on the Block and Happiest Toddler on the Block. His celebrated books and videos have since become standard pediatric practice, translated into more than 20 languages and have helped millions of parents. Dr. Karp’s landmark methods, including the 5 S’s for soothing babies, guide parents to understand and nurture their children and relieve stressful issues, like new-parent exhaustion, infant crying, and toddler tantrums.

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Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider.