Reprimanded (Gently) for Letting My 2-Week-Old Grandson See My Face When Parents Want Him to Go To Sleep

The parents want you to be the child’s caregiver when they return to work so you are good enough to do that but they completely disregard your feelings which is hurtful. If they had mentioned their new technique beforehand I would have understood their reaction. It sounds as if there might be difficult times ahead for you.

Babies learn through watching faces and facial expressions, how can you not smile when looking at a child, one punishment is to not look at a child especially if they have been naughty.
However, if we ever snuck into the babies rooms we were careful not to look at them because we would smile and they would suddenly be wide awake!
If the baby is difficult to get to sleep maybe it will work, but it seems a difficult thing to do.
As Monica says there seem to be so many rules that young parents dream up, it’s a wonder our babies survived to be fairly normal adults.

It is amazing the rules now applied by parents to ensure the well bing of their babies. I cannot imagine how the human race has managed to grow so much given the conditions and circumstances most babies coming into the world now, not to mention the billions that have been born over the aeons of time have been born and brought up.

I can find nothing about this technique of getting a child to sleep online. It seems counter intuitive, since a child gets comfort and reassurance from seeing a familiar face, no matter how indistinct. We have a photo of me and DS when he was only a few weeks old and his eyes are fixated on my face.

I get the feeling you were hurt because of the situation, not the actual look, as if you were being excluded from DC's unusual world.
It is very early days and I would leave them to establish their own routines and sit back in wonder about rods to break backs.
A couple I once met had decided, from birth, never to put their baby into nappies. I often wonder "where are they now!".

Morning Newgranny. I just want to say that I understand how you felt at the gentle reprimand. It happened to me once or twice when my daughter had her first baby. Although it hurt a bit I said nothing, letting the moment pass, much as you did. As first time parents I think probably we were all a bit 'touchy'. Try to put what happened out of your mind. Every generation has new ideas and this idea is a first for me. Enjoy the rest of your time with your family, especially the little boy.

He’s 2 weeks old! Blimey, their baby their rules. He won’t be able to focus properly yet so won’t have a clue you are looking at him. Face patterns do attract babies attention so if they are trying to get him to sleep it makes sense not to try to stimulate him.

What I think is over the top is your reaction to it unless they were really unpleasant to you ?
Did they ‘tell you off’ or just say ‘don’t look at him we re trying out a new method for getting him to sleep’
It’s really not worth thinking twice about
I d think they re making a rod for their own back if they are getting him to sleep in their arms each time

Enjoy your lad and don’t take things to heart