Every new mother has heard it at least once. In fact, so many parents are terrified of doing it, they go a bit too far in the other direction. Spoiling a baby is not the dreadful thing that others might make it out to be. In fact, spoiling a baby is perfectly natural, and even necessary for a happy, healthy baby.

Spoil Your Child

Every child should be spoiled. Children must be lavished with as much parental time and attention as possible, and every need, if not want, should be met quickly and fully. Of course, no parent wants a child who fully expects to receive every item his little heart desires, but small unique toys and plenty of extra time together speak volumes with young children.

Children, even infants, know when they are being well tended. Children granted a great deal of time and exclusive attention from parents have been shown to be calmer, more focused, and even more independent. This is the premise of the new wave of Attachment Parenting. When children have no question as to their value and love, they are more confident and self-assured. While this is only a generality based on studies, research is clear that spoiling children, at least to a degree, is actually a good thing.

Go ahead and hold your baby. Rock her, play with her, carry her, and snuggle her as often as you like. Find unique toys or gifts for your baby to ensure her comfort and happiness. Order a new plush toy or spend the evening showing your baby the best way to build block towers with his soft or wooden toys or how to love a teddy bear. Wrap your newborn in a faux fur blanket as you spend the evening singing lullabies. There is nothing more powerful for a young child than his mother’s loving touch, so there is absolutely no reason to not lavish love and attention on your precious little one.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Of course, there are certain dangers that come with unabashedly spoiling your baby- although most do not appear until the child is out of the infant stage. While it is wonderful to rock a baby to sleep, there will come a time when your young one will simply want to lay down, and you should encourage this as learning to fall asleep is a crucial skill. If a baby is held constantly, she might also lag behind in some developmental areas, so be sure some of your time together is spent as “tummy time” activities or helping her “walk” around the room. Developmental toys are an excellent way to spend time together while aiding baby’s growth.

Finally, the most prominent fear of most new parents is that by spoiling their baby early in life, they will create a tyrannical toddler. This can certainly happen if parents give in to every whim, but generally, the occasional developmental toy or new teddy bear will not become a routine expectation. Of course, there is no reason for your child to not anticipate your undivided attention as often as you can offer it. Undivided parental attention is a child’s right, not a privilege. Spoiling it seems, is simply the best part of parenting.