Saturday Strategery: When You Need to Put Down Your Baby

Before I had my own kids, I jumped at any chance to hold a baby. Particularly if said baby was new and fresh, I could hold that baby for hours on end and love every minute. Then I gave birth to a beautiful boy who wanted to be held ALL THE TIME and would only sleep when he was in my arms and I got very, very, very tired.

Now that my little ones are too big to sit and snuggle for very long, I'm back to sneaking up on friends' babies to hold them whenever I can. But I haven't forgotten how hard it is to have a baby who doesn't want to be put down. And that's where this Saturday's strategery comes in.

If you've got one of those babies who loves to spend hours in the swing or dozes off all alone in the crib, then just stop reading -- and remember to never ever ever brag about the fact that your baby does that (karma is a bitch). But if your baby gives you the stink eye and bursts into tears every time you attempt to place the little angel somewhere other than your own body, read on for a trick.

I learned this technique from another much wiser mom (thanks, L!) and have shared it with others who say it was the saving grace for a child who really wants to believe he's big enough to play like the older kids but can only just hold up his own head.

• Step 1:  Make sure your baby is actually strong enough to hold up his/her own head. This is key -- otherwise, you'll need to wait (and in the meantime, call a neighbor with baby lust and make her hold the baby for awhile).
• Step 2: Get out your exersaucer, even though your baby isn't really old enough yet.
• Step 3: Wrap your baby in a big, fluffy beach towel(s).
• Step 4: Insert wrapped baby into the exersaucer so that the towel(s) hold him/her upright in the exersaucer.
• Step 5: Hold your breath, cross your fingers and say a little prayer.

With any luck, your baby will be so delighted by imagining that he/she is standing up all alone like a big kid that he/she will not notice the absence of your arms wrapped around him/her. Now go do something quickly that requires two free hands -- you never know how long your luck will hold out.

For more Saturday Strategery, check out what to do when your toddler poops in the bath.