Pat Pat Pause

Our childcare provider told us about a child calming technique that her father-in-law swears by: Pat, pat, pause. Adrianna has fallen in love with it. It basically consists of us lightly patting her diapered bottom in rythmic fashion of pat, pat, pat followed by a pause.

When Janette first used it on Adrianna when trying to get her to take a nap, Adrianna wouldn’t let her stop. When Janette would try to stop, Adrianna would take her finger and point to her bottom. She wanted more.

Janette told us about it and so we tried it. I will say “pat, pat, pause” as I do the three pats and Adrianna will say it right along with me. We do this while we sit in the rocking chair together or when it is bedtime and she is laying in her crib. If I stop before she wants me to, she will say, “Pat, pat, pause” or will do the patting of her bottom herself to signify that I am not done. It has become a fun little game for us. Pat, Pat, Pause.