Baby Boot Camp: What You Should Know

While the words ‘baby boot camp’ might bring forward memories of Charlie Sheen and the movie Platoon, no one is going to toss a newborn into barracks and camo. Or are they? Camouflage diapers might sound cool, just don’t call your baby a maggot when he refuses to go on the potty before he’s six weeks old. Seriously, don’t be a Drill Sargent with a 3 day old!

Actually, this sort of boot camp is special training for parents. Think of the program as a crash course in everything there is to know in keeping your newborn happy and healthy. Boot camp is a nickname for any six week program (give or take a few weeks) that will give you the basic knowledge in whatever it is you plan to pursue.

In this case, what you are pursuing is the nurturing of another life. Expecting couples can take the course together or on their own. Whatever works for the parents to be. Some courses are for brand new parents – you bring your infant to baby boot camp. (Don’t expect to see marching babies, though that would be sort of cool).

There are other types of baby boot camp, not just the whole ‘keep baby alive’ course, for parents that are having trouble getting their little one to sleep, well, there’s sleep boot camp. This program helps parents find ways to put their child to sleep without feeling guilty for bribery (who hasn’t promised one more bit of candy or something?), or for letting the baby fall asleep where ever they fall down.

Still other baby boot camps are advertised around the country as ‘tough love’ programs that teach babies how to soothe themselves and so on. Most parents with this sort of baby boot camp are fans of the ‘cry it out’ method of training. Still other parents refuse to even consider this type of ‘camp’, they find that their method of parenting is a gentle style.

Any self-proclaimed expert can start a baby boot camp. Before enlisting in one of these programs, do your research. Find out of the program or class fits in with your parenting goals and style. For parents that prefer a gentle style of attachment parenting, tough love styles won’t work for you. The same is true for parents that think gentle parenting is too lenient. Speak with the program co-ordinator before joining, and to other parents who have used the course.