The Know-Your-Baby Quiz

Who is your baby? Babies, like all people, differ in the way they eat, sleep and respond to stimulation, and in the ways they can be soothed. Whether you believe in nature, nurture or a combination of both, remember that your baby's temperament is an influence, not a life sentence. To fully support and nourish your baby, you need to understand the package he has brought with him into the world.

When answering the following questions, pick the best answer -- the statement that describes your child most of the time.

We suggest that both you and your partner take this quiz separately and then compare answers. It's not uncommon for parents to find they have answered differently. No two people see things exactly the same way.

This quiz is excerpted and adapted from the best-selling book The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect and Communicate With Your Baby by Tracy Hogg, Ballantine Books, 2001. Used by permission.

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  1. My baby
    • cries only when she's hungry, tired or overstimulated
    • cries for no apparent reason
    • cries very loudly, and if I don't attend to her, she quickly gets into a rage cry
    • cries a lot of the time
    • rarely cries
  1. When it's time for her to go to sleep, my baby
    • is very restless and often needs to be swaddled or held
    • cries a lot and seems to resent being put down
    • lies peacefully in her crib and drifts off to sleep
    • generally falls asleep easily within 20 minutes
    • fusses a bit and seems to be drifting off, but then she keeps waking up

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