Watch out for the thundercloud – it means a flood of baby tears

Will it be thunderclouds or sunshine and lollipops for your baby today?

A few months ago, a friend was telling me about The Wonder Weeks app and how it tells you when your baby will be going through peak learning stages, when they might be fussy and when things will be relatively smooth – well as smooth as being a baby can be. I had no idea how incredibly accurate this app would be – and I mean accurate to the day. By putting in your baby’s due date, it works out when the baby will be learning about patterns or being able to move their hands, do a moving sequence etc.

Here’s one secret to succesful parenting – Hayley Matthews

We have started to have a laugh in our family that when little baby Oryn is grumpy, does he have a thundercloud on his chart which means we’re in for a rough day? When the thundercloud pops up on the chart we all brace ourselves but it’s a great indicator. I joked about that with Harris recently, when Oryn was very out of sorts, and sure enough there it was, bang on, that big thundercloud.

It might seem a bit silly, using an app to predict your child’s behaviours, but knowing that your child is going through a difficult phase and being able to make sense of everything prepared me to be a bit more patient instead of taking it personally.

I realised that all Oryn needed was some extra cuddles and reassurance instead of a fretting mother. It’s all good for the next wee while as we’re full of sunshine and lollipops with a happy little baby again.