A Mom’s Trick To Stop Her Baby From Crying In The Car? Take A Selfie!

When it comes to parenting, it’s always better to work smarter, not harder, and this California family has come up with the ultimate hack for calming babies in the back of a car. Sometimes, all a baby needs is to see their mother’s face, and that’s what the Ciccone family proved when Jacquie Ciccone’s husband Matthew had a genius idea: he took an extremely close-up photo of a smiling Jacquie with his cell phone, blew it up to a huge size, and placed her face on the back of the seat for their 5-month-old daughter to see.

And it worked like a charm.

In an interview with TODAY, Jacquie told the publication: “I’ve tried everything… pacifiers, singing, a portable sound machine, her big brother trying to make her laugh, you name it, I’ve tried everything.”

“Nothing worked. She just wanted me,” she said.

This is actually science at work and it makes perfect sense because from 1 to 6 months, babies still feel like their mother is an extension of themselves. You know how once your baby is born, it’s like your heart lives outside of your body? It’s similar to how your baby feels about you (or anyone else who cares for them).

This theory is called separation individuation and was proposed by Margaret Mahler, according to Psychology Fanatic. “According to this theory, children go through different stages of development, gradually becoming more autonomous and independent while developing a sense of self separate from that of their parents. The process involves the child’s exploration of the environment, the formation of a sense of self, and the ability to develop meaningful relationships with others,” the website states.

Maher’s stages include: During the period of 1 to 5 months, babies go through a “normal symbiotic stage,” during which the baby recognizes the caregiver as the source of his needs, but does not see him as a separate entity from himself.

According to a Babycentre article, babies are only aware of their immediate needs, such as food, love, warmth, security and attention, and they depend on you for each of their needs. So they don’t see themselves as a separate entity yet. That’s why this tip worked for the Ciccone family.

In the video they posted on Instagram, which has been viewed more than 65 million times, their daughter is shown smiling, cooing and laughing at the cutout of her mother’s smiling face.

Jacquie captioned the photo: “When your baby hates the car but loves your face. Thanks to my husband for printing this terrifying photo and for the idea. We love you.”

As frustrating as it is to deal with a crying baby in a car, you at least have this trick to help you. And maybe knowing that he feels like you are an extension of him will help you feel less annoyed and even shed a few tears at the sweetness. Take a nice smiling photo and put it in your baby’s field of vision while you drive for a pleasant and stress-free ride.