Five month old's need for attention

Don't worry. His grandmother's doting is not the cause of your son's current behaviour. He has to have time to adjust to the loss of his grandmother's special attention. By crying, your son is expressing his reaction, not only to the new surroundings, but to the loss of time with an important figure in his life.

Your son's 'fits of crying' are likely to be a sign of distress rather than an attempt to get attention for sake of entertainment. He really is under stress and he needs extra care. You and his mother will definitely need to address his very real needs for attention that are quite high in the first year of life, especially as he is adjusting to your new situation.

He may need extra soothing. Be patient and allow him to adjust in the only way a baby can - through crying and fussing. Imagine yourself in his position. The familiar furniture, the smells, sounds and even the people have changed. A baby has no control over life and must accept change without understanding.

You and your wife can help your baby cope by holding, cooing and other forms of comforting that let him know things are still all right. Being comforted through this period of adjustment will calm him and the three of you will discover your own routines and rhythms.

Bear in mind that you and/or your wife might also be doing more, and so you two may also be grumpier than usual. Although you will no doubt enjoy being on your own as a family, it may also increase your responsibilities and you will feel the effects of doing the work that grandmother used to do, which may leave you more tired and with less patience for your baby. You too will adapt to the new workload.