I have a new dcb that is a few days away from being a year old. He has never been away from his mother, except for with a family member - grandma I think.

Anyway, this kid cries pretty much constantly. Yesterday, I had to tell the mom that she has to pick him up before 3pm when my older boys get home from school because he is terrified of them and screams and screams until she picks him up at 4:45 - 5pm. I can't help them with their homework, I can't even speak to them because this kid is screaming his head off in my kitchen and if they even move or speak it revs him up and causes him to claw my face or the back of my legs.

The mom seemed a little bit upset, but I explained to her that if it doesn't work for everyone (meaning the care situation), then it doesn't work for anyone, and right now, my older kids need to be able to do their homework and the other babies need to be able to take their naps (no one got a nap yesterday) in the afternoons, and right now, no one can do anything because this baby cries nonstop. He screamed the ENTIRE time I made breakfast and fed the other kids yesterday morning, and no one wanted to finish eating - they just wanted to get out of the kitchen where he was screaming. I even tried holding him and he wriggles and attempts to jump out of my arms.

My question is, how long do you deal with a screaming baby/toddler before you let them go? He's back here this morning and I've had to put him in the pack 'n' play in the other room because after holding him for over an hour and a half while he screamed in my face and clawed my chest and arms, I have to take a break. I'm not sure if this is something I can deal with on an ongoing basis. I feel like I have quite a bit of patience when it comes to babies and their crying, but this is going right through me. I let my 18 month old sleep in and I'm keeping no other babies today and tomorrow so that I can hold him and give him additional attention, but so far, it's not really helping at all.

All the other babies I've kept went through a sort of adjustment period where they cried quite a bit, especially when getting used to my older children coming home in the afternoon (they are all 12, 13, and 17), but nothing like this. Not screaming and clawing at my legs or face. My older children already give up quite a bit so that I can do this, and they have to give up their bedrooms in the afternoon in order to let the babies nap, so it's not like they have somewhere else in the house they can go!

What would you do?

Thanks in advance for your help.

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