Many of you know I am the proud mommy of 2 little ones – Darla (age 6) and Andrew (age 4). When my children were infants, they were very happy babies – they rarely cried...I mean they cried when they were hungry…I fed them…they cried when they were wet…I changed them…they cried when they had ‘gas’…I burped them (or cleaned up the baby vomit) – but otherwise they laughed and gurgled and slept and smiled.

When I started adding different charities to my Charities Accepting Crochet Donations Page I came across the CLICK for Babies Campaign and I knew I needed to share this charity with you all.

I never knew there was a Period of PURPLE Crying. I never realized it was the #1 trigger for infant abuse and I never knew other parents and families were going through what must feel like an unending cycle of crying. Based on my own limited experiences – infants who were crying had a need to be fulfilled and as long as you fulfilled the need they would stop crying and smile. When I heard babies crying in public – I silently (and I am ashamed to admit this) “Judged” their parents/caregivers because they were not consoling them and/or not fulfilling the needs of the baby.

I never realized there actually was a period of time when babies underwent normal and natural increased bouts of crying…

I am now much more understanding and compassionate…and my goal is to educate you so you can educate those around you…the next time you are in a public setting and hear an infant crying…be supportive to the parents and educate the ‘Judgemental’ voices you hear around you…it could be the Period of PURPLE Crying…

[Tweet “Stitch a #PURPLEcrying cap, raise awareness, save a life #CLICKforBabies CLICKforBabies.org”]

CLICK for Babies Campaign

To promote awareness of the period of PURPLE crying, the NCSBS (National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome) has developed the CLICK for Babies Campaign in partnership with Hospitals, Public Health Units and Child Abuse Prevention Groups across North America.

The primary goal of this campaign is to educate and promote widespread awareness of the period of PURPLE crying which is the leading trigger for infant abuse in North America.

[Tweet “Do you know what #PURPLEcrying is? Learn more about normal infant crying and support the #CLICKforBabies campaign CLICKforBabies.org”]

During the CLICK for Babies Campaign, handmade hats are donated to be distributed with an information package explaining the period of PURPLE Crying.

The Period of PURPLE Crying is a normal developmental stage of increased crying which begins when babies are approximately 2 weeks old; peaks when they are approximately 2 months old and stops when they turn 3 (to 5 months) months of age.

If you would like to watch a video about the Period of PURPLE Crying, the NCSBS (National Center On Shaken Baby Syndrome) has one available here:

How can we get involved?

We can Crochet (or knit) and donate a PURPLE Hats for the CLICK for Babies Campaign!

The CLICK for Babies Campaign runs from April – December each year. 

The CLICK for Babies Campaign launches the 3rd week in April (Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention week during Child Abuse Prevention Month) and the submission deadline for hats is October 1st. The hats are distributed to families in November and December.

Find your local campaign leaders for donations here: Get Involved! (Canada & U.S.A.). If a campaign in your specific area is not available you may send your donations to:

National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome
C/O Click for Babies: Period of PURPLE Crying Caps
1433 N 1075 W, Ste 110
Farmington, UT 84025

Follow the specific hat making guidelines here: PURPLE Cap Crafting Guidelines

They must be sized to fit a 1 to 2 day old baby’s head and primarily PURPLE (more than 50%) in color.  Hats should have a circumference between 13-15 inches and a height of 4-6 inches. Please do not add pom-poms or chin-straps to the hats as they are considered a safety hazard.

Visit the Stitchers Club! for patterns and more!

I have designed a hat specifically for CLICK for Babies purposes – sized specifically to fit their measurements. You can get your free pattern here: Sweetly Serene Hat

[Tweet “I’m donating #PURPLEcaps to my local hospital to raise awareness about infant abuse for the #CLICKforBabies campaign CLICKforBabies.org”]

Images used with permission from https://www.clickforbabies.org/

For more information about CLICK for Babies please visit their Website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.