It’s ICON Week 2025. ICON week is a national campaign raising awareness about infant crying and how parents and carers can cope safely.
If you have a young baby, I don’t need to tell you that coping with crying can be one of the most challenging parts of being a new parent. Listening to a baby cry triggers an instant, involuntary response in your brain, activating alarm-related areas like the amygdala. These alarm related areas of your brain get you ready to act. This includes elevating your heart rate and blood pressure. It can add to the exhaustion that looking after an infant brings.
This year ICON are focussing on the impact of crying on parental mental-health. The ICON website provides great strategies for coping. These strategies include creating a crying plan for those moments when it feels too much. ICON also highlight the fact that human connection from another person, who understands, is hugely important.
Why Connection Matters
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most transformative experiences. It’s joyful, overwhelming, exhausting, and beautiful—all at once. But it can also be incredibly isolating. The long nights, the endless feeding, and the emotions involved can leave new parents feeling alone.
Finding other parents to meet with, whether through baby groups, local meetups, or online communities, is so important. These connections offer:
- Shared understanding: Talking to someone who gets it can be a lifeline. Other parents know the highs and lows, and that shared experience can be comforting.
- Practical support: From sleep tips to feeding hacks, other parents are can be a treasure trove of advice.
- Emotional resilience: Knowing you’re not alone can make a huge difference in how you cope with the challenges of early parenthood.
Building Your Village
If you’re a new parent, here are a few ways to find your community:
- Join a local baby group: Libraries, children’s centres, and community halls often host free or low-cost sessions. You can find out about Home-Start Kernow’s groups in Cornwall here Home Start Kernow Group Support
- Look online: Social media and parenting forums can be great places to connect. Find your local Home-Start and see what they offer.
- Talk to your health visitor or GP: They can often point you toward local resources and support groups.
Final Thoughts
ICON Week is a powerful reminder that no parent should feel alone. Finding other parents to talk to, laugh with, and lean on can make all the difference.
Whether it’s a quick chat over coffee or a Whatsapp chat at 3am, those connections are part of what helps us thrive (not just survive) the early days of parenthood.