A cue-sensitive parent is most likely to:

• A. Only respond to distress
• B. Respond promptly
• C. Overstimulate
• D. Ignore cues

Answer: (D)

Cue-sensitive parenting means paying close attention to an infant’s signals and answering them quickly and appropriately. Babies communicate through cues—hunger, tiredness, discomfort, a wet diaper, or the need for soothing—and they do best when a caregiver responds promptly rather than waiting or ignoring them. This timely responsiveness supports the baby’s nervous system regulation, reduces crying, and helps build a secure bond, because the infant learns that the caregiver reliably meets needs. It also helps prevent overstimulation by matching responses to the baby’s current state. Ignoring cues won’t meet the baby’s needs and can undermine trust and self-regulation. So the hallmark of cue-sensitive parenting is responding promptly to infant cues.