5 Ways To Cope When A Baby Doesn't Wave Back To You On The Subway

It's happened to all of us.

You're on your commute to work, struggling not to faint at the smell of body odor coming from the sweaty guy next to you, when you see a cute baby inquisitively looking at you.

You look to the person to your left and the person to your right just to be sure this little one's gaze is truly affixed on you.

It is.

Your heart soars as you realize you are the chosen one. But what do you do with this power?

Making a silly face would be too embarrassing. Talking to the baby would be too forward. You're cooler than that.

You finally muster up the courage to raise your hand and wave at the tiny human with the hopes of reciprocation.

But reciprocation doesn't come. You're left hanging.

Baby rejection isn't easy to deal with, but here are five easy steps to help get you on the right track to healing.

1. Put your hand down.

This step seems like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised by how many people continue the baby wave long after they've realized they aren't going to wave back.

Don't let denial take over you. Lower your hand, and find something else to do with it.

If you're not sure what to do with it. Maybe try putting it in your pocket or using it to get to the next song on your iPod.

Whatever you do, don't get angry and give the infant the middle finger or any other obscene gestures.

2. Grieve.

Being cast aside by a baby is just as bad as losing someone you love. It's perfectly fine to take some time to feel all the feels and throw yourself a pity party.

Feel free to isolate yourself from others, and don't hesitate to take a few days off from work. Wear all black to let everyone know that you're in mourning. Put on some sad music, and, as always, don't be afraid to cry.

3. Figure out what went wrong.

Once your feelings have chilled out and your tears have taken a break, take out your journal and reflect. It's time to learn from your mistakes and start accepting what just happened.

In detail, write out exactly how the incident occurred. Try not to dwell too much on the rejection part, and think about why the baby didn't wave back to you.

Here are some potential reasons:

The baby was too young and didn't have any motor skills yet. Your wave didn't have enough range of motion. The child was too tired to react. Your clothing wasn't colorful enough. They were taught at a very, very early stage not to talk to or gesture at strangers.

Now that you've diagnosed the problem, you're ready to put this in the past.

4. Reach out to your friends.

At this point, you have spent so much time agonizing over being turned down by a little rug rat that you've secluded yourself from everyone you know.

It's hard to recover from being snubbed by a baby, and you need a strong support system to help you through it. So grab your besties, and go out for some drinks! There's nothing like a good night out with the squad to help you get out of your misery.

Good friends listen to your problems. Great friends help you forget about them.

5. Move on.

You've cried your eyes out. You've written pages and pages about that fateful day a little human didn't return your wave. You've drank enough alcohol to forget about all babies.

You're finally ready to rise above the anguish and return to being the person you were before the incident happened.

So get on the train and get back to work. If you see a little cutie in a stroller, don't be afraid to wave at them. You can handle rejection now.

Get out there and wave at all the babies. You've got nothing to lose. You. Got. This.