There is lots of evidence to show that babies are born with an innate desire to communicate with other humans and that they interact with us long before their first proper smile. From very early on they can imitate the facial gestures of their parents by, for example, moving their tongue and widening their eyes. They are, in fact, programmed to join in the 'social dance' by meeting your eyes in a mutual gaze and by taking turns with these facial gestures. As you probably already know, this behaviour is very effective in attracting and holding your attention!
A baby's first proper social smile generally occurs at about four to six weeks, though it may be seen earlier and dismissed as wind. Psychologist Steve Biddulph says that, as newborns, boys tend to make less eye contact and to smile less than female babies. This means we have to be extra sure to interact and chatter with them, so that they grow to be toddlers who can talk as well as their girl peers.
In a Canadian study of fathers, all said that an important factor in their relationship with their baby was when they were first smiled at and 'spoken to'. Your baby is sending signals all the time and without being aware of it, you will respond by echoing back his expressions and sounds, encouraging your confidence in each other.
The smile is the beginning of being a social person and eventually a huge body of people will have experienced that smile but for now it is yours alone. When we feel fraught and bowed down by the hard work of a new baby, the power of those first smiles never cease to win us over.
A baby's first proper social smile generally occurs at about four to six weeks, though it may be seen earlier and dismissed as wind. Psychologist Steve Biddulph says that, as newborns, boys tend to make less eye contact and to smile less than female babies. This means we have to be extra sure to interact and chatter with them, so that they grow to be toddlers who can talk as well as their girl peers.
In a Canadian study of fathers, all said that an important factor in their relationship with their baby was when they were first smiled at and 'spoken to'. Your baby is sending signals all the time and without being aware of it, you will respond by echoing back his expressions and sounds, encouraging your confidence in each other.
The smile is the beginning of being a social person and eventually a huge body of people will have experienced that smile but for now it is yours alone. When we feel fraught and bowed down by the hard work of a new baby, the power of those first smiles never cease to win us over.
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