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The newborn smiles often. Time for development and relaxation. How to teach a baby to smile

A smile of a small child is always a small celebration for his mom, dad, grandfathers and grandmothers. And what can we say about the first smile - it is like a gift from heaven, a reward for sleepless nights and hard parenting work. Why doesn't he do it, while the neighbor's kid of the same age gives everyone a smile? These questions are asked by many young parents. We will try to answer them in our article.

The smile of a child is not only a pleasant event in the life of a family, but also an indicator of normal mental, physical and mental development, the beginning of the child's socialization. Therefore, the moment, consciously, is a kind of next step in the long road of its development.

"My child began to smile while still in the hospital!" - say many mothers. Don't take their words to heart. What they call a smile is just a grimace, an unconscious contraction of certain muscles that looks like a smile.

Answering concerned parents when asked about the appearance of the first conscious smile in an infant, the pediatrician will tell them the age of 1.5-2 months. This smile is usually addressed to the mother (or the person replacing her). Much depends on the environment of the crumbs: if from the very first days next to the baby, caring parents who communicate with him all the time often pick up, maintain eye and voice contact, he will start smiling as early as 6 weeks. If less attention is paid to the child, this will only happen by two months or a little later. Therefore, do not be discouraged if your child does not smile for a month, there is nothing wrong with that. You just have to wait.

When the child begins to smile, we can talk about the formation of the so-called emotional-motor reaction of the baby in response to the appearance or appeal of an adult to him. This complex begins to form at the age of three weeks from birth: the child freezes and stares with concentration when an adult's conversation is directed to him. Later, by two months, this reaction develops into a smile, humming, and when communicating with an adult. The peak of the formation of the revitalization complex is four months of age. Later, laughter appears, but the smile is less and less often given to strangers, even if they speak affectionately with the baby, often he will even cry in such cases.

By how many months the child smiles, one can to some extent judge the atmosphere in the family, the attitude of the mother towards him, her emotional state. Even if you think that the child does not understand anything, talk to him, this way you will speed up his speech and psychoemotional development: he will start to walk and smile earlier.

Experts say that boys are less likely to look into the eyes and start smiling later than girls of the same age. Therefore, if you have a son, spend more time communicating with him.

The period when the child begins to smile can be decisive in the development of his relationship with his father. The baby begins to send signals, and if the father responds to him with facial expressions and voice, a special emotional connection will be established between them, even if it was not there before.

The day your child starts smiling will be the beginning of a long but interesting process in his life - socialization.

The first month after the birth of the baby is a very difficult period for the mother. Sleepless nights, not very pleasant memories from the maternity hospital, crying crumbs, a numb back - all these hardships accompany every woman. However, the first child's smile overshadows any adversity, it is not surprising that parents are often interested in the age at which children begin to smile. From our article you will learn how this happens and whether the first manifestations of positive emotions in a child are conscious.

Young mothers are encouraged to find a smile instead of the usual cry. Sometimes it occurs already on the second or third day, but at first it has an absolutely reflex origin. A happy baby's face can be seen after eating (the so-called stomach smile), in a dream, during water procedures. This is not an emotional response, but simply a reflection of the calm state of the newborn.

Features of the development of babies

Newborn children are farsighted. Their vision is significantly different from that of adults. Babies can only see shadows, light, moving people, outlines of things, but they still cannot copy their mother's smile.

In psychology, there is such a concept - a complex of revitalization. This is a set of reactions addressed to parents and other close people, which includes:

  • recognition of faces;
  • happy smile;
  • fussy movements;
  • humming (drawing out individual sounds).

The revitalization complex normally appears in three to four weeks. However, the timing of the occurrence depends on whether the baby was born full-term or not. Neonatologists note that babies born prematurely begin to smile a little later than those babies who were born on time.

By the age of eight months, children already realize who is in front of them - a loved one or a stranger. They reach out to their parents, smile, show only positive emotions, but in response to the smiles of strangers they may burst into tears.

And yet, at how many months will newborn babies develop a conscious smile? Usually at 6-8 weeks, when the baby learns to focus. Doctors consider it normal and an interval of 5 to 12 weeks when the baby reacts emotionally to a human face.

A "real" smile implies that the child begins to distinguish between inanimate objects, things, and people. This skill shows that he is developing correctly. When a baby smiles, a complex mental activity takes place, consisting of:

  • recognition of feelings, moods and emotions of family and friends; 
  • transmitting signals to specific areas of the brain; 
  • work of the muscles of the face.

Interesting information: 17 facial muscles take part in the "creation" of a smile. In addition, the baby recognizes the mother's face, her voice and emotions. He will never smile in response to her displeased shouts.

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Smile and hum

Another important indicator of normal development is speech skills, which are closely related to emotional state. This is why parents are often interested in when a child starts to walk and smile. It is the humming (or gurgling), which forms in the age interval from 2 to 7 months, that refers to the first signs of the formation of speech.

First, children pronounce the simplest vowel sounds: "oo-oo-oo" and "ah-ah". Then they are gradually transformed into sound combinations, which are somewhat reminiscent of syllables: "ma-ma", "yes-da", "a-gu", etc. Among themselves, parents call it humming, and pediatricians and speech therapists - vocalization.

The first the baby speaks more sounds for himself than for his parents. He seems to be talking to himself, "savoring" new impressions and opportunities. Then, with the help of sounds, the baby attracts the mother's attention, and when she responds, he begins to smile. .

Many parents worry about not waiting for the moment when the child begins to smile and gurgle. Worry about the absence of agukanya should only be after 8 months. If the pediatrician and narrow specialists say that the baby is developing normally, smiles, but is silent, he can be taught to gag.

Mom's conversation with him, commenting on all his and her actions will help to induce the baby to a conversation. Parents should speak emotionally (not loudly, but with emotions), fluently, clearly and affectionately. When the baby connects to the conversation, you need to repeat his sounds, adding new syllables and words to his "repertoire".

In addition, finger gymnastic exercises, hand and palm massage will help stimulate those areas of the cerebral cortex that are responsible for emotional and speech development.

When should you worry?

The lack of a smile in particular and the recovery complex in general can be considered a sign of impaired development if it is accompanied by additional physiological symptoms. It is possible to talk about deviations if neurologists note in an unsmiling baby:

  • inability to hold the head;
  • lack of desire to communicate and interact with people around;
  • inability to focus on any subject, even for a short time.
In this case, qualified assistance will be required, since the parents will not be able to cope with the above difficulties on their own. The pediatrician will advise you to undergo a comprehensive study of the child's body to determine the cause of the disorders.

If the child is developing normally, but does not please the mother with a smile, you should not worry. First, each baby develops at its own pace. Secondly, children differ in temperament or, more precisely, in the type of higher nervous activity. Someone is more emotional from birth, while others are more self-possessed. And finally, perhaps the parents themselves are holding back their emotions.

How to teach a baby to smile?

It's no secret that babies copy the behavior and habits of their parents and other significant adults. Psychologists are sure that the baby who is surrounded by smiling relatives will start smiling and laughing sooner. If you want to see a joyful baby face, follow two simple rules.

Rule # 1. Exchange of smiles

Experts recommend smiling more at the baby, communicating with him, demonstrating your joy from his presence in your life. And when he starts to rejoice and gurgle touchingly, you need to give him a return smile.

According to experts in early development, the exchange of smiles is the first conscious dialogue, which becomes the basis for the child's future social contacts with the people around him. That is, a child's smile (as well as crying) is the initial experience in developing relationships with the outside world.

It is curious that when a woman sees her smiling son or daughter, the hormone of happiness endorphin begins to be produced. That is why mutual smiles, touches, strokes are useful not only for a newborn child, but also for his mother.

Rule # 2. Good Mood

Of course, every mother wants her little one to learn to smile and laugh as soon as possible. Funny faces, and funny songs, and tickling, and braking go into business. It really helps, but only if the timing is right.

Don't expect smiles from hungry or sleepy kids, especially if they're being tortured. In order to cheer up the baby, several conditions must be observed - the child must be well-fed, dry, slept and in a good mood. Yes, this does not occur very often, but you need to try to catch this moment. So, the first children's smiles are real happiness for parents. They usually appear at 6-8 weeks, but it is very difficult to accurately answer the question when the child begins to smile.

Don't match up with proactive peers. If a child is healthy, grows up in an emotionally stable atmosphere, adults surround him with love and tenderness, it means that very soon he will give mom and dad a happy and contented smile.

After the birth of a child, the rhythm of the mother's life is so exhausting that she does not even think about any joys. All crumbs of energy and strength are given to a helpless baby, taking care of him takes 24 hours a day. A young mother is looking forward to a reward for her work - the first smile of her beloved baby. But do not rush things, because the baby's brain develops according to the natural plan. It will take only a few weeks after giving birth and the mother will know when the baby begins to smile consciously.

Baby's first smile

Many parents claim that their baby began to smile almost immediately after birth. There is a very small grain of truth in this; at the reflex level, an unconscious muscle movement occurs in a newborn. At the same time, it seems to adults that he is smiling, usually this happens in a dream. The older generation even came up with an explanation: an angel kisses a baby in a dream, so he expresses joy with his lips. But the fact is that for a conscious smile, a person needs to use more than 15 facial muscles. A child simply cannot make parents happy with a perky smile at such a small age.

When a child smiles knowingly

At the age of 6-8 weeks, the child learns to make eye contact with loved ones and the surrounding objects. Mom may notice that the baby is staring intently at her face, trying to remember, to react emotionally. When the baby begins to smile consciously, then the complete identification of the parents occurs in the consciousness.

The first facial expressions of lips are a reaction to:

  • familiar faces, their facial expressions;
  • voice stimuli (lulling songs, affectionate words of the mother, clapping her hands);
  • visual perception of inanimate objects (toys with large faces);
  • pleasant touch to the body.

The second month of a child's life is crucial for the further development of mental and psychological skills. At this age, the so-called revitalization reflex manifests itself. The kid recognizes the voice of his parents, shows interest in the events around him, rejoices in familiar faces.

Along with the first smile, other signs of the "revitalization reflex" appear - chaotic movements of the arms and legs. In pediatrics, this behavior of a newborn means the normal formation of mental activity.

When the child starts to gurgle

The next stage of development is "humming". Now the baby has already learned to please mom and dad with his sincere smile, to attract attention by intense twitching of the limbs. And suddenly, the parents of a 2-month-old baby do not hear the usual crying, but positive sounds - gurgling. A joyful cry of a baby occurs against the background of some interesting and surprising event for him.

When the child begins to gag and smile for the first time, parents give up all their affairs and run to the call for communication. This is the best time to establish contact with the baby, now he is just learning to interact with the people around him. Through motor activity, facial expressions of the lips, gurgling, the baby conveys his attitude to the events he saw and heard. Mom should often take him in her arms, talk, hum different melodies. Her gentle voice will evoke positive emotions, although a toothless, but such a beautiful and sincere smile will shine on the baby's face.


Learning to smile consciously

Parenting responsibilities include the emotional development of the baby, it is worth giving enough time to play with him. Some young parents believe that at this age the baby is helpless, does not understand anything, so they leave him in the crib even when he is awake. This is a big mistake, because without contact with relatives, the baby will not learn to adequately respond to external phenomena, will not be able to show his bad or good mood.

When children begin to smile consciously, it is a sign for parents to start learning the senses. You need to choose the right moment to train your smile. It is better to leave communication at the very peak of wakefulness, when he is full and does not bother with colic. The kid needs to make funny grimaces, tickle the heels, make funny sounds.

By the behavior of the baby, you can determine the willingness to give relatives a smile:

  • opens wide eyes;
  • often makes sounds (hum);
  • fidgets on the back;
  • tries to get the object that interests him.

Regardless of what time the baby begins to smile, training should be stopped for a while if his mood has deteriorated. This can be expressed in fussy movements, a wrinkled forehead and curvature of the lips for further crying. At the same time, mom should stop grimacing and singing, take the baby in her arms and just be silent. He needs to take a break from new emotions for him. Parents often entrust the teaching of a newborn to older children, and they are the first to witness a deliberate grin.

What to do if the child is not smiling

Usually, by 2-3 months, children delight everyone around them with their contagious smile. Even the most serious toddler will find something to rejoice at. But if by this age the child does not have the skill to grimace, then this should alert the parents, become the basis for an unscheduled visit to the pediatrician.

Reasons for not smiling:

  1. Deviations in the development of the cervical spine. The child cannot hold the head.
  2. Distracted attention and lack of coordination of movements;
  3. Mental disorders and diseases of the central nervous system.
  4. Genetic diseases.

Early diagnosis of these deviations gives a chance to correct the child's behavior already in adulthood. Give him the opportunity to develop emotionally and psychologically so that social adaptation is more painless.

Every mother, seeing the first smile of her baby, forgets about fatigue and all unresolved problems. It is such a happiness to watch such a helpless but dear creature. All problems go into the background when the child begins to smile consciously. The main thing is to start a dialogue with a still unintelligent creature, to give him protection and confidence.

A baby's smile is the happiness of every loving parent. When a child begins to smile, the difficulties that were before are instantly forgotten. The constant lack of sleep, fatigue and other hardships of parental life are relegated to the background. Is your baby smiling at you? If the answer is yes, this article will help you figure out how meaningful this smile is. If not, you will learn why it is, and when to start worrying.


What do the very first smiles of newborns mean?

The first smile of a child is the result of a reflex. It has nothing to do with positive emotions. This is a small facial spasm, the nature of which scientists have not yet figured out.

Previously, it was believed that the reason was that the baby's gaziks were gone, but this is not the case. The kid smiles when he is comfortable. This smile does not play any social role. It appears during feeding or sleeping.

At what age does a baby start smiling and laughing consciously?

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Conscious emotion is a matter of time and painstaking work of the body. Expressing our emotions in this way every day, we do not think about how many tens of muscles are involved in the work and brain impulses are made before the mouth stretches out in a sincere smile. Such complex operations become within the power of a baby from 4 weeks after birth. Due to individual characteristics, this period can last up to 8 weeks, this is a variant of the norm.

Do not worry if the newborn is in no hurry to please parents with a smile or does it rarely. Remember, there are also people with different characters and temperaments among adults. Perhaps your baby is growing up to be a serious person and is not going to smile over trifles. Pay attention to your emotional background and your spouse. An infant's sullenness can be a reflection of the example you set every day.

At the same time, the absence of a smile for more than 8 weeks indicates a violation of the mental and physical health of the child. It is associated not only with emotions, but also with the beginning of the development of speech. Pay a lot of attention to your baby so that he doesn't remain sullen. Show vivid pictures, tell stories, and are always there. Non-verbal contact is important - the use of gestures and facial expressions.

The appearance of laughter is stimulated by a variety of toys - give preference to bright and noisy ones. Use colorful flashcards to communicate what is depicted on them. Starting from six months, teach your baby the sounds that animals make. He remembers syllables well, and this contributes to development, including emotional. To make the baby laugh and smile, do it yourself.

By what signs can one understand that a child is consciously smiling and laughing?

Defining a lucid smile is easy. This is not only a change in facial expression, but also additional emotions. Children begin to "hum" affably, make sounds like laughter, happily swing their limbs. The sign of the most positive emotions is when the child starts laughing. To establish contact with those present, the baby looks into the eyes. In a comfortable environment, this means that the laughter is quite conscious.


The role of the witness of the first manifestation of emotions goes to the mother. It is not surprising, because it is she who is the guarantor of comfort. Snuggling to the mother, the newborn feels safe. He is with her the longest, recognizes her touch and voice. During the first 6 months, the baby will show miracles of sociability: smile, laugh, calmly lie in the arms of strangers. Over time, this passes, and until the conscious age he trusts only his parents.

How to behave so that the baby smiles?

Pediatricians and child psychologists have tried to figure out the reasons for children's smiles. They came to the conclusion that some actions of others can be an additional stimulus to positive emotions. A specialist in communicative exchange between children and adults M.I. Lisina identified a number of actions that can make a child smile:

  • The first action, paradoxically, is the absence of any action. Children love to attract attention, so a gloomy adult is instantly targeted. The baby actively "communicates" - smiles, laughs, gurgles. When a child starts laughing out loud, he or she may just do whatever it takes to make the gloomy adult laugh in return.
  • An adult's smile evokes a mirror response. This is especially true for parents and other "their" adults. The kid already roughly understands with whom he needs to take an example, and is actively engaged in this. If the parents are constantly in his field of vision, talk calmly and smile, the child also begins to actively show positive emotions.
  • Conversations. Of course, the baby is still too young to understand the meaning of speech, but he reacts very well to intonation. It can even actively "respond" through grunting, humming and other sounds.
  • Make tactile contact. Touching and stroking is soothing, comfortable and, of course, elicits a smile.
  • Use all suggested techniques. Any task must be approached comprehensively. In order for the child to be comfortable, both tactile and verbal communications are important.

A smile in a baby, like that of an adult, is a means of expressing positive emotions. A mother usually feels her child, and therefore it is not a problem to make him smile. One has only to listen to the sensations in order to understand what will bring the greatest pleasure. Perhaps the child lacks songs or laughter, or maybe he wants a light massage or swaying.

A smile is the child's first conscious means of communication. So he finds out by what laws communication between people is built. Parents should talk more often and attract the child's attention in every possible way. The better communication is built, the more sociable the baby will be in adulthood.

The ability to smile is more than a physiological response. This is a small brick, with the help of which further communication with people will be built.

Concerns and medical attention

The lack of a smile in itself is not a reason to sound the alarm. Functional disorders are accompanied by several additional symptoms. A doctor should be consulted if, in addition to a smile, there are the following symptoms:

  • the baby is not able to hold his head, even when he had to learn this according to all existing norms;
  • he is closed and does not make contact with anyone, including his parents;
  • have difficulty focusing on one subject for a long time;
  • at an older age, there is a tendency to hysterics, boycotts.

Do not rush to take your child to the doctor again. Perhaps your baby is special, he is thoughtful and does not want to smile in vain. If all other medical indicators are normal, the problem is most likely in the child's temperament. Everything has its time, so there is no need to try to cure something that does not require treatment. It is much more effective to let the baby know that he is safe and everyone loves him. Just give your child care and attention, and you will see that soon he will answer you with a smile.

It happens that a newborn smiles already in the first days, and even hours of life. But such smiles are not yet conscious and spontaneous. They are just a sign that the baby is comfortable and calm at the moment. Often this smile can be seen during sleep or after feeding a baby.

A real, conscious smile requires a lot of effort from the baby: more than a dozen facial muscles work and complex brain activity - recognizing the face, voice and emotions of a loved one. This usually occurs between 4-8 weeks of age. A real smile is easy to recognize: the baby looks closely at the person who is smiling. Here it is important for joy not to scare the baby with a loud exclamation, but simply to smile quietly at him in response. If the baby continues to smile, you can start a dialogue quietly. And this will be just a dialogue, since a smile is a way of communication between a child and you, as well as crying, gurgling and other signals of a baby. This dialogue is the foundation of all social relations.

When does a baby smile?

By the end of the first month, a baby's smile may appear as a reaction to:
some pleasant event (mother's song, toy, clapping);
positive emotions of an adult (laughter, smile, benevolent facial expression);
affectionate touch (massage, stroking);
recognition (the child can smile at a clear image of the face in a magazine, doll).

How to make a baby smile?

The best condition for the appearance of a baby's smile is to be in a comfortable environment with a loved one, when all his basic needs are satisfied. Children learn by repeating as adults, so your smile can be an invitation to smile. At the same time, you can bring your face closer to the baby by about 20-30 cm. It is interesting that mothers, at the sight of a crumb's smile, produce the hormone of happiness endorphin, so mutual smiles are useful to both of them.

At the same time, you should not persistently try to make a child smile, because all children have different temperaments by nature. If the baby is serious, this does not mean that he is unhappy. The responsiveness of the parents plays an important role. The kid must definitely get feedback - a smile or an affectionate word from an adult in order to understand that his emotions are recognized. Of course, this does not mean that you need to catch every baby's smile, but when you are around and see her, be sure to respond. There is no clear time frame for when babies start smiling. But if this has not happened by three months, it is worth talking to the pediatrician.

The kid is just learning to maintain eye contact with others, to respond to sounds and touch. Turn on for a while quiet classical music, a mobile mobile with toys over the bed, talk affectionately with the baby and soon he will delight you with his angelic smile.

The first smile of a dear baby gives parents joy and a feeling of long-awaited emotional return. Therefore, young mothers often look for an answer to the question, at what age do babies start smiling?

At what age do babies start smiling?

Of course, all children develop at an individual pace. However, it is considered normal when he began to smile at the age of 6-8 weeks. However, some babies smile as early as 4 weeks, while others start only by the third month. This is absolutely normal, because all people have a different temperament and character: one just wants to be called “ulybaks”, while others are more like a beech, they are shy or see no reason to smile.

Sometimes mothers proudly tell how their child, while still in the hospital, began to glow with smiles. However, this is only partly true: a smile is only a reflex phenomenon, and it usually does not express any positive emotion, it is still unconscious. At the same time, they will not smile if something bothers them, and the half-smile on the face of a newly born baby is a signal that the baby is comfortable and calm, he is full and satisfied.

How to determine that the baby has begun to smile consciously?

This can be done quite simply. A child's conscious smile is usually accompanied by joyful "jerking" of the legs and arms, friendly exclamations, and a gaze into the eyes.

The baby most often gives the very first smile to the mother, who is usually by her side day and night. It is her smell and voice that he already knows how to unmistakably recognize among thousands of others. However, you should not be surprised if a child smiles at first at everyone in a row - both his own and others. This is normal, and this situation will continue until about six months. After six months, children usually stop smiling openly at strangers and are less willing to go into the arms of strangers "uncles and aunts."

Can you help your child learn to smile?

Yes, you can. There are some simple tips on this matter. For example, you can take the baby in your arms, start talking to him affectionately, hum a melodic song to him and at the same time smile broadly. At the age of one and a half months, babies are already showing their desire to be like the people around them, and for sure the baby will begin to imitate an adult, try to smile.