When the child begins to really smile. At what month does a baby begin to consciously smile, which can make a baby smile? Baby's first smile

From birth, the baby often cries for various reasons. Sometimes young mothers from impotence can cry with their baby. And it seems that the joyful moment of the first smile on the face will never come. But do not despair, this moment is closer than you can imagine. When a child begins to smile, how can parents not miss this joyful event? We will try to answer this and other questions in our article.

Let's first try to find the answer to the question: why does a newborn smile? At the very beginning of his life, everything happens at the level of innate reflexes and is completely unrelated to the conscious act.

The first smile on the face may appear a few days after birth. Such a reaction can be observed during sleep, bathing or a fun game.

Why do newborns smile in their sleep? This may speak of their inner peace and satisfaction. Conscious laughter appears 1-2 months after birth in full-term babies. This is due to the development of muscles on the face, the beginning of the work of the part of the brain that is responsible for this process. It is during this period of his life that the baby begins to consciously recognize native people and express his reaction not only in the form of crying, but also with a smile on his face.

Complex brain process in the body

This state is a sign of complete peace and tranquility. This can happen during sleep or wakefulness, when the baby is next to a loved one and enjoys it.

Many parents are interested in the question: when does a child begin to consciously smile? For this, it is necessary that the body starts important processes, namely:

development of the corresponding facial muscles and nerves;
development of the corresponding zone in the brain.

I have been watching children since their birth. To the question of parents, when the babies begin to coo and smile, I can say for sure that not earlier than 1.5 months after birth. This moment is different for everyone.

Main, remember the importance of constant communication between parents and the child, because ignoring can lead to very disastrous consequences.

Often parents do not immediately notice any deviations in the development of the baby and therefore do not seek help. I strongly recommend dealing with children from their very birth, and in case of the slightest suspicion, contact qualified specialists.

Smiling is the exact opposite of crying when the child is in an anxious state (he is tormented by pain, anxiety, etc.). We advise you to find out the time norms for the appearance of the first tears in the article.

All reactions are activated already by the end of the first month of life, and in the second one they are an integral part of behavior, and in order to demonstrate a conscious smile, the baby must reach the age of 2 months after birth.

When a child begins to smile, a complex chain of reactions occurs in his body: with the help of his visual apparatus, he recognizes the emotions associated with a certain process (playing with mom or dad, bathing, etc.), then a signal is sent to the brain department that responds for relaxation of facial muscles. This is how the first conscious smile appears.

What can bring a smile to a baby's face?

game with mom or other loved one. You can use the game in "Okay", the story of a funny nursery rhyme or song;
as a response to facial expressions in an adult (grimace of parents) or seen funny pictures.

When and why does a newborn begin to gurgle and coo

The most dear person in the life of every child is a mother. After all, the baby is with her from the very moment of its creation.

Many young mothers are interested in when newborns begin to coo? This process also occurs approximately 2 months after birth.

So the child learns the world and talks to himself, begins to coo, pronounces the sounds "a", "o", "I".

It doesn't last long a month after the baby began to coo - cooing begins.

If the baby knows how to smile, walk - this means that the development and knowledge of the world around is happening normally. All mothers know when a baby cries - something is bothering him. For example:

tummy hurts (how to help your baby with colic - read);
he is tormented by hunger or thirst;
cold or hot;
restlessness in a dream;
She wants her mother to pick her up and caress her.

When the baby smiles, he is calm and happy. A sleepy baby is a happy baby. This process brings great joy to mom. What can it mean when a child starts to walk and coo? In this case, the baby learns the world and learns to talk to him. Physicians call it "complex of revival".

This also includes chaotic (at first) movements of the arms and legs. With this behavior, the child tries to communicate with his mother, to show that something is bothering him, or vice versa. When children begin to hum, they reproduce the sound they hear and like. This may include a smile on the face, twitching of arms and legs.

Ignoring the kid

Constant contact with one of the parents will help the baby quickly adapt to a completely new world for him and give such a long-awaited smile.

If the mother does not react in any way to the signals of anxiety of the newborn, behaves quite coldly and indifferently, ignores the baby - this leads to a delay in his development.

It must be remembered that the full development of her crumbs depends on the mother.

This includes reading books and looking at pictures. At the very beginning, the process lasts several minutes, until the baby learns to focus his attention. Give your baby a massage every day, do gymnastics.

If a mother is always engaged in household chores or herself and does not pay attention to the baby, this leads to his isolation in the future.

It is required to regularly engage with the baby: sing songs to him, tell rhymes, do morning exercises and try to evoke positive emotions.

Principles of Positive Parenting

There are 5 basic principles for parents:

1 To be different or different. It must be understood that each individual child is an individuality and parents must accept this fact and develop their characteristics in them.

2 Everyone can be wrong. This principle says that the baby can make mistakes, and parents should recognize and be able to forgive them, each time giving a chance to start all over again. That is when you can count on the right development.

3 Everyone has negative emotions. It is worth remembering that when experiencing negative emotions, the baby badly needs the support of his parents. If he gets it, he understands that he is not alone.

4 Need to want more. According to this principle, it is necessary to give an independent choice in all the endeavors of the baby. Only in this case, parents will not be able to suppress, but on the contrary, will develop his individuality and uniqueness.

5 The ability to say "no". This applies to parents who allow their little baby too much. You should always be able to stop and forbid if it can harm him.

The baby has no emotions - a reason for excitement

If by 3 months after birth your baby has never smiled, this should cause concern. This deviation may indicate the development of autism. Pay attention to the Apgar score given to the baby at birth.

In this case, you need to visit a pediatric neurologist and pediatrician. They will make the correct diagnosis, or dispel fears.

In order to cause a smile, you need to make a minimum of effort: put the baby on his back, bring your face closer to a distance of about 30 cm from his eyes and tell a funny rhyme. In response, you will receive sincere emotions. It is recommended to show bright pictures in books, colorful toys, such as musical ones. Take the time to study on, and as a result, your goal will be achieved.

Each child is an individual. We are all different in temperament, this also applies to small children: someone smiles often, someone vice versa. There is no need to force if the child does not have the corresponding desire, all people are individual and show their emotions in different ways.

Conclusion

Young parents need to be patient - a conscious reaction in response to a smile will definitely appear in due time. It must be remembered that regular development sessions will help speed up the process. If by the age of 3 months the baby has not smiled and is not babbling at all, consult a specialist for a consultation. So it is possible to diagnose dangerous pathologies at an early stage.

Watch a helpful video that tells the stages of baby development by months and the skills he acquires:

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. A helpless baby is given all the grains of energy and strength, taking care of him 24 hours a day. A young mother is looking forward to the reward for her labors - 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 only be a few weeks after the birth and the mother will know when the child 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 amount of truth in this, at the reflex level, the newborn has an unconscious muscle movement. 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 the 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 will not be able to make his parents happy with a perky smile at such a young age.

When a child smiles consciously

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

The first facial expression of the lips is a reaction to:

familiar faces, their facial expressions;
vocal stimuli (lulling songs, affectionate words of the mother, clapping);
visual perception of inanimate objects (toys with large faces);
pleasant touches on the body.

The second month of a child's life is decisive for the further development of mental and psychological skills. At this age, he exhibits the so-called revival reflex. The kid recognizes the voice of his parents, shows interest in surrounding events, rejoices at 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 baby starts to hoot

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

When a child starts cooing and smiling for the first time, parents drop everything they are doing and run to the call to communicate. This is the best time to make contact with the baby, now he is just learning to interact with people around him. Through motor activity, facial expressions of the lips, cooing, the baby conveys his attitude to the events he has seen and heard. Mom should take him in her arms more often, talk, sing different melodies. Her gentle voice will evoke positive emotions, on the face of the baby, though toothless, but such a beautiful and sincere smile will shine.

Conscious smile training

Parental 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 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, this is a sign for parents to begin teaching feelings. It is necessary to choose the right moment to practice a smile. It is better to leave communication at the very peak of wakefulness, when he is full and colic does not disturb him. The kid needs to build funny grimaces, tickle the heels, make funny sounds.

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

opens wide eyes;
often makes sounds (gulit);
fidgets on the back;
trying to get the object of interest to 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 a break from new emotions for him. Often, parents entrust the education of a newborn to older children, and it is they who become the first witnesses of a conscious smirk.

What to do if the child does not smile

Usually, by 2-3 months, children delight all the people 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 ability to grimace, then this should alert the parents, become the basis for an unscheduled visit to the pediatrician.

Reasons for not smiling:

Deviations in the development of the cervical spine. The child cannot hold his head.
Scattered attention and lack of coordination of movements;
Mental disorders and diseases of the central nervous system.
Genetic diseases.

Early diagnosis of these deviations gives a chance to correct the child's behavior already at an older age. Give him the opportunity to develop emotionally and psychologically in order for social adaptation to be 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 fade 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.

They say nothing in the world is worth a child's tear, and it's true! And the first smile of a newborn is an incomparable happiness that is remembered for a lifetime. After the baby smiled at mom and dad for the first time, they are ready to forget everything - sleepless nights, whims, fatigue, because this is a real reward for their care and love.

The first smiles are unconscious!

Mommy begins to fix the first smile within a few days after the birth of the baby. But it is necessary to understand that the first 2-3 weeks of their life, babies express their feelings unconsciously, reflexively. So far, the smile of the crumbs is just a signal that he feels good, that he feels comfortable. In fact, we will see a slight curvature of the lips, similar to a smile, directed to nowhere and not addressed to anyone. The kid is not laughing yet, these are spontaneous, uncontrollable manifestations of his facial expressions.

When does a baby begin to smile consciously?

A conscious smile is a later phenomenon. For it to appear, the child needs to “ripen” physically (dozens of facial muscles are involved in its appearance), intellectually (it is the result of complex brain work), and also mentally. In order for him to start smiling consciously, he needs to learn how to process the information he receives from the outside.

Children begin to give us their first conscious smiles at different times - everything is very individual. But not before the end of the first month. Only by the 6th - 8th week, or even later, when the newborn baby more or less develops vision, and he can focus his eyes on mom and dad, you can expect the first emotions of joy and pleasure expressed by a smile.

He begins to respond to the smile, to the look of the mother, to her touches, hugs. Smiling while feeding, bathing, swaddling. The more you communicate with the baby, cooing, building faces for him, the sooner his first smile may appear. When your newborn starts smiling purposefully, you can't miss it!

A child's smile is a mother's happiness

Smiling as a means of communication

The first smiles are quick and fleeting, because the child does not yet know how to concentrate on anything for a long time. But gradually the baby begins to distinguish the person who cares about him, and respond to him.

An infant of 10-12 months old already distinguishes living from non-living things well. This gives him the opportunity to emotionally react to a living object - actively move and twist his arms and legs when it appears, look into his eyes. Pediatricians call this the "revitalization reflex." The recovery reflex indicates the normal development of the baby.

Multiple studies and observations of children in the first year of life have shown that they begin to smile, as if reflecting the affectionate treatment, facial expressions, smiles of the mother and other people around. Such smiles are the first signs of not only physical (“I am full, I am warm”), but also emotional communication (“I feel good, I am satisfied”) with the outside world.

What actions of adults contribute to the appearance of a baby's smile?

Why do some adult actions make children smile? This question was asked not only by parents, grandparents, but also by specialists in child psychology and pediatrics. So, a child psychologist, a specialist in the field of communication between children and adults, M. I. Lisina, revealed patterns of interaction activation in the following situations:

the adult is in the field of view of the child, but behaves passively - the newborn is actively trying to attract attention to himself with sounds, facial expressions, movements, and the more passive the adult, the more active the child;
the adult is in the field of view of the child and smiles - the baby perks up, tries to smile back;
an adult enters into communication with a child through a conversation - the child reacts to speech with grunting, cooing, and other sounds;
an adult enters into communication by stroking, patting, and other touches - the child freezes, listens to sensations, he is calm, can walk for a long time;
an adult communicates with a child in a complex manner, including verbal, tactile contact and a smile - the child calms down, smiles back.

With the help of a smile, the baby expresses his good mood

Each mother instinctively feels her child, which gives her the opportunity to apply to him not individual elements, but everything in a complex. Words uttered in a soft, friendly voice, gentle quiet songs, emotional hugs, stroking, light massages, rocking, cradles begin to engender the first communication skills in the child, which will subsequently help him communicate in society.

The baby begins to smile more often if mom and dad talk to him with kind intonations, attract attention with affectionate facial expressions and gentle touches. This is no longer just a physiological reaction, but the beginning of a baby’s communication, his entry into meaningful contact with the outside world, a mutual connection with an animated being, in a word, life adaptation.

How to speed up the appearance of a smile

The affectionate, joyful appeal of the mother and other family members to the newborn will help speed up the appearance of the first smile.
The smile of mom and dad is a kind of “training” program for the baby, and it doesn’t matter how many months you start using it. If he sees the smiling faces of loved ones every day, he will soon begin to copy this behavior himself.
It is also a fact that those newborns whose parents devoted enough time to the emotional atmosphere of communication, namely, they carried the baby in their arms, talked to him, sang children's songs, developed faster, which means that they had a smile earlier. Incredibly, such children begin to radiate smiles by the 5th week of life.

So, everything is very simple: for the appearance of a smile on the face of your child, attention, love, and interest in him are necessary.

All children are different!

Many newborn babies smile by nature, and parents wait a long time for smiles from some babies. It all depends on temperament, character. Do not be afraid if the baby rarely smiles. Perhaps this is his natural feature.

It is worth taking care of the problem only if the newborn does not smile at all, and he is already 2 months old. Then it is recommended to consult a pediatrician.

Can something please a young mother after a difficult day full of worries, after a sleepless night, more than a baby's smile? Only his first smile! Agree, peering into this happy face with lips stretched in an uncertain smile, you forget about everything in the world: about crying all night long, about a stiff back, about still fresh, not the most pleasant impressions from the hospital and you understand that you love this miracle the most in the world!

The first smile of a child is a ray of sunshine for mommy.

From the unconscious to the conscious

Sometimes a newborn begins to smile even in the hospital, literally a day or two after giving birth. But such crumbs usually smile in their sleep and their smiles are not a manifestation of joyful emotions, but rather just a spontaneous contraction of the facial muscles (doctors call such a smile a reflex smile). But still, watching the smiling face of a sleeping baby is so nice!

By about 6 - 8 weeks (sometimes by 10 - 12), when the child's vision improves, when he can already distinguish faces tilted towards him and focus attention on them, he has the ability to express joy and pleasant feelings with a smile.

Often, simultaneously with this skill, the baby begins to move his arms and legs more actively, tries to "look" into his mother's eyes. Pediatricians refer to this behavior as the "revive reflex." It is believed that at this time the baby can already distinguish living objects from non-living ones and begins to be more interested in the first ones. The presence of such manifestations is a clear evidence of the normal, proper development of the crumbs.

Hey Barsik, look at me! Do like me, do like me!

Remember that in order to smile, you need to use 17 facial muscles and it is very difficult for a baby to do this! And besides, at this stage of development, he still needs to learn so much, to comprehend so much! Therefore, you should not focus on the fact that at 6 weeks and 5 days the baby is not smiling yet (although the girlfriend is already laughing with might and main) - better rejoice at his small victories and achievements!

Such friends will make anyone laugh.

It seems to us that the baby smiles consciously solely because he feels good, comfortable, because mom and dad are nearby and smile at him, because nothing hurts.

Psychologists say that children very quickly understand that a smile is another way to manipulate adults, to tie their attention to themselves.

However, in any case, it is clear that a laughing baby cannot be dissatisfied with something! Let it attract attention with smiles and laughter rather than crying and tantrums!

, this is a huge stress, both for the baby himself and for his parents. The child experiences constant discomfort, cries a lot, loses appetite. In order to somehow distract the baby, it is necessary to occupy him, play with him, take him in his arms more often and hug him.

During the first year, newborn babies should put on weight. However, this process is different for every child. He will tell you more about weight gain in a newborn.

How to teach to smile?

All children are little repeaters. And, of course, the child who sees smiling adults around him will start smiling faster. That's why mom and dad should definitely smile more at the baby, talk to him, show how happy they are for him. When the baby begins to give adults their smiles, they must definitely smile back at him.

The exchange of smiles is the first conscious dialogue, which, according to psychologists, lays the foundation for all social relations of the child in the future, this is his first experience of establishing contacts with the outside world.

A smile forms the foundation of reciprocity, trust in relationships - a child, seeing the reciprocal smile of his parents, understands that they see him, notice that he is important to others.

To make a child smile, a mother must be both a reader, a reaper, and a player on the pipe.

Of course, parents really want the baby to quickly start smiling and laughing. To do this, they show funny faces, and sing songs to him, and try to tickle him, and disturb him - this is quite normal. Only for this you need to choose the right time.

Well, how!

So, you should not try to get a smile from a hungry or sleepy child when he has colic or when he is just naughty. For such “stimulation of a smile”, the baby must be full, dry, well-rested and calm.- such a set of conditions, almost fantastic for a baby! By the way, often babies begin to smile in response to pleasant, light stroking movements, to the touch of warm parental hands.

Even the smallest man in the family should have his own bed, and in it. With the choice of the latter, parents have many problems. Not everyone knows that soft mattresses are categorically contraindicated for babies. The best option would be an orthopedic mattress on coconut fiber.

Most of the time, the first year of his life, the baby sleeps, in a dream it grows and develops. They will help organize a healthy sleep for a newborn.

When should you start worrying?

The unwillingness or inability to smile is extremely rare in itself, without additional physiological signs or functional impairment. In the presence of serious problems, neurologists and pediatricians ascertain several deviations in the development of the child at once, in addition to the lack of a smile:

inability to hold head
complete reluctance to contact with other people,
inability to focus even briefly.

Leave me, I don't want to see anyone.

In any case, you need to remember that all children are special, each development occurs in its own way. In addition, babies by nature are more or less smiling, and all parents are also emotional in different ways. Therefore, do not rush to panic and sound the alarm! But, of course, with the least doubt, it is better to talk to the pediatrician, discuss the moments that concern you and calm down.

All kids are different. Remember, everything has its time.

The first smile of a child is really happiness. But once again, we note that when a child begins to smile, at how many weeks is a purely individual matter and there is no need to be equal to faster developing peers. The main thing is that the baby is healthy, that he grows up in an emotionally calm atmosphere and that his parents surround him with love and affection. And believe me, very soon he will turn from a little capricious into a laughing, happy life peanut!