When do babies purposely smile

Daily reading is another excellent way. If there are no words by 18 months, raise your concerns with your pediatrician, who'll want to rule out hearing problems or screen for developmental delays. If you're looking for a little insight into your own habits, look at your toddler, who will often begin pretend play by imitating you.

At 21 months, Carina Kilroy would jump at the chance to "catch up with friends" via the family's cordless phone. You could tell she was trying to sound just like me," says her Reno, Nevada--based mom, Dana Kilroy. There's also a serious side to pretend play -- it's critical to building your child's symbolic thinking. Ultimately, a baby who lives in a rich learning environment will have lots to smile, coo, and babble about.

Maureen Connolly is a former Parenting health editor and a mom of three boys. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Around 8 weeks, development in the brain's front temporal lobe the brain's speech center lets your baby coo. Member Center: Sign In Register. Your baby: 10 milestones for the first 2 years. Next story in Health.

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Recruiting suicide bombers London was lucky Cars in London rigged as bombs Second explosives-packed car foun Soviet culture returns CNN U. Here, 10 milestones that are worth paying a little extra attention to during your child's first two years: 1.

Eye contact between 6 and 8 weeks This is one of the first milestones you'll notice, and it's a big deal not just because your baby is finally paying attention to you, and following you with her eyes, but also because it indicates that her neurological growth and ability to communicate are on track.

Social smile This isn't the spontaneous smile that happens when your few-hours-old infant passes gas or your 3-week-old grins at the ceiling. Cooing During your baby's first several weeks, she communicates mainly by crying. Babbling Eventually your baby will move on to babbling. But if you prefer not to care, that's just fine!

Newborns may smile when passing gas, falling asleep, feeling comfy or peeing. Feel free to revel in those sweet first smiles, no matter what their cause.

Who could blame you? Before she launches her first full-fledged social smile, you may see your baby doing lots of smile trial runs, practicing and exploring how her mouth moves. For a social smile, she'll use her whole face, not just her mouth — you'll notice the difference when you see it.

Her social smile will soon become another way for her to communicate with you and connect with the world around her. To help your baby along, smile at her, cuddle her, play with her and talk to her often. You can't spoil a newborn, and numerous studies have shown that babies who receive lots of parental care and affection early on develop faster, have larger brains and are more sociable.

So if you can't wait to see those first real smiles, snuggle away, and smile at her like she's the best thing since sliced bread which, really, she is. Just as some adults are quicker to smile than others, some babies are too.

Your baby will start to realize that moving his lips and grinning will bring him more attention from you and others. As he becomes more in tune with you and more socially engaged with other adults and children, his brain development will advance. This increasing engagement may also help him become more distracted from everyday internal sensations like hunger, gas, and fatigue.

The more he socializes, the more he will appreciate these new experiences. This early form of socializing is all important to his ongoing social and emotional development. Every baby develops in his own way and at his own pace. Until then, be patient and know that eventually you will see that first smile. Generally, reflex smiles tend to be shorter and occur randomly, when the baby is sleeping or tired.

Real smiles, on the other hand, occur in response to something, like seeing her mama's face or hearing a sibling's high-pitched voice, and they are consistent, Dr. Gettleman explains. When it's the real deal, you will see the emotion expressed in your baby's eyes. At first, your little guy's happy face will be in response to a mix of vocal and visual stimulation.

Therefore, he may light up from watching you sing a favorite lullaby or talk him through a particularly yucky diaper change. Later, when his vision improves, simply seeing the face of his two favorite people you and your partner! You'll be the recipient of most of your baby's smiles, but he'll also exchange grins with others that is, until stranger anxiety kicks in at around 6 months.

As your baby gets more smiling practice and enjoyment from seeing people's reactions, he'll start adding sound effects, Dr. By 5 months, your babe may surprise you with full-out belly laughs and squeals of excitement. His brain and nervous system have matured enough to eliminate reflex smiles, and he's now aware that smiling lets him connect with others. Your little one is also beginning to realize his feelings matter and have a direct effect on the people around him.

He'll smile to express pleasure, excitement, contentment, and happiness.