Happy Babies: 3 Things to Make Your Baby Smile
There’s little that compares to the feeling you get when your baby looks up at you and smiles for the first time. It’s as though the whole world has dropped away and nothing else matters but trying to make the smile happen again. Of course, babies being babies, what is hysterically funny one minute will bore them the next, so as mothers and fathers we often spend fruitless hours trying to recreate the situation that made our babies smile, to no avail. While getting your baby to smile is wonderful, the real goal is to create an environment in which your child is comfortable, stimulated and happy—that’s when the smiles will start coming thick and fast! Through engagement (such as playing and singing), touch (baby massage, tickling, cuddling) and stimulation (interactive books and DVDs), you can create just such an environment for your child, and raise a happy, healthy and smiley baby!
Engage With Your Baby
Most of the time, the first time we see our babies smile is when we’re engaged in some kind of silly game or chatter with them. Things like peek-a-boo, ‘this little piggy’ and singing songs will help you engage your child’s attention and are likely to make him happy and excited, even if he’s not yet sure of what it all means. One of the primary developmental tools your child has at this stage is mimicry, and if you always have a smile on your face and excitement in your voice, your baby will soon start to show the same emotions.
Stimulation
It is generally not recommended for children under 2 to watch television, but there are some cases in which exceptions can be made, such as with the Baby Einstein DVD series. These are specifically catered for babies in this age bracket, and are highly stimulating and educational. Another great idea for keeping your baby stimulated is to encourage playing with books, especially those which offer different textures and colours to boost your baby’s imagination. While they may not understand the story yet, reading to your child and encouraging he or she to interact with the pages and pictures will not only foster a love of books for years to come, but will aid in development and excitement.
Touch
Making sure your baby is always comfortable is something most of us do instinctively. Hand a new mother a toy doll, and chances are she’ll start rocking it and patting it absentmindedly, so ingrained is that behaviour with her own child! Touch is an important way to show our babies they are secure and loved, and a comfortable, calm child is more likely to be a happy one. Other ways of using touch to make your baby smile include gently tickling their feet or tummies, or using infant massage to relax their little muscles.
These are just a few techniques for ensuring your child is comfortable, happy and stimulated. If your baby doesn’t show it through smiling, don’t worry–some people smile when they are happy, some express themselves in other ways—the main thing is that mother and child are bonded and content.