Why smiling is good for your child
Most of us can’t help smiling at our babies every chance we get. The urge to make them smile back can keep us busy for hours.
Smiling at your baby is important because it:
- plays a part in bonding and attachment
- helps your baby feel secure and safe
- helps your baby develop and learn about the world.
Your child reads your face and uses your facial expressions as a guide to her world. When your baby gets lots of smiles, it can tell her a lot about her world – that it’s a safe, secure place where people respond to her needs, for example.
Smiles are the first building blocks for healthy relationships. And healthy relationships are crucial for your child’s early development. Through relationships, children learn how to think, understand, communicate and show emotions. Giving and receiving smiles are also the first steps your child takes in learning how to be social and have good relationships.
And, of course, seeing your baby smile at you makes you feel good – and it’s good for your brain too!
Source: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/whats_in_a_smile.html
