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Home › Articles › Behavior › Toothless Grins

Toothless Grins

10 Ways to Make Baby Smile

By Renee Roberson

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10. Imitating Animal Noises

"This week, my son is enamored with pig noises," says Jessica Brockmole, a mom from Edinburgh, Scotland. "If I oink like a pig, he'll giggle up a storm. When she was a baby, my oldest would smile every time Daddy trumpeted like an elephant or made monkey noises (complete with hopping around and scratching his armpits). I remember many sessions at the photographer getting pictures taken for the grandparents with my very reluctant husband hopping around and making monkey noises behind the photographer's shoulder."

And If All Else Fails: Tickle Time

Gentle tickling will usually prompt a smile from your baby, and this is also related to the importance of touching as a bonding ritual. "Touch is very important in that it lets the baby know their caregiver is there, and safe and familiar," Dr. Geary says. Focusing on your baby playfully with tickling is another way to reinforce the fact that you are there for your baby no matter what.

So go ahead and break into your best rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm," buy a jumbo pack of bubbles and play peek-a-boo with your baby every chance you get. And be sure to document as much as you can on film, because years from now you might have forgotten how well you could blow raspberries!

Reflex vs. Real Smiles

Most of us have had the discussion on whether or not a baby's smile is real, or just "gas-induced." But how would gas prompt a baby to smile?

"Before the age of 2 months, most experts would agree that the infant does not have the cognitive ability to recognize a familiar face, process it and respond with a real smile," says Dr. Natalie Geary, a pediatrician in New York City. "Smiles prior to 2 months are generally considered to be reflex smiles, like a burp or a facial movement motivated by intestinal cues, and not a responsive smile. Infants smile in response to a pleasant sound or full stomach."

In addition, parents can expect their baby to smile responsively at family members around the age of 6 weeks. Social smiles and laughs start occurring around 4 months of age. But remember, all children develop at a different rate.


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