All smiles! Connecting, communicating and feeling good

When you hear your baby's first giggle, it becomes your family’s collective mission to get as many smiles and laughs from them as you can. Smiling and laughter demonstrate an important step in your child’s social and emotional development and becomes part of their toolbox as a way of communicating with you.  

Smiling is a great way of creating social interactions 

Returning a smile helps your baby to understand that smiling is a way of getting attention from people near to them. These early social interactions for babies, help them build connections about communication and social cues.  

When we see a smile, it’s hard not to smile back.  

Smiling is infectious – it truly is! 

And who can resist returning that smile from your baby’s beaming face?   

A smile makes everyone feel good 

Endorphins are released when we smile,^[1] and this makes both you and your baby feel good. A reciprocal smile also helps your baby know they are safe and secure. 

We love this quote by Dr. Debasish Mridha, physician, writer, philosopher and philanthropist, 

“It’s the smile of a baby that makes life worth living.” 

So, enjoy being silly with your baby, as it helps to develop brain connections, their language and social and emotional skills, as well as building your relationship. 

Reference: 

[1] Johnson, A. (2022) 'What chemical is released when you smile?' Science Oxygen