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Baby's First Emotions
Learning to Identify and Nurture Little Feelings
- Months 4 to 6 bring lots of baby talk and laughs, and your baby begins responding to his name, but those joyous moments are often accompanied by loud protests, abrupt mood changes and the beginning of stranger anxiety.
- From 6 to 8 months, you might notice a sense of humor in your baby, who is beginning to imitate behaviors. By now, your baby also has a very strong desire to be included in social situations, though he may start exhibiting shyness. Your tone of voice is helping your baby understand just what "no" means, and he's learning that his actions, good or bad, have consequences.
- When your baby reaches 8 to 10 months, he may start yelling for attention, putting on a show for friends and family – particularly if he's rewarded with applause – and becoming bored with the repetitive activities that used to entertain him for hours. It's at this age that the baby will also begin developing more complex emotions like sadness and fear.
- By the time he's 10 to 12 months old, your baby will likely express fear of strange places and situations, give more attention to his favorite people and toys, look to Mom and Dad for cues on whether he should be frightened and start throwing tantrums.
"The key to understanding your baby's emotional development is to use your baby as a guidepost," Folds says. "Read her facial expressions, her posture. She'll let you know what she needs and where she's going from here."
That, coupled with a few tips from pediatricians and child development experts, can help parents feel surer of their parenting skills and help Baby develop a healthy sense of emotions.
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