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Home › Articles › Babies › Baby's First Emotions

Baby's First Emotions

Learning to Identify and Nurture Little Feelings

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After nine months of reading baby books, first-time mom Kelli Cedars of Kokomo, Ind., knew at what stage her baby should be able to roll over, push up and crawl. But when it came to her son's emotional development, "I was pretty clueless," she says. "Other than the social smile, I didn't know what to expect or if there were things I should be doing to help him along."

"I don't think a lot of parents give much thought to emotional development," says Child Development Specialist Vicki Folds, vice president of education for Tutor Time Learning Systems, Inc. "But more parents are beginning to realize how important they are in the first year of their baby's life. They're laying the foundation for their baby's personality later on, and it's the time when babies are forming their impressions.

"Exactly where Mom and Dad fit into the picture is where some parents are looking for guidance. And that's no surprise – emotional development isn't worn on the sleeve like physical development," Folds says.

What to Expect When
With that in mind, here are some general rules of thumb for when your baby will begin expressing particular emotions:

  • "At age 3 to 4 months, babies have more of a sense of joy and an intense interest in the human world. They'll also express anger and surprise about this time. They want to feel joy; they need lots of face-to-face contact and cuddling," says Dr. Rebecca Unger, a pediatrician with Children's Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Children's Practice in Chicago. It's around this age that babies are beginning to recognize and differentiate between family members. They're trying to attract the attention of their parents, they smile easily and they respond with coos and gurgles.


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