Life
As a parent, you want your baby to be healthy above all else. At the same time you also want your baby to be a friendly person who makes those around them feel good. But how do you ensure your baby grows up to be nice when there are some pretty mean influences in the world? It turns out that there are things you do every day that will make your baby friendlier later in life.
It's no surprise that children learn by watching what other people do in different situations. This means your baby is paying attention when you wave hello to neighbors, or thank the store clerk. "Babies are hardwired to be social creatures," clinical psychologist Alison Steier said in an interview with Parents magazine. When you include them in your own social activities and create scenarios just for them, they are able to be more expressive and communicative.
Babies are very smart; their brains are soaking in everything around them. They can pick up on people's moods, and understand when someone is being welcoming, according to Readers's Digest. This is why something as simple as a smile or reading to your child can make such an impact on their development.
These eight every day things are easy to do in the name of helping your baby be friendly — and they are probably things you are doing already.
1
You Smile
When your baby smiles, your natural instinct is to smile back and that teaches kids to have a friendly nature, according to Parents magazine. Additionally, when you smile and interact with your little one, it helps them develop social and cognitive skills.
2
You Make Them Share
Sharing toys teaches kids to think of others, according to The Washington Post. This is not only a key factor in raising a friendly kid, but it makes them pretty popular in playgroup.
3
You're Kind To Others
Children are observant and see how you treat others. These behaviors allow kids to learn how to be friendly, according to The Washington Post. When you say "please" and "thank you" to all the people in your daily life, that allows children to see kindness in the interaction, and model it. Even something as simple as teaching your child to wave hello and goodbye helps in their friendliness-factor later on.
4
You Get Them Involved
According to Parents magazine, socializing babies help them learn from each other. Babies don't exactly play together, but they are paying attention to what the other one does. This allows them to feel comfortable with others, building their ability to be friendly.
5
You Read To Them
The benefits of reading with baby are endless. According to American Academy of Pediatrics:
Reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development and strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical time in child development, which, in turn, builds language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.
Want to take is a step further? Read them books that feature characters who exhibit friendly personality trait.s
6
You Respond To Their Needs
Since babies can't say what they need, they communicate by crying, cooing, and making all kinds of baby noises. Responding to baby's needs builds trust, according to UC Davis Medical Center, which translates into having healthy, friendly relationships.
7
You Play Music
Music is a powerful tool and, according to Science Daily, melodies make babies smile more and increase communication skills. The interaction with music is also very soothing and allows little ones to feel connected to others. You don't have to know how to play an instrument, either. Music recordings work just as well.
8
You Sing
No matter how good your singing voice is, chances are your baby loves it — and they will benefit fromit. Singing to your pre-verbal baby increases language and communication skills, according to CafeMom, making them more expressive and friendly kids.
