Like many other skills that babies have to master, kissing and hugging are partly physical, partly cognitive and partly emotional. Before your child is able to pucker up and give you his wet and sweet kisses, he’s going to go through some exciting changes, and there are lots of loving ways that you can help.
Prelude to a kiss:
You may thought that your baby is finally giving you his first kiss (after smooching him for 6 months) but actually your child is in the stage of curiosity. He’s ability to open his mouth and put it in his daddy’s mustache makes him curious. (At this age, a child likes to put anything in his mouth because he wants to know what kind of toy is he playing with or does it taste good.) Strictly speaking, your child isn’t really kissing at this point. For now, he’s only able to execute an open-mouth, or suction-cup buss. The ability to pucker up,which requires control of the muscles around the mouth will come after his first birthday. He may even bite you or suck on your face. Nevertheless, chances are you’ll say “Wow! you’ve given mommy a kiss!” . Your thrilled reaction is a crucial part of the learning process. If you express pleasure and kiss your baby back, he gradually comes to a realization that when he puts his mouth on mom’s cheek that’s called a kiss. Expect that pretty soon he’ll be showering you literally with kisses.
Huggy time:
About the only thing your baby savors as much as your kisses are your hugs. Touch is the most highly developed sense at birth, making the need to be held and cuddled an essential one. Believe it or not. embraces contribute to a baby’s ability to better manage her emotions. Remember that before you baby can initiate a hug, he has to achieve a developmental milestone which is reaching. This skill emerges by about 6 months, when he’s able to coordinate what he sees with the movement of his hands. He’ll start reaching and touching your face, and he will continue to do this because of your sweet reaction. After this stage, he’ll start getting close to you by nestling ingto your comforting embrace.
There’s nothing sweeter than your baby’s hugs and smooches. So try to reach out, let your child express his love in his own little ways.
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