When does a baby begin to recognize its mother by smell?
Young mothers are asked whether the newborn feels his mother. The sense of smell is the first to develop in a baby. A little person is able to identify mommy thanks to tactile and olfactory experience. It is interesting that even at the age of one month, the baby is looking for the breast while in the grandmother’s arms.
The baby feels the mother's smell from the age of three days. From about 2 months. he remembers it. He won’t confuse it with anything, because mom smells like milk. That is why after the birth of a newborn, the mother must be placed on her stomach. In a week or two he will learn his mother's things.
Newborn recognizes mother by smell
Note! At this time, other family members can use mother's clothes to calm the baby.
Due to the deteriorating environmental situation, the incompatibility of the child’s body with mother’s milk or its absence, the child is more often given formula. With artificial feeding, every family member can feed. This makes it much more difficult for him to recognize his mother using only touch.
When children identify their mother by her voice
A child has a rash on his body - what is it?
Even in the prenatal period, children can hear sounds. The mother's voice is perceived best.
Important! Since the baby perceives the mother's voice while in her womb, it is very important to talk to him. Indeed, during this period, a strong spiritual connection between mother and child is developed.
The baby distinguishes his native voice from the rich world of sounds already at about 3 months. At the same time, he begins to react to his mother’s conversation. The more a young mother talks to her child, the better he gets used to her and the earlier he begins to speak.
How the mother’s mood affects the baby’s condition. The psychologist answers.
The bond between mother and child lasts a lifetime, and in the first months and years of life it is especially strong. It has been proven that a mother’s positive emotions have a huge impact on the healthy development of the child. Anastasia Gavrilenko, a child and family psychologist, told us in detail how the mother’s mood affects the baby’s condition. The “mother and baby” connection is established even before the child is born. The emotions that a mother experiences during pregnancy are transmitted to the baby. In the womb, the baby is protected by the placenta from many dangerous substances, but not from maternal hormones. Therefore, when the expectant mother is worried and worried about something, the hormones cortisol and adrenaline are released in her blood, which also reach the baby. Under the influence of hormones, the child adopts the psychological state of the mother. It has been scientifically proven that an unborn child can already be sad and cry. Therefore, the emotional state of the expectant mother is very important. Already during pregnancy, the formation of the child’s psyche and nervous system occurs, which will affect his entire future life. What is an emotional connection with a baby? An emotional connection is what allows a mother to understand her child without words. It is a high-quality emotional connection that helps the mother feel the child’s inner world and support him at the right time. This also works in the opposite direction - the child understands and feels the mother through sounds, intonations, touches and glances. It is a deep connection based on intimacy and trust. Examples of emotional connection: • a mother formulates the baby’s wishes when he has not yet mastered speech and gestures • a mother recognizes the cause of discomfort by the timbre of the baby’s cry • a mother can feel from a distance that the baby has woken up - her milk suddenly comes in. What helps a mother form emotional connection? • Development and trust of intuition • Multiple physical contact with the child: carrying him throughout the day in different positions, hugging him, dancing with him, stroking him, etc. It is physical contact that introduces the baby to the boundaries of his body, its capabilities and limitations. • Breastfeeding (when the mother enjoys it) • Attentive communication, eye contact. How does a mother's mood affect the baby's behavior? Even the youngest children read their mother’s mood through “non-verbal speech” and very sensitively understand that now mom is feeling bad. No matter how joyful and cheerful she tried to appear. • Children look at facial expressions, the position of the eyebrows, the corners of the mouth, the look - heavy, light. From birth, they study their mother’s facial expressions and show what they see, copying the same facial expressions. It’s as if they synchronize with their mother and begin to experience the same emotions and feelings! • Voice is one of the powerful tools of influence on a child. Children feel the intonation and timbre of speech. In the womb and at birth, the child’s first sensations are tactile. And only then gradually all the senses begin to work: he hears, touches, tastes. Therefore, touch is one of the basic psychological needs of a child. If there are not enough of them, the child will definitely signal this. The mother’s task is to understand what this signal is about! If this contact exists, it is gentle and affectionate - the child feels it and reciprocates. If the mother is nervous, tired, exhausted, or preoccupied with some problems, then the child also feels this, because her touch is less affectionate or may even be rude. When a mother establishes a high-quality emotional connection with the baby, this has a positive effect on all areas of his development: • Cognitive activity increases: the baby calmly explores the world, feeling his mother’s support. • Physical characteristics develop according to age - those same “sit down on time, go on time” that mothers are so worried about. • Emotional intelligence is formed: the child learns to understand his own and other people’s feelings, becomes better aware of his needs and desires, which will be the key to his happy life. A child is capable of understanding much more than one might think. When your baby is naughty “for no reason,” pay attention to yourself. After all, you are the guide to the world of your child’s feelings and emotions!
When children identify their mother visually
Daily routine of a 5 month old baby
The vision of an embryo is formed during pregnancy. After birth, the baby's ability to see clearly is weak. During the first weeks, he sees the world around him as if in a fog and visually senses the outlines of objects. He doesn’t care who passed near him: his parents, or maybe a complete stranger.
Note! The baby clearly perceives only those things that are closest to him.
A baby at the age of several weeks is able to recognize:
- bright light or its complete absence;
- movement of people;
- separate closely located objects.
Starting from about three months, the world around us becomes colorful for the baby. This is precisely the time when the child is able to recognize his mother. She is the one who feeds the baby and most often carries him in her arms. Therefore, he detects the mother’s face, facial expressions and smile earlier. This occurs at three months of age. By this time, the baby can clearly distinguish his mother and can smile at her and coo.
At 4-5 months, when the mother appears, the child begins to actively move his arms, legs, and reach for her (provided that she smiles and talks to him). The baby does the same when looking at a stranger.
Baby 5 months old
At six months of age, children clearly distinguish between parents, other family members and strangers. They often avoid the latter: they don’t play, don’t smile, and behave somewhat awkwardly. This is a normal newborn reaction. If parents notice differences in the baby’s behavior, they should urgently contact a pediatrician.
Sometimes a son or daughter does not immediately recognize a loved one when he is on the side. There is no need to be afraid of this. At several months of age, peripheral vision is still quite narrow; the baby is not able to recognize close people from this angle.
It often happens that a son or daughter does not recognize their mother just because she changed her memorable clothes or put on bright jewelry. This is also normal - the child perceives the mother by the presence of certain external signs, if there are no familiar things, then the little one gets lost.
What does a newborn see?
The baby can only distinguish objects that are in the immediate vicinity of his eyes, at a maximum distance of 30 cm. Everything else appears to him as blurry spots, and objects look as if in a fog. In order to look at something, he needs time to focus. His eyes still don’t listen well and tend to look in different directions.
The first visual sensations are divided into light and darkness, and many objects appear black and white; the entire surrounding space is a world of shadows.
At 3-4 months the baby is able to follow moving toys and objects, and at 6 months he can distinguish small objects and recognize toys. Relatively normal vision is formed in a person at 6-8 months.
Newborns are able to see:
- bright lighting or its complete absence;
- movement of people and large objects;
- some objects from the environment.
When and how do children begin to recognize their dad?
Baby cries after feeding
The father is interested in how long the baby is able to recognize him. This usually occurs around 4 months. When communicating with him, the child laughs and coos. During this period, he begins to identify relatives with whom he contacts more often.
Communication between dad and baby
At about six months of age, the baby's behavior changes. He is very attached to his mother and wants to see only her and stay with her longer. At this time, the child does not want to communicate with the father and even pushes him away. This is a temporary reaction - from the age of 9 months the building of a new relationship with dad begins. The father needs to find an approach to the baby.
From this age, the toddler resumes relations with his father. The degree of attachment of the baby to the father depends on how he is involved in the upbringing process. At this time, the baby recognizes his father and loves to play with him. However, the father does not occupy such a significant role in infant life as the mother. It becomes more important after a few months, maybe years.
Half a year: fear of strangers
At about six months, the baby's behavior changes very much. At this time, the child is very attached to his mother, he wants to see her and only her, and begins to cry when strangers approach. Mom becomes his safe haven. Father and grandparents may feel unwanted. It may be unpleasant for a father to realize that his child does not want to spend time with him. Older relatives may be puzzled and worried that their little angel is no longer beaming with joy while sitting on their lap. The child does not like to be away from his mother, so he starts crying whenever she is far away.
There is nothing wrong with this behavior; it does not mean that the child has gone bad. A necessary step in a child’s development is to learn to recognize strangers.
During the previous months, his mother shared the sorrows and joys of the baby, looked after him during his illness, provided support in mastering his body, and understood him without words. This, as well as physical contact, allowed the mother to become the main person in the child’s life, with whom he likes to spend time most of all.
Now the baby knows that there is a whole world besides him and his mother, and is still afraid of it. Therefore, he turns for support to the person to whom he has become so attached. The child does not want to see anyone other than his mother, but this is temporary.
This “getting to know each other” phase can be confusing and exhausting for parents, but it is normal and essential to social and emotional development. This is the first step that a child takes on the path to learning to distinguish between strangers and those whom he truly loves. This ability will also help build strong relationships in adulthood.
How to help your son or daughter recognize their parents faster
In order for your daughter or son to begin to quickly identify their parents, you need to listen to the following recommendations:
- You should smile at your child more often. He will respond in kind. The more often a mother smiles at her son or daughter, the stronger the psychological connection between them.
Child smiling at mother
- A young mother should spend enough time with her baby. This way he will get used to her better.
- You should talk to your baby more often. Then he will quickly get used to his mother’s voice and utter his first word earlier.
Important! Even a one-month-old baby needs to be introduced to the objects of the surrounding world and told what they are called. After all, the baby actively explores the world around him. The child's mental development depends on how often parents talk to their baby.
- When demonstrating toys, you need to place them as close as possible to children's eyes. Otherwise, it contributes to the formation of strabismus. They also place bright objects at a small distance from the face and change them periodically.
- During communication, you need to actively use facial expressions.
Knowing when any child begins to recognize their parents is very important - this indicator indicates the correct development of the baby. If there is anything wrong with this, you should visit your pediatrician. A baby develops correctly only in a family where harmonious relationships reign.
Useful tips
- Smile at your child more often, and he will smile back at you.
- Spend more time with him, and he will get used to you, to your face, silhouette, gait.
- Talk to your baby more often, and he will get used to your voice and start talking earlier. Show him new objects, colors and he will understand the world better.
There is no clear date when the baby will consciously say the word “mom” and point his finger at you, it all depends on the child’s temperament and how well you worked with him. This could happen in a year, or maybe in two.
Let's now summarize all of the above in one sentence. The child begins to recognize his mother by smell almost from the first month, and by sound and visually - a little later, starting from the third. When your son or daughter says the phrase “Hi, Mom” largely depends on you.
