Shows affection to caregiver
Typical Timing & Development Window
Visual Timeline & Milestone Benchmarks
What these numbers mean
The average age babies first begin showing early signs of this skill. Before this, it's simply too early — there's nothing to worry about.
The midpoint age: half of babies have reached this milestone by here, half a little later. It's a typical target, not a deadline.
How spread out the timing is. About two-thirds of babies achieve it within one standard deviation of the median (the shaded band, wk 52–60). Wide bands mean a normal range of variation.
A gentle check-in point. If your baby hasn't shown this by around here, it can be worth mentioning to your pediatrician — most often it's still perfectly fine, just later.
About this milestone
The toddler actively shows love and affection by offering hugs, cuddles, or kisses to a parent or caregiver. This indicates a secure attachment relationship, emotional confidence, and early social-emotional expression. It shows they can initiate warm, loving interactions to maintain a close connection.
- 1. Create cozy, quiet moments daily for reading books, singing songs, and cuddling together on a soft couch.
- 2. Use gentle, descriptive words to label their loving actions ('Thank you for that sweet hug! That felt so nice.').
- 3. Model showing affection to other family members, letting the toddler observe healthy, loving relationships.
- 1. Avoid withdrawing affection as punishment; maintain consistent, warm caregiving.