Smiles to get attention
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 9–15). 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 infant smiles spontaneously and intentionally to initiate social contact or get a caregiver's attention. This indicates an understanding of social cause-and-effect and early emotional communication. It shows they realize their happy expressions can bring a caregiver closer.
- 1. Position yourself nearby and wait for the infant to look up, smile, and try to engage you.
- 2. Use a soft, encouraging voice to let them know you notice their happy attempts ('Look at that big smile!').
- 3. Play gentle back-and-forth games, taking turns making happy facial expressions and sounds.
- 1. Avoid interrupting their social play; let them lead the interaction and show you what they like.