Why do people smile at babies?
I have a newborn son, Andreas Joachim, and I am not surprised by people smiling at him. We all smile at babies. I was interested in finding out why, so I did some research.
“People smile at babies because smiling is a natural social behavior that helps foster bonding, communication, and emotional connection. Smiles between adults and babies release feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and endorphins in both parties, reinforcing positive emotions and strengthening attachment.”
That is the more scientific answer cobbled together by AI, but there is a simpler answer: smiling is innate. That is to say it is “native” to human beings. We are born with this ability. It is native, natural, innate. (All of which are built on the Latin word, natus, to be born.) Not only are we born with the necessary muscles in our face that allow us to smile with our mouths and our eyes, we also have the instinct to do so. We don’t need to learn it. We have to learn how to chew, how to reason, how to speak, but we don’t have to be instructed in how to smile.
Do animals smile? Seemingly, dogs smile with their tails. However, smiling at another person’s infant, face to face, is something uniquely human.
Why do we do it? I did some reflecting on this and asked God why he created us with a natural desire to smile at newborns. Maybe because of the incarnation? He sent his son into the world as a child and certainly smiled at that! Or possibly it is because he gives us joy as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, because we are made in the image and likeness of God, He wants us to pass on the joy he finds in us.
In our work with Grandly, I have had the opportunity to talk with many grandparents. It is obvious that they have a beautiful, unconditional love for their grandchildren. There is something in their smiles that is Godly. To all you grandmothers and grandfathers, the next time you see your grandchildren: greet them with a genuine smile, face to face and eye to eye. It is a gift that costs you nothing to give, but it will be a wonder-filled benefit to your grandchildren.
Pili Abouchaar is the mother of three and the Executive Director of Grandly Missions.