Is your baby staring at people, objects, or seemingly nothing at all?
Perhaps you’ve thought it was weird that your baby won’t look away from a stranger’s face. Or perhaps a little creepy that your baby stares at one corner of your room all the time, like s/he sees something you don’t.
There is a perfectly good reason why your little one is staring so much! In fact, it’s a sign his/her brain is developing well!
So why do babies stare? Here’s the answer!
Why Do Babies Stare at You?
You’re Beautiful
A study done by a group of university professors showed that babies often stare at people because they think they are attractive.
In the study, babies were shown two pictures: one of a person considered beautiful and one of an individual who wasn’t considered attractive. Instinctually, the babies were drawn to the beautiful faces.
It has nothing to do with society’s standards of beauty. Instead, it showed that even infants are drawn to people they found interesting to look at.
So if you catch a baby staring at you, it just may be because s/he thinks there’s something special about the way you look.
You’re Different
Do you have eyeglasses? A beard? Purple hair?
Remember that babies are new to the world. They are still learning about the world around them.
A baby might be staring at you because you have a feature s/he has never seen before! You could be fascinating to the little one.
Why do Babies Stare at Objects?
It’s Moving
Babies’ eyes are drawn to movement. That’s why they might be staring at your spinning ceiling fan or that toy you animatedly play with to make your baby smile.
In contrast, if your baby turns away from moving objects, it’s probably because s/he is processing a lot at the moment and needs to regroup.
If you are playing with your baby and s/he looks away from the moving object you are playing with, don’t force his/her attention back on the toy. Give your baby some time to regroup.
There are Contrasting Colors
Babies’ eyes are drawn to stark contrasts. If there are two contrasting colors side by side, your baby’s eyes will probably be drawn to it. It may even be something as simple as where a piece of furniture meets a wall. That may be why your baby is staring at what looks like nothing. S/He is still learning about the world, so even simple things can fascinate your infant.
Why Do Babies Stare into Space?
Their Little Brains are Developing
Just in the first ninety days of a baby’s life, their brains will grow by 64%! This means your baby is making many new connections and understanding lots of new things. Thus, if your baby is staring into space, it’s probably because s/he’s working overtime on developing his/her mind.
Some parents worry if their baby is staring at seemingly nothing. Nonetheless, it may be a sign of their brain working extra hard!
It’s All About Development
The main reason babies stare is that their brains are developing and growing at an exponential rate. In fact, the more you play with your baby and engage with him/her, the better his/her brain will develop.