Another time Quote by William Sears
““After years of watching newborns smile, we wish to deflate the gas bubble. Newborns do smile, and not because of gas (unless after passing it). As veteran smile watchers we divide smiles into two types: inside smiles and outside smiles. Inside smiles, occurring in the first few weeks, are a beautiful reflection of an inner feeling of rightness. Some are sleep grins; some are only a happy twitch in the corner of the mouth. Relief smiles occur after being rescued from a colicky period, after a satisfying feeding, or after being picked up and rocked. During face-to-face games is another time to catch a smile. Baby’s early smiles convey an “I feel good inside” message and leave you feeling good inside. Be prepared to wait until next month for the true outside (or social) smiles, which you can initiate and which will absolutely captivate all adoring smile watchers. Whatever their cause, enjoy these fleeting grins as glimpses of the whole happy-face smiles that are soon to come.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Baby Book by William Sears, 1992
Early infant smiles reflect internal comfort and wellbeing, while later social smiles are learned and expressive.
In simple terms: Baby smiles show inner comfort, later smiles are social.
Key Takeaway
Observe and cherish early smiles, anticipate social ones.
Themes
parenting
development
emotion
observation
Mood
joyful
reflective
Type
observational
informational
When to use this quote
- newborn care
- feeding
- rocking
- parent‑baby interaction
- observing milestones
Key Concepts
attachment theory
developmental milestones
nonverbal communication
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate between an internal and a social smile?
- What can you do to foster healthy emotional development?
A Different Perspective
Early smiles may be misinterpreted as signs of health rather than comfort.
