Often times we wonder why babies, so adorable, make long and intense stares at a person. Questions arise like, why do babies stare at me? Why do babies stare at lights? In India, it is said that such an intense stare from a baby at a person could mean a bond. This has been discovered to be true by researchers and scholars. Here’s why babies stare at you.

When a baby stares at you, it simply means that they are trying to know you, understand you, and maybe bond with you. This is why their mothers get the first stare usually, during breastfeeding. Babies tend to stare at their mothers or whoever is responsible for feeding them during their first six weeks after birth. This is a sign that the baby shares a connection. Or maybe they are trying to communicate? Well, look into that as we move on in this article. 

Eye contact or a stare is one of the most important signs a baby must demonstrate growing up. This usually happens from their first six to eight weeks. Babies are attracted to everything around them that moves. It is advisable for adults to be most attentive to them at this age because they have become aware of their environment and will make contact with everything or anything that captivates them. They establish bonds through their eyes, nose, ears, and mouths since their brain is still developing at this stage of their lives.

So, to answer the question, why do babies stare at you? Babies stare at you because at this stage, they start to register the voices or the sounds that they hear, the smell they perceive or the taste that they feel. But their most active sense for building connections or bonds is that of sight. Their eyes are their most active sense organ at this age. There is a common saying in India that goes, “Baby sees you”. This goes to further prove the observation that babies stare intensely and register with their eyes what they see and build connections.

When a baby stares at you, it is a sign that the baby is learning because everything they see, feel, smell or taste builds a connection that also adds to their learning. It is a sign that they are developing their intellectual skills. It is also a sign of communication. Babies are curious little beings and so they are attentive to everything that goes on in their environment because it’s all new to them. Their innocence and curiosity make them actively social and eager to meet people.

You may have noticed your baby stare away from a person or an object into space for quite a while. This is because they are trying to relax or take a break from all their brain has overloaded for a period of time. Yes, babies can get tired too. If you think taking in so much information about something new is easy, then try being in a baby’s shoes. Babies stare at you intensely when they are trying to understand something new that they have come in contact with.

This is why babies stare at you

1.         Movements

As described earlier, babies are very much attracted to anything that moves. Staring at these things helps the baby identify them as a part of their environment. The baby will also learn that these things can be reached especially if they see adults around him picking objects up. The baby starts to process in their brain how they can reach the object which is why adults must pay close attention to these curious little beings at this learning stage of their growing lives.

2.         This looks different from what I’m used to seeing around here.

Babies stare at everything and anything but notice their stare at a different object or person. It’s usually intense, right? If your baby is used to seeing people around without glasses on and then suddenly a friend pays a visit wearing a pair of glasses. Immediately, the baby stares at them with their curious minds wondering what the person is and why they appear to be different from the others. That’s another reason why babies stare because something has changed or seems different for a bit. 

3.         Wow… Beautiful!

Indeed, babies are aware of attractive things. There is a famous demonstration performed by a group of scholars using images, they gathered some babies and showed them a few images. Well, the babies made instant fast gaze at the very attractive image. Hmm… it’s no surprise that even babies are attracted to beautiful things. So, if you ever find a baby staring at you, it’s probably because you are attracted to them. Bear in mind that babies have no idea of what society’s standards for beauty are, they just love to stare at things they find exciting and beautiful. Perhaps this study is what brought about the general saying that everyone is beautiful no matter what you look like. Babies can tell.

4.         Bright and sparkly

Just as brightness attracts the human eyes so do babies stare at bright colors or a bright object like a person wearing colorful hair or wig.

5.         Developing brains

As described earlier, babies stare and connect with whatever they see. A common saying goes, “Catch them young”. This is because the brain of an infant is most active within the first few years of age. Their brains are so sharp and develop fast which is why they tend to copy what they see around them easily and quickly.

Generally, why do babies stare at me? Babies stare at you as a sign of communication. It is up to you to determine what the baby is trying to communicate. Usually, when a baby stares at you during feeding, it is a sign of a bond. You also find them trying to reach out their hands to touch or feel you because they sense your love and care for them at that moment.

Nevertheless, if your baby is staring oddly or if you notice their stare is not normal please visit your pediatrician for behavioral changes and let them decide whether your baby’s stare is a part of their growing process or if it’s a sign of something else.