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First Feelings

Express ordinary feelings naturally and name them in simple words. Your face, voice, and response give your baby an early way to observe how emotions look and sound.

  • 4 months
  • No prep needed
  • At home
  • About 5 minutes
Focus
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Developmental benefits

  • Social/Emotional：Seeing everyday feelings expressed through words, faces, voices, and actions gives your baby repeated experience noticing different emotions.
  • Language：Hearing you talk during a warm back-and-forth exchange helps your baby attend to speech and respond in their own way.

Preparation

What You’ll Need

Step 1

Show a Small Feeling

Let an everyday feeling show naturally. When your baby notices your face, use a few simple words to name how you feel.

What to notice

  • Looks toward you after hearing your voice Attending and Understanding
  • Smiles back when you smile at them Relationships with Adults

Tips

  • Your face is a vivid source of emotional information. A natural expression and a short explanation give your baby a real moment to observe.
  • Between two and five months, babies can respond differently to changes in a familiar caregiver’s face.
  • Naming the feeling helps connect what is happening with the expression your baby can see.

Step 2

Make the Feeling Easier to Read

Whether you feel happy, angry, tired, or sad, pair the natural expression with a clear tone or small gesture. If your baby looks puzzled, slow down and repeat once.

What to notice

  • Looks toward you when you express that you are tired Emotional Functioning
  • Vocalizes during a face-to-face exchange Communicating and Speaking

Tips

  • As babies grow through the first half year, they become more attentive to subtle changes in familiar faces.
  • Repeating a consistent face, tone, and feeling word can make the pattern easier to notice.
  • Everyday emotions are part of caregiving. A calm, simple explanation helps keep the moment understandable.

Step 3

Name Your Baby’s Feeling Too

When your baby shows a feeling, accept it first and put it into a short phrase: “You’re upset,” or “You’re excited.” Then notice what they may need and respond with appropriate comfort or help.

What to notice

  • Shows pleasure after a need is met Emotional Functioning
  • Vocalizes to keep your attention Relationships with Adults

Tips

  • Experiencing feelings in their own body gives your baby a reference for noticing feelings in other people later.
  • Noticing and responding to your baby’s emotion can help them feel secure and continue communicating.
  • A feeling is not good or bad; it can offer information about what your baby needs.
  • Your calm presence shows that feelings can be expressed and faced together.
  • When your baby wants an object, bring it within reach and let them complete the reach instead of doing the whole action for them.

Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026