At approximately what age does a baby begin to demonstrate social referencing?

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Asked 7 months ago

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We were having dinner at home when my son, six months old, pulled the table cloth and poured everything on the floor. As hilarious as it was, I was a little disappointed that he disregarded my social cues when I sternly told him ‘no’ before pulling the table cloth. Could it be that his social referencing cues haven’t set in yet? At approximately what age does a baby begin to demonstrate social referencing?

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Alexia Cardenas

7 months ago

Social referencing refers to the process of kids looking at the facial expressions of adults or those around them to determine how they should proceed in a certain situation. Think of it as what adults use to read social cues. For instance, when having a candlelit dinner, your little one may be tempted to touch the flame, but before they do, you will notice them looking at you first. If they sense fear and anxiety on your face, they will naturally hesitate. So, at approximately what age does a baby begin to demonstrate social referencing? Usually, social referencing kicks in between eight and ten months, but some kids can read social cues as young as six months. I wouldn’t be worried about it so much when kids are younger because they still have time to develop this skill.