How do some people make babies so chatty and smiley?

[AddisonMontgomery]

My SIL is like a baby whisperer- any baby she sees laughs and smiles at her. Her particular trick is to say to the baby 'tell me a story' and the baby will start babbling and laughing!

She does blow raspberries and use a sing-song voice, but when I've tried it the little buggers usually just look at me like

I know a teacher who has an incredible effect on unruly children in public. One glare and they actually stop what they're doing

Ah, now I can do this ^

I can always calm the screaming baby and get the tantruming toddler to do what I want. It’s my superpower and talent.

Just as well as I was a Childminder for 40 years 😂

other babies seem to love me, but not my own! 😂 my 8 month old is obsessed with my dad. the second she sees my dad she has the biggest smile ever on her face and gets all bouncy and squealy! you only have to say where’s grandpa to her and she’s looking around smiling!

My grandmother was like this. Babies loved her. You could hand her a crying baby and she’d soothe it in seconds. She had a lovely, gentle way about her.

My husband and brother are both baby whisperer's but my FIL definitely isn't. DD always screams when he arrives .

The baby whisperers I know are very expressive and forward, they are very boisterous too. I wonder if more men than women have the knack because we are more likely to be quiet and gentle when meeting a new baby. DH is less quiet and gentle and more likely to be swinging them by the ankle while they emit peals of laughter .

I’m like this. I have big colourful feminine features that babies seem to take to, an expressive face and voice and a naturally high body temperature. My best friend used to say I had magic boobs because screaming newborns would instantly fall asleep on them. I’ve had people beg me not to leave their house as they think I’m some sort of Baby Whisperer.

I have always thought it stemmed from the fact that I LOVE children and feel it’s a privilege being around them. Would have loved to have had some of my own but I’m 35 now and it’s looking unlikely. Would have been interesting to find out if the Baby Whispering thing would have worked on my own children!

I’m not at all boisterous, I’m quite gentle and calm.

DH is like this. At DD1 2nd birthday he was surrounded by random 2yos gazing at him adoringly. He always picks up a child or two at playgrounds etc.

Funnily enough, he does have a high body temp. So much so that I used to joke it was his superpower and call him FurnaceMan.

Sil is the opposite and babies scream with terror when she approaches.

@EleanorOalike I was single and thinking I had no chance at 38 and now I am 42 with an amazing husband and the most wonderful baby girl .

Expressiveness could be the key. There must be something that they respond to so well!

@Illiantium Congratulations, it’s lovely to hear things worked out so well for you.

Yes, ridiculously big expressive eyes and a singsongy voice help, I think.

I don't know about being a baby whisperer but I've always noticed that children up to the age of about 5 cannot take their eyes off my DH.
He's very tall so I wonder if that makes them curious?

My husband was always the person at the pub who ended up with everyones children! Probably sounds a bit weird but he adored kids

GetOffTheTableMabel I feel like this too! I think I'm really good with kids from baby to about 4/5 , can make them smile and love doing drawing, reading and games with them. I wish I'd known and chosen a career accordingly. Apart from a brief stint as a teen babysitting I had no contact with small children until I had my own mid 30s.

Interesting about body heat, I'm always hot especially since menopause!

I know I don't mind being extra smiley and daft, funnily enough my line was always " are you going to tell me a story..."