Can I help my baby be more sociable? Or is she simply too young?

[Bellyrub1980]

I have a lovely, good natured 2 month old baby. She really is a joy to be with. However, she is already taking a real disliking to anyone other than me and her Dad. Sometimes if a visitor even talks to her she starts screaming!! It's so out of character compared to how she is with us.

She has even started to dislike being held by her Gran who sees her at least a couple of times a week.

Is there anything I can do to help her feel more comfortable with other people? Should I expose her to socialising more? Or is she simply too young to learn?

Too young.

You are her parents, of course she is different with you.

Relax

No she needs intensive socialisation. If you don't she'll end up living on her own with 15 cats and a budgie. She'll never talk to anyone, develop agoraphobia, and be on one of those tv programs where people cringe at the piles of newspapers in the hall.

You should sit her down and cover correct etiquette in social situations, and the importance of being polite to visitors.

Of course she's too young. She's only just getting used to being in the world, all she knows is food, sleep, warmth and comfort. Your smell will be familiar and safe to her, nothing more than that. She hasn't taken a dislike to anyone, she just wants the comfort of the familiar.

Blimey! I wasn't expecting such a telling off Micah!!!

I'm new to all this so just thought that maybe there was something I'm not doing that might help her feel more comfortable around others. It's reasurring its just an age thing :)

You and her dad are her safe place and it's perfectly normal for babies to kick up a fuss when others hold them no matter how long they've been in their lives. 2 months is too young to worry about her social ability. Trust me in 3 years you'll wish she was that tiny baby again who couldn't say a word :)

It was tongue in cheek :)

Repeat after me "it's a phase".

Everything is short lived, don't worry about fixing things, training or rods and back, just make sure you survive the early days and enjoy it as best you can :)

We found with ours (16 months now) it just comesin waves, so for a while he liked anyone with milk, the just us, then he ius and MIL, back to just us, then us, MIL, and OH family etc etc.

I guess as the get older they just remember people more and get more confident etc.

All babies and toddlers are different.

I used to get, mildly, offended that DD1 didn't seem to know who her mum was.

DD2 did care, but only because she BF 24/7.

All small children bar my own and one friends DD at toddlers cry if I pick them up.

All children between 0 and her own age (now 13) think DD2 is wonderful. They always have. She always ends up entertaining other people's small DCs at weddings and parties.

She wants to teach infants

It makes a difference how confident the person holding them is too, babies are like dogs, they smell fear!

I'm not sure the budgie would survive long in a house of 15 cats...

Thats good to hear.

I do feel a bit sorry for my mum who (between her and my DP) did pretty much all the care for my baby in the first few weeks when my mental health took a nose dive. Infact, she did all the night feeds for 3 days!!! I owe her so much for that. (And I'm totally recovered now thank goodness.... Partly due to her stepping in and taking over I'm sure).

So now, for the baby she cared for to scream every time she holds her just seems a bit sad :( Not that my mum minds, she laughs it off. I guess, like you all, she realises it's just a phase!.

I wouldn't worry at all I think she's too little to be interested in anyone else. As she gets older she'll be more interested in other adults, you can try and help it along by taking her to baby classes like Baby Sensory/ Rhythm Time or similar, where she'll see adults doing something fun. As long as she's seeing grandma regularly she'll be friendly soon. I'm very lucky that my little one 9 months is very sociable and will go to anyone after 30 seconds but part of me just things that's her personality I've never forced it just given her lots of opportunities to see other adults from being little.