Why do most babies prefer their moms over their dads? (2024)

FAQs

Why do most babies prefer their moms over their dads? ›

Why Babies Sometimes Show Preference for One Parent. There are many reasons why babies may show a strong preference for one caregiver over another. Sometimes it's about proximity, routine, or familiarity. Sometimes it's linked to life events and developmental milestones.

Research shows that in the early weeks and months, babies are often more drawn to maternal smells– like the smell of amniotic fluid, breastmilk, etc.. Additionally, because many mothers are the primary caregiver in the first few months, their faces and voices become more familiar to their babies.

Kids tend to favor the parent who spends more time with them, teaches or helps them more, and is the lesser disciplinarian.

While newborns have an “indiscriminate attachment” – meaning they can easily accept comfort from anyone, after about 2-4 months, babies' parental preference often leans towards their mother.

A Child Initially Closer To The Mother

And whether or not a mother breastfeeds, the bond between baby and mother is stronger because a baby associate its mother with food and survival. In the eyes of a baby, due to biology, a father is an inferior being to a mother in many ways.

A mother's physical and emotional presence provides babies with two things: protection from stress and emotional regulation, both of which are important to healthy brain development and the child's future well-being.

A It is very normal and healthy that babies and young children develop a special attachment to their mother or to the adult who cares for them most of the time. This means that when under stress they will always first seek out this person for comfort and reassurance.

Predivorce family dynamics: In most intact families, sons and daughters are closer to their mothers than to their fathers.

Daughters feel their emotional needs met by their fathers. They feel his approval when they're happy, and also are more likely to be attended to when they're sad. Of course, this adds fuel to the fire of the gender debate on sons inability to express emotions as adults being a result of how they are raised.

Mothers are guardian angels for their children, always loving and supporting them. Because she is the first person a child sees after birth, every youngster holds a particular place in their heart for their mother. This is why a child and their mother will have such a strong attachment.

What is cold mother syndrome? ›

Cold mother syndrome refers to a parenting style characterized by emotional distance, dismissiveness, and rejection. This type of mothering is often accompanied by a lack of emotional availability and neglect of a child's emotional needs.

While each situation is unique and dependent on the role of the parents, at some stage toddlers do begin to prefer one parent over the other, and often the father figure takes preference. It's natural to feel sensitive about this.

They want you around. As babies become more aware of the world around them, they begin to notice that some people are familiar, and those people are their favorites. By six months, babies will recognize the people they love, like grandparents, siblings, and of course, parents.

Relative to peers without children, fathers reported greater satisfaction with their lives and feelings of connectedness to others, and they reported greater positive emotions and fewer daily hassles than mothers.

In short, yes: Babies do feel love. Even though it will be quite a while before they're able to verbalize their feelings, they can and do understand emotional attachment. Affection, for example can be felt.

A child who is with one parent all day might prefer this parent to put them to bed. This doesn't mean they love this parent more, but it means that their brain is used to spending time with them and is craving the routine and comfort they've become accustomed to during the day.

It's normal if the baby only wants a mom for three months as they still spend most of their time sleeping and feeding; this is when they need their moms the most. As they grow older and start interacting with other people, it's time to get them accustomed to being held by dad.

Not worrying may be easier said than done, but truly, parental preference is a normal and healthy part of toddlerhood. It can pop up between ages one to three, as children become more independent and learn to express their opinions.

While a baby's first attachment is often with their mother, the bonds that babies form with their fathers are just as important. Though babies form attachment relationships with other adults who care for them, the bonds with their parents are the most important ones.

It's common for children to develop favorites around age 2, and they may cycle from one parent to another, or prefer different parents for different activities, up through age 5. Showing a preference is one way children attempt to control their world, which might feel especially out of control right now.