06/07/2021
A really common thing that is developmentally problematic...
Can we please stop saying that infants/babies flirt?
Infants don't flirt
Babies don't flirt.
They make eye contact, coo, giggle, smile all of which are social interactions that build brain connections for bonding, safety, comfort, love and security.
Toddlers don't flirt. Children don't flirt.
They bond.
Statements about children like...
👉"Your baby is flirting with me,"
👉"He's a flirt,"
👉"She's in love with him,"
👉 "They're already boyfriend and girlfriend and they're only 5,"
impose connotations of romance and sexuality that children do not understand. It's sexualizes them. It is not cute or appropriate.
Many of us may be guilty of this at one time or another, so this isn't about shaming or blaming, rather learning and changing for the sake of children.