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Ever wish your baby came with an instruction manual? No doubt it would help, since trying to figure out his wants and needs is never straightforward.%u201cOne of the toughest challenges for new parents is to learn to decipher their infant%u2019s cues,%u201d says Katherine L. Rosenblum, PhD, a developmental psychologist and co-editor of Treating Parent-Infant Relationship Problems: Strategies for Intervention. %u201cSometimes you can figure out what he%u2019s trying to tell you right away; other times you completely miss the mark. And that%u2019s okay as long as you keep trying.%u201dTo help you get a handle on what%u2019s going on in your baby%u2019s brain, we asked experts about four situations that parents most often misread.Your 3-week-old flashes you a smile.You think: My baby loves me!What%u2019s actually going on: While those toothless grins can melt your heart, they don%u2019t mean much at this stage. In fact, before 6 weeks, those sweet smiles most likely result from a pleasant sensation (like a light massage) %u2013 or they could just be a release of pent-up energy.%u201cIt isn%u2019t until sometime between 6 and 12 weeks that infants begin to have social smiles %u2013 a responsive behavior in which you smile at your baby and she beams at you,%u201d says Ari Brown, MD, coauthor of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby%u2019s First Year.Even then, a baby doesn%u2019t discriminate %u2013 she%u2019ll smile at everyone. At around 4 months, she develops what experts call %u201cselective social smiling,%u201d which means that your baby reserves her biggest grins for her parents and anyone else with whom she%u2019s formed a close relationship.Your 2-month-old won%u2019t stop crying.You think: He%u2019s not tired, he%u2019s not wet, he%u2019s not hungry. Something must be terribly wrong.What%u2019s actually going on: Most likely, your little one%u2019s simply feeling a bit distressed. After all, for a tiny baby, an annoyance as small as a scratchy tag on his clothing, lights that are too bright or music that%u2019s overly loud can lead to nonstop wailing.Another possible cause of your baby%u2019s tears: overstimulation. If you%u2019re playing with your baby and he starts to look away, turns his head to the side or breaks eye contact, chances are he needs a little downtime. Stop playing and let him rest in your arms.%u201cInfants are like runaway trains: Once they start crying, they can%u2019t put the brakes on their emotions,%u201d says Linda Acredolo, PhD, coauthor of Baby Hearts: A Guide to Giving Your Child an Emotional Head Start. %u201cThat%u2019s why you need to let them recharge before they get too worked up.%u201dAt 3-4 months, expect baby%u2019s first laugh.At around 3 or 4 months, your baby will do something amazing: He%u2019ll laugh. Whether it%u2019s a lighthearted giggle or a full-blown guffaw, you Happy?Sad?Chatty? Mad?By Beth Kantercontinued on page 32AlaskaParent.com winter 2025/26 alaska parent 31