Why Is My Baby Obsessed With My Glasses? (6 Possible Explanations Revealed!)
How many times have those fast, tiny paws grabbed your glasses and flung them to the floor to shatter?
Have you tried to stop them (unsuccessfully), and somehow they will always find their way to surprise you?
You are not alone.
But why do they do this?
So, let’s dive in and discover why your little one just can’t resist those frames on your face!
Babies are irresistibly attracted to fascinating objects, and glasses are no exception. Although they may initially grasp them unintentionally, as they grow older and start reaching and grabbing for things, glasses are the easy win – they are accessible and so easy to grasp! Plus, glasses are sitting on the faces of their loved ones, and faces are yet another fascination for babies. When babies grab glasses, it could indicate a desire for interaction and engagement with the glasses owner. Alternatively, it might just be just their way of imitating the actions they frequently see, like putting on and taking off glasses.
1. Instinct To Grasp
Ever heard of a Palmar grasp reflex?
Well, you’ve certainly seen your baby doing it when you placed your finger in their palm. That’s when your baby will instantly close their hand around it, creating a tight grip.
This is an instinct to grasp – a natural, involuntary reflex that is present in newborn babies. And typically disappears around 3-4 months.
So if you’re wearing glasses around a newborn baby, you better be prepared to play a game of “keep-away”!
Because those tiny hands will reach for your frames faster than you can say “peek-a-boo”.
And once they’ve got a hold of your glasses, you might as well call it a day – you’re not getting them back anytime soon! Thankfully, their grip isn’t that strong…
So, if you want to avoid any accidental eyewear removals, just keep your baby at arm’s length.
Newborn Reflexes: The Power of Your Newborn
2. They Love to Reach and Grab Things
If your little bundle is between 4-6 months of age, that’s when they start another exciting milestone – reaching and grabbing objects!
That’s right, those mechanical movements and instinct to grasp will fade, and your little one will start working on more precise hand movement, synchronised with their visual perception – so-called eye-hand coordination.
That’s when comes the real fun – like tearing your glasses off!
And let’s be honest here.
Babies will begin to reach for objects that they are really, really interested in or attracted to. And there is no way to stop it.
Moreover, they will use their newfound motor skills to manipulate and explore these objects in more detail.
Your glasses, which may be nice, shiny and colourful, are truly vulnerable here. Also,, they are soo easily accessible, and soo easy to grasp.
They literally shout: “Grab me and pull me off right now!”.
And that’s precisely what your little one will do!
3. Babies Are Fascinated By Human Faces… And Anything Attached to It!
Why are babies drawn to faces?
Well, it’s simple: they’re tiny little people magnets!
From the moment they’re born, they’re on a mission to connect with their fellow humans – and faces are their favourite way to do it.
And that’s because faces are like little screens that display a never-ending stream of emotions, from happiness to surprise to “Uh-oh, I think I need a diaper change.”
And for babies, learning how to read those expressions is a crucial part of their development.
I actually talked about it in my post: Why Do Babies Smile When They Look Into A Mirror?
So, because of this fascination, especially with the face of their loved ones, babies will naturally try to explore all facial features.
Also included are all the gadgets sitting on or attached to it.
So with unbridled enthusiasm, babies will stare at those faces, grinning at them, poke at them, stick a finger inside the nose, pull hair, grab earrings, piercings and… you guessed it – glasses, as these are all part of the “face package.”
4. They Are Active Attention Seekers And Love Interaction
Babies are like tiny attention vampires – they need their parents’ love and affection to survive!
Without a steady supply of cuddles, kisses, and goofy faces, they become weak and wilted, like a sad little plant that hasn’t been watered in weeks.
I talked about the consequences of not paying too much attention to your little one in my post: What Happens If I Don’t Talk To My Baby?
So, to keep your baby happy and healthy, it’s important to shower them with attention and give them all the love they need (and maybe a little extra, just to be safe).
If they don’t receive the attention they need, they will come and get it themselves!
As babies grow and develop, they begin to use their hands and arms to reach for objects and people.
Reaching and grabbing can be a way for babies to ask for attention and engage with their parents.
So, if your baby is pulling glasses off your face, they will definitely get your attention!
And that is what they may be after!
P.S. Also, they may find it amusing to watch you react to their actions 😉
5. Mimicking Your Actions
Have you ever seen a baby imitate an adult and thought, “Hey, that looks familiar!”
Well, it’s not just your imagination – babies are like tiny copycats, mimicking everything they see their parents and caregivers do and taking notes for later use.
This behaviour, known as “mirror neurons,” is a vital part of their social and emotional development.
These mirror neurons are specialised cells in the brain that allow babies to observe and imitate the actions of others. When babies see someone doing something, their mirror neurons fire, which helps them understand the action and eventually learn to do it themselves.
For example: if a baby sees their mom smiling and laughing, they may mimic that behaviour to express their own happiness and engage with her. Or, if they see you taking off your glasses, they may try to do the same.
And they do it not because they want to annoy you – but because they are trying to learn about the world around them, test their strength and develop their fine motor skills.
As a parent, it’s important to be aware of this and model positive behaviours for your baby to imitate.
Cause and Effect – Why it’s important to teach your child how to make things happen
6. Curious Explorers
Babies are naturally curious and love to explore new things.
And glasses provide an exciting sensory experience, especially if they are shiny and have an interesting design.
They enjoy the sound and feel of the glasses on their fingers and the weight of the glasses on their palms.
Therefore, they may want to examine them more closely by pulling them off your face!
Final Few Lines
There you go, the 6 plausible reasons your baby is obsessed with your glasses:
- They may use their primitive Palmar reflex
- Or they are practising their fine motor skills: reaching & grabbing
- Babies are genuinely drawn to faces, and glasses just happen to be in the vicinity
- They may crave your attention
- Or they just replicate the actions they see, like wearing and removing the glasses by their loved ones
- Or they are just curious and want to explore new, shiny thing
If you’re tired of constantly playing keep-away with your glasses, take heart – this phase won’t last forever!
Babies are naturally curious and eager to explore the world around them, and grabbing and manipulating objects is a key part of their development.
As they grow and develop their motor skills, they will become more adept at handling objects and interacting with their environment.
