[Parish]

Growing up with a single mom who did not hug her children or smile that often rubbed off on me until I had children of my own. Once I had my first child, I realized that facial expressions were what my son wanted and needed from his me. I gave him hugs daily that eventually turned into high fives. I also expressed my love for him daily.

I now have a four-month-old granddaughter who also looks for facial expressions. Facial expressions are a person’s introduction to my granddaughter. I feel that they are very important to help a baby learn to express themselves.