When Do Babies Stop Being So Darned Cute? Age 4 1/2, Scientists Say

Recently my husband chastised me for pandering to Orli, my 4½-year-old. Half-jokingly, he insinuated that she’s my favorite, which I’ve already documented that is simply not true.

While I don’t prefer one of my kids over the other, it would be hard to argue that Orli’s not the cutest. Objectively speaking, of course, they should all win beauty contests, but Orli’s got youth on her side. Her face is still round, her body still squeezable, her baby teeth intact and her syntax to die for. She’s little, and therefore she’s cute. The association transfers to nonhumans as well: puppies elicit more oohs than grown mutts, miniature cupcakes charm more than the larger versions, babies — of any ilk — have more eye appeal.

Perhaps that’s why I found a recent blog post on Psychology Today so intriguing. It examined this exact phenomenon via research that pinpoints at what age babies stop being irresistibly adorable.             More Read