When a friend or family member is constantly posting pictures of their new bundle of joy, you want to not only share how you’re feeling by liking the post but by sharing a compliment as well. But when it seems like everyone you know is having a baby, it can be difficult to know what to say. While the parents of a newborn may notice all their baby’s unique features, everyone else probably couldn’t pick them out from all the other babies in the nursery. If you don’t know how to compliment babies, you might struggle to find the “perfect comment.”
When you’re complimenting a baby or commenting on a baby picture, be sincere, genuine, and reassuring. Whether you use only words or include emojis and lots of exclamation points, writing a comment that’s heartfelt is most important. Your support will mean a lot to the new parents and it will reassure them of how wonderful their newborn baby really is.
If you’re stuck finding the right words to compliment a baby, this article can save the day. Keep reading to learn some simple and loving ways to compliment babies.
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How to compliment babies
Babies arrive innocent and should be treated this way. When viewing a picture of a baby, they may have features that stand out to you right away. Maybe their larger or smaller size makes you squeal with joy, or their smile brightens your mood. There are also times when a head full of hair leaves you gushing with happiness.
For shorter terms, let’s look at a list of baby features that can be comfortably commented on:
- Hair (if any)
- Size (in a positive light only)
- Skin tone
- Smile
- Eyes
- Nose
- Outfit
- Similarities in looks with mother/father
If any other feature stands out to you in a positive light, say so! You might compliment a feature the parents haven’t noticed yet and your words will bring additional joy to their life.
It’s possible, however, that none of their features might stand out to you. As babies get older, they start to develop more unique features along with their unique personality. But to anyone other than the parents, newborn babies tend to look the same. If no features stand out to you, vague compliments will work just as well. Again, being genuine and honest with your response will mean a lot to the eager parents.
How to compliment a newborn baby
Complimenting a newborn baby is a little bit different than complimenting an older baby. In this case, your comment might focus on the parents as well, since they just welcomed their bundle of joy into the world. Some popular compliments and comments for newborn babies include:
- Congrats!
- Congratulations!
- I am so happy for you!
- What a blessing!
- Such a beautiful baby!
- Y’all did so well!
Going forward, remember to stay honest and true to what you say, and also consider the situation. Even if you mess up, the parents will be more than thankful that you took the time to respond/comment on their photo of their new addition to their family!
How to compliment a baby girl
Let’s face it, baby girls are pretty adorable when they’re all dressed up in headbands and bows. Even if they’re not wearing any special outfits, you can still appreciate how beautiful they are. When it comes to complimenting baby girls, there may be a long list of compliments that can be used compared to baby boys, such as:
- Beautiful
- Stunning
- Adorable
- Precious
- Cute
- Such an angel!
How to compliment a baby boy
Baby boys are often equally adorable, but don’t usually have any accessories to comment on. For baby boys, the typical list of compliments may be shorter, but not unimportant. If you’re not sure how to describe a cute baby boy, there are many compliments you can use such as:
- Handsome
- Precious
- Adorable
- Sweet boy
- You did so well!
These compliments can be used together as well to create longer sentences, such as, “How handsome. You did so well!” It’s always encouraged to include the parents in the compliment as well since it can make them feel good and ease some of that new parent anxiety.
How to compliment a baby picture when you aren’t sure of the gender
Using genderless compliments can be lifesavers regardless of the situation. With any previous compliment that has been discussed, you can remove he/she and any gender-specific words and keep the rest of the phrase.
For example, if you don’t know if the baby is a girl, instead of saying, “She is such an angel”, you can say “What an angel”! How simple was that?
How do you describe a cute baby?
Whether you’re commenting on a picture of a baby boy or girl, you might struggle to find any word other than cute. If you have several friends with new babies or you’re commenting on more than one picture, saying cute multiple times can start to feel repetitive. To help you come up with a more unique compliment, here are some similar adjectives you can use to describe a cute baby:
- Precious
- Adorable
- Angelic
- Darling
- Sweet
- Lovely
- Perfect
Feel free to use as many adjectives as you want to describe someone’s bundle of joy. When you combine them with happy emojis and exclamation points, it can show the parents how much you adore their little one.
Comments to avoid when complimenting a baby
You don’t have to overthink your compliment when you’re gushing over an adorable baby, but you should be mindful of what you say, especially on the internet. The saying, “What’s placed on the internet, stays forever” applies here as well. Be mindful of your words, phrases, and anything else left in the comment section, especially because it’s hard to interpret tone when you’re writing a comment online.
Some babies are born with defects or different variations in their appearances, but it’s not appropriate to leave comments bringing attention to them. Yes, they may still be considered “beautiful” even with the deformity, but adding that extra word or two may be harmful to the new parents. Birth defects can cause a lot of strain when raising a baby and your words should not add additional heartache and strain.
There’s also a trend of sexualizing babies even at this early stage, with comments such as “He is so handsome, he is going to be a heartbreaker” or “She’s beautiful, her daddy is going to have to beat those boys off of her.”
Babies are babies, and it’s important to remember this when complimenting how they look. Even though these comments may be well-intentioned, avoid mentioning anything about future relationships when complimenting a baby.
What to say when someone sends you a picture of their baby
When someone you know directly messages or texts you a picture of their baby, you may find yourself lost for words. In this case, you can’t just scroll past the picture if you don’t have the right words to say, and feeling like you have to respond right away can make it even more challenging to find the right words.
With direct messages, try to respond within a couple hours unless you have something going on in your personal life. For example, it makes sense to wait if they sent the message during your work hours, or late at night after you’re in bed. But especially if they can see you read their message, it may make the new parent feel bad if you don’t respond.
Luckily, advancements in technology have allowed us to send “emojis” and “gifs” to display how we feel when we’re at a loss for words. With “gifs,” you can usually type in a word to describe what you’re feeling, such as “cute,” “adorable,” or “baby.”
There are endless options, as well as new content being added all the time, so you don’t have to worry about running out of options.
When it comes to emojis, you don’t have as many options, which might keep you from becoming overwhelmed with choices.
A simple heart emoji or a happy emoji face will often suffice. Even a string of emojis can be sent in one message to signify how happy you feel about the picture. Using a sentence with emojis added here and there can be the perfect response.
The best baby comments for Facebook and Instagram
When you’re commenting on someone’s picture on social media, there’s a lot of extra pressure since many other people will see your comment. The best comments for Facebook and Instagram are vague responses, since there are plenty of others who will see your comments, emojis, and gifs. A simple sentence or two makes sense in this situation since the baby picture wasn’t sent to you directly. If you have a more personal comment, try messaging the parent and gush over their baby in a direct message. Otherwise, keep it short and genuine.
Some examples of comments for social media are:
- Congratulations!
- Congrats!
- How precious!
- Sheer perfection!
- Praise God! (for those who are religious)
- I’m so happy for you!
If you’re commenting on social media, this is a great opportunity to use emojis and punctuation as well. You certainly don’t have to go overboard with the exclamation points, but adding one or two is a great way to show your enthusiasm and excitement.
Takeaway
There are numerous options out there for how to compliment babies. What’s important to remember is the baby doesn’t know what you’re talking about yet, so think about how your comment will make the parents feel. Go with your gut and if something doesn’t feel right, find a more general comment that won’t offend the happy parents.
