During which developmental stage do infants display a reciprocal relationship with their caregivers?

Infants begin to develop a reciprocal relationship with their caregivers around 8 months to 18-24 months. During this stage, they start to display clear social engagement and emotional exchanges, responding to caregivers' actions and emotions with their own expressions and behaviors. This mutual interaction is characterized by the infant's ability to understand and anticipate the actions of others, leading to more complex social dynamics, such as joint attention and turn-taking in interactions.

Caregivers typically become more attuned to the needs and signals of their infants, which fosters a deeper bond. The infant's growing social awareness contributes to the development of trust, attachment, and communication skills, all central components of healthy emotional and social development during this critical period. The earlier stages, like the time from birth to 10 weeks and 6-8 months, involve initial bonding and attachment behaviors but lack the full reciprocal interactions seen later in the first two years of life. After 24 months, children continue to develop their relationships, but the earlier stage marks the foundation of reciprocity.