With the arrival of a baby, a family becomes complete and a house then is a home. The first year of your baby’s life is filled with many firsts that make each more cherish able. From eating solid food to their first step, first word and more importantly the first time they laugh. Each first becomes a milestone in the journey of your child’s growth and each step is an opportunity to move forward. The giggling of the little one is sure to fill the hearts of every parent with love and pride. Therefore many parents eagerly wait to hear the first laugh of their baby. So, when do babies start laughing.

One must note that every child is unique and may take less or more than the average time generally prescribed for the onset of any particular activity. Don’t compare the progress of your child to their siblings or any other kid in the family it will only serve to confuse and upset you. Generally, it is observed that a child starts laughing when they hit the mark of 3 to 4 months of age. Many children may start the process way before the expected time but it the most anticipated age by parents who yearn to hear the laughter of their baby. It is a great parenting moment to hear your child let out a full belly laugh and express his happiness and contentment to his surroundings. So buckle up and get ready with your best funny faces to evoke the first laugh from your baby.

Factors that can Assist to Make the Baby Laugh

The first giggle of your baby can be a result of a simple toy, pet or seeing the parents talking to them. They are unable to comprehend the gestures we make towards them and may take them as a happy sign to laugh. The laughter of the baby is an extreme step in the baby’s developmental stage as well. The first coo’s and laughs make the child aware of his/her own voice and may encourage her to continue doing the same to see the reactions of the people around her.

The act of trying to emit sounds will strengthen the child’s mouth and tongue coordination that will later assist them is forming small words and phrases. It also helps the baby cultivate their social skills which are bound to benefit them in the future. As a parent, you can always assist your baby and help her discover the beauty of laughter. Funny faces, funky dances, silly sounds and may be time spent with your pets can help your child have her first chuckle. It is important to keep in mind that your child will make a good audience to your antics only when you fulfill all their basic need like feeding, sleeping and a nappy change to avoid distractions and irritation.

Read More: Health Benefits of Laughter for Children

Some of the things that make your baby laugh

Conversational tone

While cleaning or feeding your child always try to make small conversations with them. This will encourage them to talk back to you and at times let out squealing or gurgling noises which are a good start.

Funny faces

Funny noises become auditory clue for your child which aims to elicit a reaction out of them. Music, Funny faces, and kissing the child sends waves of happiness and creates a positive aura around you in which the child may let out his first laugh.

Gentle touch

Every child has a very strong sense of touch. They can easily distinguish the touch of their parents to any other stranger and may become fussy because of the same. The gentle touch of a parent acts as a cocoon of safety for the child who feels safe and naturally lets a smile grow on his face.

Blowing raspberries

Who is immune to tickling? Even adults are extremely sensitive to tickling which never fails to make them squirm the same can be tried with your child. Try blowing raspberries on your child’s stomach and see how they react.

The more vocal and visual your interactions with your child, the sooner they will start to respond to your actions and have their first laugh early. Do not worry if your first few endeavours produce more tears rather than laughs it may just be that the time to start was not right.

When to visit the doctor?

A check-up for the baby will do no harm to anybody. If you feel that there may be some issues or that your child is not laughing even after four months of age and all your tricks are going down the drain, you can always take them to their paediatrics. Don’t panic if your child is not going according to the average baby milestones. Just keep on trying and change the methods you had previously used to make them laugh.

The best way to ensure that your baby is not suffering from any problems is to keep a watch whether they are cooing and making gurgling sounds. These efforts by them will also help with their vocal cords exercise and later form small words.  Some children are more serious and difficult to entertain. Some are easily distracted that they fail to notice your objective. So don’t lose hope and try to do the best you can. If you are still confused regarding the first laugh of your baby you can wait till your next visit to the doctor and raise your concern to seek answers. Generally, doctor’s advice to monitor the child for a few days in the future after which they may suggest you to consult an occupational therapist.

Thus every step in the journey of upbringing is a milestone for all parents and laughing becomes the most awaited one. It is essential that parents never take stress if their child learns things a little late as your anxiety will surely leave your little one confused and upset. Therefore wait for your baby to learn things by themselves and execute them when they are comfortable to do it.

Reference

https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-babies-start-laughing