Your baby's first laugh. Priceless. You become a little emotional inside. Your heart melts. It seems like a sign of recognition, of your bond growing stronger. But, at what age does your baby actually start laughing? And what types of "laughs" are there?
When does your baby start laughing?
First, a fun fact: Some Native American tribes organize a laugh festival for the first smile, so it's definitely something special. A sign of joy in life. Okay, but when does your little one start laughing? The first laugh appears just a few days after birth. You know this laugh well; that satisfied laugh, usually during sleep. Babies already practice facial expressions in the womb and continue this after they are born.
What about laughing and development?
Laughing is innate and very good for both the cognitive and socio-emotional development of your little one. It helps with language development, it strengthens tongue, lip and mouth muscles, but also helps clarify things. After all, a baby can only communicate by crying or showing their facial expressions. Hello mommy, I love you!
Different types of laughs
Reflex laugh. You usually see this smile appear in the first few days after birth. And as much as we want to believe that this is a very genuine smile, it's a reflex. But… That doesn't make it any less special. Your heart still skips a beat. And you know, maybe it's just a smile of bliss.
The real smile. Yes! There it is. After about six weeks your baby gets better at distinguishing things and also recognizes your face. The closer you hold your head to your little one, the more likely you are to get a laugh. It won't be long before sounds come along too. So incredibly cute.
Belly laugh. You often see this laugh around four months old. The cutest laugh! Because your child sees more and more situations for the first time and consciously experiences them, which are already very familiar to us (for example, a bird flying away), a child can find it hilarious. Just observing this gives pure endorphins. Also, when situations occur that are different from what a child expected, a belly laugh often results. Wonderful. Making funny faces out of nowhere, making weird sounds, letting the Naïf Splashing Bath Bombs melt in the bath; your baby will love it. The beautiful thing about this is also: a child immediately looks to see if their parents still laugh a little themselves. They keep us young! Laughing is healthy. Really.
Specific laugh. When your little one is six months old, they start to recognize more and more people. That's why your baby laughs more and more towards grandpa, grandma or for example the daycare staff around that age. It can also be that when there's a strange face, there's no laugh at all. And that's okay too.
Peekaboo and Tickling
To stimulate laughing you can play a peekaboo game or tickle your little one. These are two fairly innocent activities and your child will laugh from them. Belly laugh even. Still, it's good to keep the following in mind. In the peekaboo game, your baby gets the idea that mom or dad are gone and fortunately come back. So it's a bit on the edge of 'fun/not fun'. It can also be exciting for your baby. Pay attention to how your child reacts. As for tickling; it causes your child to lose control of their body. A child who can't speak with words yet, can't defend themselves either. The belly laughter is fun, but you can also choose to use this game a bit later.
