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Your Baby's First Giggle

Delighting in Baby's First Laugh

By Shannon McKelden

According to Dr. Sharif, babies laugh in response to interaction with their parents. She encourages parents to turn off distractions, like the television, and spend time interacting directly with their baby. "Reading, singing songs, talking – all these contribute to language development and socialization skills," Dr. Sharif says. "Also, every interaction does not have to be intense – just keeping the baby near you during the day as you do your household chores provides opportunities to talk, laugh and communicate with your baby during the normal course of the day."

Even simple things can prompt that first giggle, as Jennifer Lewy of Watertown, Mass., discovered. "My daughter laughed for the first time when she saw her reflection in the mirror," Lewy says. "I would take her in front of a full-length mirror where she could see me holding her, and she would smile, but one day she burst out with a giggle. At the time she was about 3 1/2 months old."

The best thing about encouraging laughter is that it can be done at any time. Osborn suggests interacting while bathing, changing, playing peek-a-boo or just sitting around. "Diaper changing, in particular, goes much more smoothly if you can help your baby laugh through it," he says.

Nancy McCormick-Kovacich of San Francisco, Calif., found her two boys developed laughter at very different times and in very different ways. "My oldest was the quiet one and not given to laughing much," McCormick-Kovacich says. However, his face was very expressive from just a few days old, and she found herself fascinated with his smiles and frowns. "I would tickle his tummy and blow raspberries on it and his feet. Wide-eyed expressions were his reaction. He was slow to laug. But eventually about 6 months, he began to have laughter."

Want to see more?

• Every Move You Make: Tracking Baby's Milestones
• The Path to First Milestones: Recognizing Early Motor Delays
• Beyond the Laughter: The Hidden Power of Tickling
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!

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