Tiny Nina is only 11 weeks old but she’s already getting in on the family jokes. Here we see her laughing at the antics of her 4 year old brother. Who is, of course, more than willing to play the fool. Also present and enjoying themselves are her mother and her grandmother. This nicely illustrates how laughter is universal across generations. A more subtle point than you might imagine.
The cognitive differences between a 4 year old and a baby is just as dramatic as between an adult and a child. There’s an equal gulf to bridge. But whereas we adults can make a conscious effort to come down to a child’s level. It is beyond the sophistication of pre-schooler to act so deliberately. But they do have an intuitive ability to empathise and connect with tiny babies (and pets). Making his little sister laugh is tremendously empowering for the four year old. He knows he is also gaining kudos from his mother and grandmother. No wonder he’s happy and laughing along too.
Nina is still too young to appreciate that she’s make the others laugh but she isn’t too young to connect with them. She’s laughing with her brother not at him. She’s laughing precisely because he’s very familiar to her. So the strange things he’s doing aren’t scary. As Darwin perceptively noted, a baby who laughs when a loved one tickles them would burst into tears if the same was done by a stranger. Thanks to Nina and her whole family for the video.
