“I don’t feel like you are taking me seriously.”[/caption] Laughter is primarily social. We laugh to connect and share our feelings far more than we laugh at jokes or the silly or surprising. The thing that makes babies laugh the most is a human connection. All over the world, peekaboo is the most successful way to make a baby laugh. It is pure social connection. Surprise plays a role but the universal popularity is all because of the shared eye-contact and turn-taking. As you play the game, the baby is learning from you. This may be the most important thing about laughter in young babies who are still too young to communicate in other ways. Their laughter captures our attention and when they have our attention they can learn from us. And so ,bizarrely, the best way to make a baby laugh is to take her seriously. Give the baby your full attention and really concentrate on the baby. She will be delighted and laughter will probably follow 🙂 Three steps 1. Be prepared to give the baby your full attention – Put down your phone, you’ve probably got enough pictures already. 2. Let the baby lead the interaction – You are having a conversation but you must listen to her. 3. Don’t try to make the baby laugh – Work out what she’s interested in and help her learn a little bit more.]]>
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
- Sally Shea on Wash your hands
- Your babies #033: Jaxton being tickled - babies.lol on Should we tickle babies?
- Want to be happy? Three simple lessons from laughing babies. - babies.lol on Q. Why do we laugh? A. Because we are happy.
- The Do It Yourself baby. - babies.lol on Contact us
- The physics of babies - babies.lol on Baby scientists
Peek-a-Boo Is So Much More Than Baby Giggles | Peek-a-boost Play - Child Development Tips & Ideas says:
[…] various ages and is a game that evolves as a child develops. Babies from around the world have been reported to laugh the most through interacting with others while playing peek-a-boo. And as a bonus – […]
12 things you can learn from laughing babies - Morning Gloryville says:
[…] Really connect. They are pleased because you took time to interact with them. This lets them learn from you. And you will feel the intensity of their gaze. That is why the best way to make a baby laugh is to take her seriously. […]
How to make babies happy | Psychology @ Goldsmiths says:
[…] It’s clear that a crying baby needs your help. What is less obvious is that a laughing baby is rewarding your assistance and holding your attention in order to learn from you. The biggest mystery in anyone’s life is other people. This is even more true for babies. They crave quality interactions with adults. Laughter is their secret weapon to get it. This is why laughing babies pull in hundreds of millions of views on YouTube. It also why one of the best ways to make a baby laugh is to take her seriously. […]