How to Make Your Baby Laugh

Baby laughter is probably one of the cutest things to observe. As a parent, I can tell you that there's nothing like seeing your child laugh for the first time. I'd like to share with you a few ways on how to make your baby laugh in the hopes that your child will fill your home with laughter.

The whole trial-and-error thing can be a great way to get your child to laugh, but it doesn't always work. We have found that it's often in the moments when we are simply living life normally that our daughter laughs at something we say or do. Then when we try to make her laugh, she ends up stopping!

Here are some starter tips on stimulating baby laughter:

• Be goofy! Children love goofy behavior, probably because adults don't often act goofy. Let loose, have fun and enjoy yourself.
• Wear a funny outfit. Again, getting out of the "norm" is entertaining for babies. If they often see you in a suit and tie or a pair of jeans and t-shirt, throw on some bright colored clothes that don't fit or wear your shirt on your head.
  
• Use the element of surprise. Popping out from around a corner or underneath a desk works really well.
• Play a silly game with them. If your kids are older, they will greatly appreciate the quality time you give them. Try a funny game like Operation, Freeze Tag or Red Light/Green Light. (Caution: this method doesn't work as well with kids who are more competitive in nature)
• Reenact or recreate things that make them laugh. If they usually chuckle at the sight of a barking dog or a clown, recreate those situations and overdue it in the acting department.
  

Take it from me, crying babies are hard to hear. Even when I'm grocery shopping, I feel bad every time I hear a baby crying. Maybe it's a mother's instinct to soothe a crying a baby or maybe it's because I'm a parent myself. If you have a baby that seems to cry too often or too long, read up on why babies cry.

Don't lose hope- laughter is often more easily found after a good cry-fest! It is actually quite fun to try to get a baby to laugh in the middle of (or toward the end of) a good cry. Naturally, you wouldn't want to do this in all situations (like when they're crying because you disciplined them, for example), but most of the time it's a real joy to get them to laugh instead of cry.

I need to state that I am not a trained professional or medical doctor, so don't take my advice here as the gospel truth. Having said that, if your child simply doesn't seem to laugh or even smile within their first year (or maybe even first 6-9 months), you will want to talk with your pediatrician about it.

Some children seem to cry all the time (probably because they're colic) or take longer than "normal" to show any emotions. If this is the case with your baby the first thing to do is to relax. Take it from me, your baby is probably just fine on the development scale. Notice how I put the word "normal" in quotations...that's because there simply isn't a one-size-fits-all mold that developing children can be put into.

The next step is to talk with your pediatrician. Most pediatricians know to expect calls from worried parents, especially if they are first-time parents. Because they expect the calls, they are prepared to address your concerns. So don't be worried about what they might think. Believe me, I have asked my fair share of silly questions...and I've gotten my fair share of great answers. When in doubt, call.

Take a look at the videos and check out the helpful links below. Hopefully you can get some ideas on how to can get your child to laugh. Oh and don't forget to bookmark this article. Use it as a resource on how to make your baby laugh!