Hearing your baby laugh for the first time is an incredible milestone that all parents want to cherish. It’s unlikely that you’ll have a camera poised and ready at the exact moment your baby lets loose that giggle so in addition to recording his age, take a few seconds and capture it in your memory. Replay that wonderful sound in your head and make note of where you are, what your baby is wearing, etc. Many years later when you want to recall these sweet baby days, you’ll be happy to have this special milestone engraved into your memory.

When to Expect Baby's First Laugh: Many babies will have their first real laugh at 3 or 4 months of age. Typically you’ll see smiling, cooing and gurgling leading up to this fun new noise. Early laughing is reflexive so it could be triggered by something as simple as a funny noise, favourite toy or pet. Your reaction to his laugh will also delight and encourage him to do it again and again. 

Encourage Baby to Find His Voice: Laughter is just one more way baby will experiment using his voice. Like all developmental milestones, they can happen at different ages and stages so don’t worry if your baby hasn’t laughed by the end of 4 months. Continue to encourage him to babble, coo and giggle by talking to him regularly and participating in social activities. 

Why Laughter is Important for Baby: Besides the point that it’s fun and good for the soul, laughing is part of baby’s natural social development. As he experiences positive feedback and gains confidence interacting with people, laughter will help develop key social skills he’ll continue to use as he grows. It also allows parents to gauge cognitive development as baby starts internalizing information about the world around him and reacts to it. For example, early laughter might come from a physical stimulus like gentle tickling, then as he gets older you’ll discover laughter from such games as peek-a-boo, knocking over a stack of blocks, or seeing daddy sport a colander around as a hat. This demonstrates baby is making new cognitive connections regarding object permanence and what is considered normal in everyday life.

Now warm up your silly muscles, put on your big red nose and get whacky! Your baby will be your best audience. Just remember, if he’s not well rested, fed and alert, even the most comedic parents will fall flat.

In conclusion, watch this adorable YouTube video to brighten your day.