Getting Those Baby Laughs

by tedgar | More from this Blogger

07 Nov 2009 01:21 AM

Last night I was at a meeting. There was a baby boy there, and he was smiling like anything at the person next to him. I love baby smiles, laughs and giggles, but he sure wasn't smiling at me!

Since I'm a sucker for baby laughs, I've become a bit of a ham in seeking them.

• Play peek-a-boo. For babies, it's amusing when you disappear and reappear. Use a play silk so that you're not entirely hidden. You can put the silk over your head, too. Or try hiding with your baby and have someone else find you. Hide your baby's toys and have them pop out again.

• Do bouncing, flying, and jogging rhymes. Rhymes where your baby suddenly but gently falls through your legs, supported by your arms can be delightful.

• Dance with your baby and fly her around the room. Babies are light, and they are great dance partners. They'll never make fun of your dance moves - they'll just laugh in glee!

• Make funny noises and silly faces. I like to stick out my tongue, make animal noises, and grunt. No, I didn't try this at the meeting.

• An older baby will understand incongruities. Pretend to be an animal and stomp around the room like an elephant, waving your ears and your tail. Pretend to be an opera singer and sing in a funny voice.

• Get physical! Tickling rhymes, tummy raspberries, and finger "spiders" on your child's belly will often make him laugh.

• Most of all, make lots of eye contact with your baby and smile at him too! Even tiny babies can mimic our facial expressions to a degree, so work those smile muscles and you may be rewarded with a smile in return.

Laughing with your baby is a way to have great fun together and relieve the stress of new parenthood. What do you do to get your baby to laugh with delight?

Learn more about tedgar

Tricia Edgar is a mom of one lovely daughter. Before her daughter was born, she decided to be guided by the needs of her child, and this led her to attachment parenting philosophies.

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