At how many months can a baby laugh

Every parent looks forward to their baby's first smile and their baby's first laugh. 
It is a feeling of real connection beyond the day to day routine of feeding 
and changing nappies that is very special. Also laughter, like a smile, 
is a communication that everyone in the whole world can understand.

At what age should my baby start to laugh? is a question asked by many parents. You can expect your baby to laugh somewhere between 3 to 6 months but keep in mind, as with all child development, most babies are different. So don't worry if your baby is not laughing at 4 months because everyone is unique and some babies just don't laugh as much as others. Please don't compare your baby to other babies, even other siblings.

What's in a Laugh?
A laugh may seem like a simple and spontaneous act but it is quite complex - it even has it's own science called gelotology. It is a brain development involved with various regions of the brain. When we laugh we use the diaphragm and parts of the respiratory system. 
Laughing is a form of communication and babies will be babbling and cooing before they laugh. 

Laughter consists of two parts -- a set of gestures and the production of a sound. When we laugh, the brain pressures us to conduct both those activities simultaneously. When we laugh heartily, changes occur in many parts of the body, even the arm, leg and trunk muscles. science.howstuffworks.com

You may also like this interesting article: How five-month-old babies know what’s funny

Before they speak or crawl or walk or achieve many of the other amazing developmental milestones in the first year of life, babies laugh. This simple act makes its debut around the fourth month of life, ushering in a host of social and cognitive opportunities for the infant.

Baby Massage

"It is through our hands that we speak to the child. That we communicate. Touch is the child’s first language, understanding comes long after feeling" ~ Dr Frederick Leboyer *

I have done an Infant Massage course and use to teach parents to massage their baby from birth as I understood the calming and bonding nature of this ancient activity.

Games for babies: everybody dance now!

Put on some of your own favourite music: it doesn't matter if it is rock, pop, classical, hip hop or jazz.

Hold baby close to you.

Support your baby's head by holding the back of their neck (as shown in photo).

Developmental baby toys for 3-6 month olds

As I've mentioned previously, babies do not need lots of toys.  But what if you need to buy a gift for a new born baby or a baby who is having a naming day or christening - what should you buy? Developmental baby toys for 3-6 month olds would make a great gift for a newborn because this is the age when they would start to appreciate a toy.

Lullabies





Lullaby painted by 
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1875)

Baby Meditation

BABY BUDDHA SCULPTURE

Give your baby the chance to experience calm contentment.

Wisdom, depth, understanding and insight come to children who have learned how to be calm, relaxed, at ease with themselves and able to watch and listen, not just be constantly involved. *

Research says that stimulation is good for baby and that their brain is developing now more than any other time. This does not mean that they need continual stimulation. Too much stimulation can be overwhelming.

Help with baby sleeping problems

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,

Smiles awake you when you rise:

Sleep, pretty darling, do not cry,

And I will sing a lullaby.

Thomas Dekker (1570-1632)

Learning how to self-settle and go to sleep is a skill babies usually gain during the first year of life.

I found that taking my babies outside every day helped them sleep better. Fresh air can both soothe and stimulate. When we had a garden we would spend half an hour or more outside in a shady spot both morning and afternoon. If I was busy hanging the washing out or gardening I would place the baby in their pram. Many times they would fall asleep under a tree and I would put a net cover over the pram. 

Hammocks, like the one pictured, only work when baby is very young and cannot roll or sit up.

I always went for a walk with the baby in the stroller every day if we were living in an apartment and noticed that on stormy days or days when I did not get outside then sleep time was either less or baby was unsettled.

Establishing sleep rhythms means creating the conditions that help baby to let go and fall to sleep. Being calm ourselves, really helps baby to relax and let go of all the excitement of the day.

So what is helpful?

• Baby has had some floor time to stretch and move
• Baby has had some fresh air, preferably outdoors
• Predictable bedtime routines
• Calming stories like Goodnight Moon
• Lullabies and quiet songs like Twinkle Twinkle

Settling techniques: newborn - 12 months from Tresillian

Baby sleep: Helping baby sleep through the night from Mayo Clinic  

31 Ways to Get Your Baby to Sleep and Stay Asleep from Ask Dr Sears

A quick solution which worked for my grandson is to download the safe MP3 sounds

that help baby get to sleep Click Here to find out more about it.

 

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What babies really need

Babies need food, somewhere to sleep, and to be kept warm. Air, water, sleep and food and excretion are metabolic requirements for survival in all humans. Clothing and shelter provide necessary protection from the elements. These are babies basic physical needs or physiological needs. Babies need safety, which meets their security needs. Babies need to be loved, these are their social needs. Your baby needs you or a significant other to give them a sense of belonging! Babies need: food - which is milk, until 6 months of age a place to sleep - usually a cot, in some cultures a hammock clothing  Babies do not need hundreds of toys.

Books for babies

Reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful way to spend time together. Being read to is the beginning of the literacy and language skills needed for later reading.

It will help children understand that books are important, that you value books and what books are all about.

When should you start reading to your baby?

As early as possible.
From birth they will enjoy being held and listening to your voice so this is a good time to read rhyming books like nursery rhymes or the Mem Fox selections below.
By about 2 months babies may like to look at brightly coloured or contrasting pictures like the Tana Hoban books.
By 4 or 5 months they will be reaching and grasping and enjoying books with different textures like touch and feel books.

What books should I get for baby?
Board books are great for babies up to 2 year olds or even older. They are strong enough not to tear when little fingers reach for them.
Books made of material or plastic are also good.
Any book you enjoy reading is wonderful as it is about baby hearing your voice.
Books with simple, large pictures on a white background.
Books with babies in them or animals in them.
Books with photos of real things.
Books with a few words on each page.
Rhyming stories.
Touch and feel books.

Some suggested books that are suitable for baby:

I Went Walking by Julie Vivas
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
Time for Bed by Mem Fox
Nana's Colours by Pamela Allen
When I Was a Baby by Deborah Niland
I can by Helen Oxenbury
I touch by Helen Oxenbury
Tickle tickle by Helen Oxenbury
Black on White by Tana Hoban
Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe by Tana Hoban
White on black by Tana Hoban
Who are they? by Tana Hoban
Night-Night Baby, a Touch and Feel book
That's Not My Teddy by Fiona Watt
Peek-A Who? by Nina Laden

Most of these books and others I recommend are available here.


      

What are your favourite books to read to baby?

Reading tips
Reading the same book over and over is usually enjoyed by babies and helps develop their language.
Hold your baby when you are reading.
You don't need to read the whole book at once.

Do you have any reading tips?