Most parents can hardly wait for their baby to finally smile for the first time. It is a very special moment because your child is now consciously making contact with you as parents, and it is simply a wonderful feeling to be smiled at by your baby. It is enough to make any parent's heart melt. In fact, there are several types of smiling and laughing. Find out here what it means when babies laugh.
Babies Laughing – In the beginning, the angels help
Fundamentally, laughing is innate. Even the unborn child practices various facial expressions in the womb from the second trimester of pregnancy. This includes smiling. After birth, however, laughing goes through various developmental phases – from the reflexive angel smile to conscious use for social communication.
The angel smile – more reflex than laughing
Even newborns seem to smile. But in fact, this is not a smile in the true sense. Although the facial expression is sweet as sugar and reliably melts parents' hearts, it is simply a reflex that also occurs when you gently stroke the baby's cheek with your finger.
So it is not necessarily an expression of well-being, affection, or cheerfulness. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful moment when the baby beams like a Cheshire cat. Incidentally, this so-called angel smile is most frequently seen when the baby is blissfully slumbering.
The greeting smile or general smile
When your baby recognizes voices or faces for the first time and can also identify them, they often give that person a beaming smile. This is a "real" smile, i.e., a form of social contact. Usually, this smile is for Mom, Dad, or other people the baby finds likeable. This smile usually appears for the first time from the fourth or fifth week of life.
The conscious or specific smile
Only much later, around the sixth month, does your baby show the so-called conscious smile. Only now does your baby become aware of this smiling or laughing as an action. It has learned to distinguish between different faces and only smiles at those it is familiar with, which is usually a primary caregiver like Mother, Father, or Grandma and Grandpa.
Babies even have a sense of humor!
From the age of about one year, babies begin to develop their very own sense of humor. Mostly, they like exactly what their parents like, but sometimes they also laugh at things that parents cannot understand. The baby starts to observe the reactions and actions of its parents very closely, and might find it hilariously funny when Mom drops something. In general, babies laugh an extreme amount around their first year of life. They crack up at noises Dad makes and can't stop laughing when you hide behind your hands.
The older babies get, the more they test the reactions of adults. For example, if they smile at strangers from the stroller, the strangers might smile back. A great experience!
As soon as the baby reaches toddlerhood, they laugh at jokes, certain words, situations, or children's books.
Why do babies actually laugh?
Laughing serves many functions, not just for babies, but for infants who cannot yet speak, it is a particularly important means of communication and social bonding. For the child, laughing and smiling are signs of trust that show you that your baby likes you. A little later, your baby will laugh out loud or giggle when you play with them.
But in addition to the outward social function, laughing also has many inward benefits. When laughing, around 300 muscles are set in motion, it relieves pain, promotes metabolism, and strengthens the immune system. Laughing is healthy for body and soul!
By the way, according to studies, babies at the age of about one year laugh about 400 times per day, while adults only laugh 15 times. We could certainly learn a thing or two from our offspring. And let's be honest: What is more beautiful than a heartfelt child's laughter? When the baby laughs, they appear happy and peaceful, which creates a warm and loving feeling in the parents' hearts. Such moments even make up for the many sleepless nights that parents now have to endure. The parents smile back, and the circle is complete.
The swing2sleep team wishes you infinitely many wonderful moments of laughing together.
