Smiles are the first building blocks of warm, loving and responsive relationships. These relationships are crucial for your baby’s development where he learns how to communicate and show emotions.
It fosters bonding and attachment and helps your baby feel secure and safe. Your face is where your baby looks for love, attention and comfort. Smiles, frown and crying are the first way your baby relates to you. When your baby and you smile at each other, it releases chemicals in your bodies that make both feel happy and safe.
In this article, I will be sharing some tips on how to make your baby smile or laugh.
Reflex Smile Vs Real Smile
Your baby might start reflex smiling before birth and continue to do so as a newborn. It is short and occurs randomly like when your baby is sleeping.
Reflex smiling usually stops around 2 months after birth, follows by your baby’s first real smile response to hearing mama’s voice or seeing dada.
Your baby’s whole face lights up when it is a real smile.
Reflex Smile
What comes after smiling?
Once your baby smiles, your baby starts cooing, giggling and laughing.
How to make your baby smile or laugh?
Tips:
1. Carry and kiss your baby.
2. Stroke your baby’s face.
3. Remove your baby’s swaddle.
4. Count the number of your baby’s fingers or toes.
5. Blow raspberries on your baby’s tummy.
6. Tickle your baby.
7. Stick your tongue out and your baby follows.
8. Put a moving toy in front of your baby.
9. Sing nursery rhymes with simple actions that your baby can copy.
10. Make some sounds like sneezing, coughing, ah..., your baby follows.
11. Use a spoon to hit pots and pans like drums in front of your baby.
12. Smile or laugh at your baby and your baby follows.
13. Celebrate your baby’s first sitting up, crawling, standing, rolling over, kicking and walking.
14. Play peekaboo with your baby. Your baby might reach out his arms, giggle and smiles. After a while, your baby might look away when he had enough play for now. Give your baby a break, play again another time.
15. Read to your baby. This lets your baby learns about language.
16. Carry your baby and lift or walk in the air.
17. Let your baby stand in your hands.
18. Hold a teether in front of your teething baby.
19. Let your baby sit in a tennis balls basket, throw a tennis ball to let you hit.
20. Feed your baby with cake, chocolate or a cold drink.
21. Bring your baby to sit, stand or tumble in front of the mirror.
22. Ask your baby to show you his muscles or belly.
23. Say “I love you” to your baby.
24. Put your baby into a jumper to jump.
25. Throw a soft cushion, softball or towel at your baby.
26. Bring a milk bottle in front of your hungry baby.
During Bath
29. Pour a little water on your baby’s body using different size measuring cups.
Let your baby fill and pour water on his own.
30. Introduce new words like body parts to your baby.
Name each body part as you wash it.
Sing "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes".
Ask your baby questions such as "Where is your head or belly?"
31. Play with different coloured toy ducks or animals.
I hope all these tips will help you to make your baby smile or laugh.
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As one of the best infant care in Tampines, Nurture Infant House Tampines provides a happy and healthy learning environment for your infants to learn and grow independently.
Our infant care at Tampines have over 10 years of experience in caring for your beloved infants aged 2 months to 18 months old. Check out our Tampines infant care’s testimonials regarding the care that parents’ infants have received at Nurture Infant House.
Check out our infant care Tampines’s gallery for photos taken during activities.
If you are looking for good infant care in Tampines or preschool in Tampines or childcare in Tampines central, do consider Nurture Infant House.
Located beside our Tampines infant care is our Genesis Childcare 1989.
Boasting over 30 years of specialized experience, we have nurtured thousands of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers so if you are looking for childcare in Tampines to start your little ones in life, why not start your search by registering with us for a complimentary guided tour?
Click here to learn more about our child care centre or click here to WhatsApp us if you have any enquiries regarding our playgroup Tampines.
Lastly, would you like to visit our Nurture Infant House to find out more about our environment and setup as well as understand our operations by talking to our teachers and supervisor?
Nurture Infant House (2 to 18 months Infants)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-61 Singapore 520433
Genesis Childcare 1989 (Playgroup to Kindergarten 2)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-63/65 Singapore 520433
Opening hours: Monday to Friday (7am to 7pm) & Saturday (7am to 2pm)
Public Bus services: 8 / 21 / 28 / 29 / 293
Tel: 96664141