Good News: You Don't Have to Wait Very Long to Hear Your Baby's First Laugh

Laughter is known to be the best medicine for just about everything, and for good reason. Aside from protecting against heart disease, laughter actually works to foster brain connectivity and cultivates relationships with others. So it's no wonder that parents eagerly await the big milestone of watching their little one let out a genuine laugh for the first time.

All children are different and reach milestones at various paces, but a baby typically starts giggling and laughing in response to tickles, silly faces, or even bouncy movements by the time they're 4 months old. Don't worry if your baby doesn't start guffawing away at such an early age, though, as it isn't unusual for some to wait until they're almost a year old before they have a true belly laugh. Plus, sometimes it takes parents a while to figure out how to get their little one to laugh out loud (remember when Ross sang Sir Mix a Lot's "Baby Got Back" to make Emma laugh on Friends?). Just remember: be patient and enjoy the moment when your baby does starts laughing, because before you know it, they'll be rolling their eyes at your bad jokes.