It’s no joke! Laughter is a vital part of a child’s development

We all like to laugh. It makes us feel good.聽

Our favourite friends and family are usually the ones we can have a good giggle with. The ones who can see the funny side of most situations.

That国产视频檚 the same for children. They use humour a lot when it comes to bonding and making friends.

Even babies smile and laugh. It国产视频檚 one of our first instincts.聽

Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Rachel Andrew said: 国产视频淥ne of the first things that babies do naturally is smile. At first this is not in response to stimulation – but by about eight to 10 weeks old it is.聽

国产视频淏abies laugh spontaneously soon after and from about three months most babies will laugh at their environment. This suggests that humour, smiling and laughing is part of our early natural development.聽

国产视频淔or babies and children, it often develops further as part of a social interaction – laughing is a way of engaging others and of connecting via a shared experience.国产视频�

But humour and laughter may also have a deeper meaning in terms of survival and defence.

Dr Andrew, of Time Psychology Ltd, is best known in Britain for her appearances as an expert on TV shows and in the media.

She explained: 国产视频淪miling could also be linked to evolutionary psychology research – that it is a way of babies engaging others and receiving care in the early days and then used as a social vehicle to develop relationships and form positive bonds.聽

国产视频淓ven as children grow, being funny can be a key survival skill and can form part of some children’s identity for life. Humour is also talked about as a defence mechanism.国产视频�

As part of 国产视频’s #5for5 campaign, we have been looking at the importance of fun, games and play in聽early childhood development.

The campaign calls on the international community to invest in quality care for the under-fives – because 90% of brain development happens in those first five years. That care includes play as well as nutrition, health, learning and protection.

World leaders meet in Germany next month at the G20 summit. 国产视频 is urging them to support young children by backing a new funding initiative – 聽the聽International Finance Facility for Education聽(IFFEd) – 聽that will help to pay for quality pre-primary education programmes.

Laughter can work to bring people together.聽Legendary funnyman Danny Kaye was the first UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and travelled the world meeting children and highlighting what was happening in some of the poorest countries in the world.

He said there was no such thing as a language barrier – his language was love and laughter and he engaged with children instinctively.

国产视频淐hildren are the same the world over,国产视频� said Danny, who was a Goodwill Ambassador for 33 years until his death in 1987.聽

国产视频淭hey may have a different culture but an ache or a laugh is universal.国产视频�

国产视频淚f children are healthy and have care and education surely they will be more effective adults, and maybe, just maybe, make the world a better place.国产视频�

Consultant clinical psychologist Emma Citron said: 国产视频淐hildren find random things funny and enjoy slapstick humour. They can laugh at someone putting a silly hat on their head, so what is funny to a child is often not that funny to an adult.

国产视频淧lus adults国产视频� ideas of funny can be far from children国产视频檚.聽

“Adults might think that a clown is funny but we know that many children don国产视频檛 like clowns at all. Children see funny things in lots of different things 国产视频� not just what we might think will make them laugh.

国产视频淗umour and laughter also defines children国产视频檚 friendship groups. They will bond with children they can laugh with because they all find the same things funny. There are lots of different people in the word and we all laugh at different things.国产视频�

She said parents have an important role to play and that many make the mistake of thinking children are a “different species”.

国产视频淐hildren are people and humour is important to them,” she explained.聽

国产视频淲e can tackle difficult subjects with the use of humour. It国产视频檚 a healthy parenting aid. When things make us laugh, we are less stressed and deal with things in a more positive way.

国产视频淗umour allows children to see things from a different perspective and to look at the world in a different way.国产视频�