Laughter

"A problem well stated is a problem half-solved."    -- Charles F. Kettering

I am not playful enough with Raccoon. It's something I've been thinking about a lot the last few months as I see Raccoon drawn more and more to my husband and wanting to spend less time with me. Raccoon has always been very strong in his parental preferences, switching back and forth between us over the years, but lately it's been more pronounced. If he's playing with my husband and I show up, he tells me to leave, or shuts the door to keep me out. Because I spend our time enforcing limits and routine tasks that he dislikes, I've become the rain-on-his-parade.

Robin is just starting to laugh. Raccoon earned her first three laughs the week before we came to the States. Her face lights up whenever she sees him, and he loves her right back.

"For young children, laughter — particularly the kind
that starts with a gurgle, rises to a giggle, and ends in
near spasms of joy — is a built-in tension-release
mechanism, taking the edge off all that hard work of
being a baby.

You're also teaching them by example. They're learning
that playfulness can transform distress, a powerful way
to help children develop tension regulation.

Need yet one more reason to yuk it up in the first year?
It seems good-humored moms have elevated levels of
melatonin in their breast milk, so their baby sleeps more
soundly. For a sleep-deprived parent, that's nothing to laugh at."

From How to Raise a Fun and Funny Child