# I know I probably shouldn't laugh at my baby crying but... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 24, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779 "2011-01-24T13:41:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/1 "2011-01-24T13:41:34Z")
… Come on! Look at the hilarious grumpy face she pulls! I was filming her because the look on her face when I blow a raspberry cracks me up and managed to capture it. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-W0J6cWt2U) It’s ok, she stops quickly! ---
**Author:** ![foxymoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@foxymoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foxymoron)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/2 "2011-01-24T13:57:02Z")
She’s beautiful! I love babies’ ‘winding up to cry’ faces, too. I do feel a little guilty, but mostly it’s just funny. ---
**Author:** ![Arglefraster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@Arglefraster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arglefraster)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/3 "2011-01-24T14:07:49Z")
The other day my 16-month-old held out a peanut butter cracker to the dog (I guess she wanted to show it to her?). The dog, of course, ate it. She started _wailing_ while pointing accusingly at the dog. I laughed. Of course I also comforted her and gave her another cracker, but I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/4 "2011-01-24T14:56:37Z")
(pregnant lady starts sobbing) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/5 "2011-01-24T15:03:36Z")
My mom says when I was a perfectly happy baby, she would look at me sadly and say, “Poor Julie…poor Julie…” a few times, and soon my lip would start to tremble, and then I’d start bawling. What a rotten thing to do! But I can’t blame her. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/6 "2011-01-24T17:01:27Z")
When my son was about seven months old, he would often cry by making almost a perfect Bronx cheer kind of sound. I felt bad because it was so funny I could hardly contain myself from laughing. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/7 "2011-01-24T17:47:36Z")
BWAHAHAHAHA - She’s gonna trip over that lip!! Junior does the same thing but he’ll poke his lip out for longer taunting me with it’s bigness. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/8 "2011-01-24T17:51:48Z")
I would cry too if you came up to me and started making those strange sounds. What on earth were you thinking? ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/9 "2011-01-24T17:58:10Z")
YAY! Franbaby! She’s beeeauuutiful, Fran. Also, the pout right before the wail is priceless. 🙂 You did good. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/10 "2011-01-24T18:27:52Z")
Great - now I’m laughing at a child crying in fear. I don’t have much of a soul left you know, I can’t afford to waste it! ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/11 "2011-01-24T21:40:03Z")
> [@malkavia](#): > > YAY! Franbaby! She’s beeeauuutiful, Fran. Also, the pout right before the wail is priceless. 🙂 You did good. Thanks 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/12 "2011-01-24T21:45:13Z")
Watched with my dozing little one in my lap. Your sounds startled him awake and your baby’s crying made him giggle. So it’s funny for everybody. 😛 Very cute, Frannie. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/13 "2011-01-24T22:04:23Z")
Francesca, you are an evil woman :dubious:, delighting at the fear of your own child. Did you see the tear run down her cheek at the end of the video? ETA: you have an adorable little girl. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/14 "2011-01-24T22:10:08Z")
That was priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/15 "2011-01-24T22:12:25Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > My mom says when I was a perfectly happy baby, she would look at me sadly and say, “Poor Julie…poor Julie…” a few times, and soon my lip would start to tremble, and then I’d start bawling. What a rotten thing to do! But I can’t blame her. 🙂 I don’t really understand it…can’t blame her for what? Wanting a crying baby? Aren’t most mothers grateful for quiet/happy babies? ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/16 "2011-01-24T22:39:42Z")
When my daughter was tiny, I made ‘emotions cards’ on paper plates to try and teach her how to express her emotions better. I think this is the reason that her ‘sad face’ was so hilarious - she was copying the card. Even now I can cheer myself up by asking her to pull a sad face. I think I’ll go and do that now, actually. And your baby is adorable, Fran. ---
**Author:** ![hdc\_bst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9f8e36/32.png) [@hdc\_bst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hdc_bst)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/17 "2011-01-24T23:18:37Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I don’t really understand it…can’t blame her for what? Wanting a crying baby? Aren’t most mothers grateful for quiet/happy babies? I’ll try to explain some of the appeal - one of the most delightful aspects of raising kids is watching their ever maturing relationship with their environment. Seeing your baby develop emotional responses and the beginnings of empathy is wondrous. Add in the slightly subversive aspect of inciting crying (in a non-harmful manner) probably adds to the appeal. I don’t go out of my way to make my daughter cry, but I am often amused by some of the ‘travesties’ that will bring her to tears. Then it becomes a balancing act of providing sympathy, perspective that it isn’t the end of the world, and trying not to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/18 "2011-01-24T23:22:27Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I don’t really understand it…can’t blame her for what? Wanting a crying baby? Aren’t most mothers grateful for quiet/happy babies? When my oldest was a baby, I sang to him all the time. At one point I sustained a rather high, sharp note and he did the not-quite-crying lip trembling thing and then burst into tears. It was the funniest thing ever. It being so hilarious and cute, you can’t really blame me that I did it again. And again. Of course, I also gave him a lemon wedge once just to see what would happen. That was funny, too. Kids are fun. In exchange, my youngest just puked ON MY MOUTH (it was closed, thankfully) the other day and the bigger one used to pee on me all the time. So… balance. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/19 "2011-01-25T02:15:04Z")
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! She’s SO beautiful! I love how her little lip sticks out - been a while since I’ve seen that face on PandaKid 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779/20 "2011-01-25T03:08:10Z")
I love how big her eyes got each time she heard the raspberry. Also, I think one key to rational parenting is being able to chuckle at minor tears and mishaps. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-know-i-probably-shouldnt-laugh-at-my-baby-crying-but/568779.md?page=2)