Thread by @suzannezeedyk

In honour of ths morn's conv w/ @czzpr & @realdcameron for @teacherhugradio , here's a THREAD exploring t complexity of t most recent BABY LAUGHTER video to go viral. Whn we look closer at ths wee one's JOY, we gain insights into our whole human species.

2. Ok, she starts out, at 0.00, lookng straight at t camera. That means she's aware of Daddy, who is videoing ths lovely moment. Even in t midst of the hilarity, she's aware of her wider environment & the people in it. That's multi-taskng! She can do complex things w/ her attntn.

3. And now! On with the joy! She's got a new toy - a torch (flashlight) - that she can USE to make WONDROUS THINGS happen! She can CONTROL THE DOG! We are witnessing a baby discover she has power over her world. This is a baby building self-esteem in the midst of FUN.

4. She follows the movement of the light and the dog. We're watching her brain, via her eye gaze, keep track of what's happening. She's shifting her attention in accord with the fast-moving action. God bless the dog for making this so much fun for her.

5. So at .04, she's ready to make the game more complex. She weaves in some motor movements. She takes a step away, to see what happens, to see if the dog follows. AND HE DOES!!! OMG, this is HILARIOUS. Power over the world is exhilarating!

6. We're at .05. (ONLY .05! How much has already happened?!) She looks up. "Daddy, are you watching this? Are you? Are you SHARING this amazing experience with me? Do you [too] SEE that the dog has followed me? Is this not the most astounding thing you've ever seen, Daddy?"

7. "Phew. Daddy's watchng. That's good. He & I really are SHARING ths moment. Great, I can TRUST him enough to take my eyes off him and go back to explorng this new thing I've discoverd abt t world. I'm kind of being like a scientist!" (She's off on a Daring Venture @TIGERS_UK .)

8. "So what happens if I keep walking and moving this light around [at .11]? Does the dog still follow me? OMG yes he does! I have him totally in my grip!! He keeps doing exactly what I want! I am all powerful! This is HILARIOUS!"

9. "Its so funny that I can't stand up any more! I've literally bowled myself over w/ my own delight." (Yep, her POSTURE falls apart with the intensity of her laughing. Her MOTORIC SYSTEM shaped by...laughter.) (This w/ help her in later holding a pencil. Seriously.)

10. Back on her feet, reachng for that dropped torch. So in the midst of t fun, her motor skills are still be utilised. Her cognitive attentn skills are being utilised. Her curiosity is still being exercised... (And bless that dog. He's patiently waitng til she gets it together.)

11. "Gosh, how did that torch get so heavy & awkward from ths position? I'll need both hands to pick it up & get it right." THINK ABOUT THIS FOLKS! Ths baby's postural systems are so integrated she can make all these adjustmnts unconsciously. She is discoverng HOW HER BODY WORKS.

12. "And it still works! The game still works! The light still moves! The dog still chases it! This is phenomenal! Look at all t places you can put t light! And the dog goes for it! Please never ever let this fun end, Daddy! The last 30 secs have been the best ones of my life!"

13. "Its too much! It's too funny. I can't integrate all these bodily systems! I'm back on my bottom on the floor! Except, yes, I can prop myself up with my free hand." (When most people watch ths video, they pay attention to t emotion, t joy. But LOOK. That emotion is EMBODIED.)

14. While I'm talkng of t embodiment, can we pause for a moment to think abt t SHAPE of her peals of laughter? They climb to a peak, decline, then start again. Why? Because t body can't sustain such intensity. Physiologclly, we hv to release, then renew. Emotion comes in WAVES.

15. Awareness of those WAVES is useful for all sorts of things:
-Shock, as teeth chattering returns.
-Temper Tantrums, as toddlers' wails escalate & recede.
-Grief, as the intensity of loss returns again & again.
Big emotions MOVE THROUGH our bodies.
huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/temper-t…

16. Ok, back to our story, playing out in waves of laughter... .35. For a sec, t coordination falls apart. She's distracted by t activity of t dog, forgetting that she's controlling his excitemnt w/ her light. Overwhelm has swept through her body. It comes,then goes. Because...

17. ...by .40, she's regrouped, cognitively. The triad of her hand movements, the light movements & the dog's response are integrated once more. Cue renewed peals of SCREAMING LAUGHTER!

18. And now she can take this game in new directions! A new Daring Venture. She can use her feet, in a step-wise rhythm, to turn her body - whilst keeping her eyes on the conjunction of the dog & light. Multi-tasking extraordinaire! #Creativity #Spontaneity #LearningThroughPlay

19. And that's where we leave her, at t end .47, figuring out new ways to tempt t dog's attentn, still delighted with her power & impact.
Bless that dog. She knows he is still responding. She can see that in his body. This game has been SHARED between t 2 of them. CO-created.

20. I've tried to do 2 things in ths THREAD: 1) Celebrate laughter 2) Draw attntn to its rich complexities. That was t msg of @czzpr in his intrvw today w/ @realdcameron & myslf for #TheIdeasHour on @teacherhugradio. I hope this wee analysis illustrates. Can't wait to broadcast!

21. If you can't wait for the broadcast, and you're keen to know more about laughter right now, here's a link to hear more about @czzpr 2019 book 'The Laughing Baby: The Science of What Makes Babies Happy and Why'.

22. And if you'd like more detailed analyses of babies' behaviour, here's t set of videos I narrated last year, showng partings & reunions at nursery. I cdn't hv done it w/out t help of @lullabynursery & Angels&Co Nursery in Aberdn. connectedbaby.net/product/tigers…
connectedbaby.net/product/tigers…

23/end. Whn we take babies seriously, we learn so much abt our own humanity. We discover t keys to creatng a healthy society. I don't care if that sounds schmaltzy. It's true. Adult society cannot thrive without meeting its babies' emotional needs.
#Relationships #Joy #Sharing