When you see your little one smile or hear their giggle, you can’t help but to smile and laugh along.  Happiness is contagious and in honor of our Year of the Happy Baby, here are some great tips to keep you and your little one smiling from ear to ear!

Sleep

Make sure your little one gets enough sleep. It increases baby’s immune system, enabling them to fight off colds and bugs. In addition, a good night’s sleep allows your little one to enjoy the day more and helps fight off mid-day crankiness. Did you know babies need up to 18 hours of sleep a day?

Food

Healthy food equals healthy babies, and healthy babies are happy babies! Feed your little one nutritious formula or breast milk to help nurture their growth. Before feeding your little one, be sure to test the food’s temperature so you know it’s not too hot. Make mealtime fun by playing the airplane game to keep baby actively engaged in the process. Once he’s all full, don’t forget to burp to avoid gassiness! Keeping little ones well fed keeps them happier throughout the day and as a parent, your child’s happiness is what’s most important.

Playtime

Utilize toys with music and visual stimuli so babies stay playful, entertained and engaged.  Playing and reading together will also boost baby’s engagement. Try fun games like Peekaboo or build a tower and have baby knock it down. See what makes them giggle and go with it! Even just talking to your little one, saying what you’re going to do will help them to understand the sound with the action. Take time to play together and baby will surely be smiling!

Calm Tones

Speak in calm tones around your baby. Soothing sounds keep little ones more mellow and happy. Also, just being there for your little one is really what they crave. Simple actions such as laying your little one on your shoulder to have them hear and feel your soothing breath keeps them in tune with you as a calm parent, which makes for a calm and happy baby.

What do you do to keep your little one as happy and content as possible? Share with us below and be sure to keep checking the Baby Einstein Facebook and Twitter pages for updates on Baby, Be Happy news!