It's a strange and yet common phenomena that's acted out in a variety of settings.
Why do people pretend to laugh?
For acceptance... ?
Fortunately, it's not something I've had to pretend about much myself. Though there have been occasions when I too have felt the need to - in support of a partner - by responding to their expressions of humour by emitting those 'sounds of approval'. However, those are the exceptions, generally I've not had to feel obliged in this respect. I've laughed because something has genuinely amused me, though this hasn't always been the expected reaction (and that too has added to my amusement).... rarely have I felt the need to suppress it.
My next door neighbours are currently in their back garden and the mother is playing with her two young children.
I'm guessing that this is the case by the sound of her forced laughter.
This in turn made me wonder who is the intended audience, not least because it was only a couple of hours ago that I was thinking that I have never heard that woman laugh.
I maybe biased, having decided some months ago that I don't actually like her, although I've had very limited exchanges with the woman. I moved into this house - approx 18 months ago - she has never introduced herself, and I don't apportion blame there... afterall, neither have I.
Last summer I acquired two pups - a labrador and a jack russell. Over the months since we've had a number of brief conversations through the branches of the privet hedge that forms the boundary to each garden. She seemed friendly enough during these, but yet unfriendly (if that makes sense).
When my labrador realised that with very little effort, he could gain access to her garden (which held a selection of toys) and say hello to the much older resident dog, she accepted my apologies and permitted me to retrieve him without complaint. Since then both puppies have played Houdini and explored their garden several times, despite the number of measures I've taken to prevent this.
I thought I'd finally resolved the problem after attaching lengths of chicken wire to the privet. However, they found a couple of weak areas and I was surprised (and alarmed) to discover, after a brief and hurried shopping trip, my labrador wandering along the roadside outside my house.
When this happened another 2 occasions, I figured out how he was getting into her garden and that THIS explained why she'd suddenly started leaving her gate open.
As a mother of four children myself, I understand why it must be annoying to have a neighbours dog break into your private garden, especially when this is the area designated for the children to play in. Having said that though, I do feel it says a lot about a mother who then (knowingly) makes the open road available to such a very young animal.
