Remember the old adage that laughter is the best medicine? Well, it seems that it’s true, laughter really is good for us. According to a recent poll by Harris Interactive of nearly 3,000 adults in the U.S., 98% of parents said that having a sense of humor in life is a key ingredient in raising happy, well-rounded children. The parents also ranked humor as being almost as important as reading and writing in terms of life skills.
Laughter not only improves your child’s cognitive skills but aids in the development of social and emotional development as well. It helps kids learn to handle stress, improves conflict resolution and promotes an overall healthy self-image.
Parents have to learn to not be so serious all the time. We have to laugh and goof off with our kids and learn to see the humor in everyday situations. I find that I get a big kick out of some of the things Tyler says, especially when he does not know that I am listening to him. Just the other day he was talking to himself and at first I wasn’t really listening because I was trying to work. Then I heard him say that so and so went to Africa and it took 32 minutes to get there and it was going to take about 35 minutes to get back! When I heard this I giggled to myself or at least I thought I was but he heard me. He then asked me, “Mama, did I say something funny?” I simple answered yes and starting laughing at his youthful innocence. And then we both laughed for about five minutes. Sometimes it’s just that easy. But as parents we are often so busy that that we don’t take time to laugh and enjoy ourselves and our kids. So maybe this should be one of your resolutions for 2007. Maybe we should laugh with our kids more often. It’s good for our kids to see us acting goofy sometimes.
See also:
Teaching Your Kids To Be Helpful
How To Teach Your Kids Good Manners