Why joking around with your kids is not just fun- it’s important
We’ve all heard that phrase, “laughter is the best medicine” and most people love a good joke but, laughter is more than just fun, it’s an essential tool for kids. But why is cultivating a sense of humor in kids so important? What are the benefits? A good laugh can help release endorphins in the brain and relieves stress in the body. Teaching kids jokes and learning to laugh at funny situations can give them a social advantage too and, knowing a few jokes can be a great icebreaker to make friends. Making friends and sharing laughter will increase your child’s self-confidence and help them function better socially as well.
I never really thought about it until I had to teach my son with a nonverbal learning disorder what a joke is and, why they are funny. Kids with nonverbal learning disorders don’t read social situations, facial expressions and understand the play on words involved in jokes. We moved and changed schools when he was in third grade, and, to cheer him up, every day I put a little slip of paper with a joke on it in is lunch bag.
When it was time for the holiday party I brought snacks to drop off in his room and his teacher told me how he had the best sense of humor and everyone loved his daily jokes.
At the end of the year when I was cleaning out his backpack - there were all the scraps of paper from my jokes stuffed into his pencil case.
He had kept them. It had given him something to look forward to and share every day of school and that is priceless.
So go on and share a joke with your kids, build their self-confidence and build a wonderful memory of fun with your kids. Check out our Funny bone page for jokes you can share now. I will be adding more jokes regularly.
