They say that laughter is the best medicine, but it could be a good parenting tool too, according to a new study led by researchers from Penn State. In a pilot study, the research team found that most people viewed humor as an effective parenting tool and that a parent or caregiver's use of humor affected the quality of their relationship with their children. Among those whose parents used humor, the majority viewed their relationship with their parents and the way they were parented in a positive light.
The researchers published their findings in the journal PLOS One. "Humor can teach people cognitive flexibility, relieve stress, and promote creative problem solving and resilience," said Benjamin Levi, professor of pediatrics and humanities at Penn State College of Medicine and senior author of the study. "My father used humor and it was very effective.
I use humor in my clinical practice and with my own children. The question became, how does one constructively use humor?" While aspects of humor and play have been studied across various settings and in child development, the use of humor in parenting hasn't been formally studied, the researchers said. "There's an interesting parallel between business and parenting, which are both hierarchical.
In business, humor has been shown to help reduce hierarchies, create better environments for collaboration and creativity and diffuse tension," said first author Lucy Emery, who was a medical student at Penn State College of Medicine .