Families that laugh together will probably produce better-adjusted kids who'll feel close to their parents decades later Research shows tighter, longer-lasting parent-child bonds when humor was part of an upbringing Humor can enhance other relationships, too, including at the workplace WEDNESDAY, Aug. 14, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Want to be a better, more effective mom or dad? Trying sharing a good laugh with your kid. New research among folks ages 18 to 45 found many citing humor as one of the reasons they had, and continue to have, a positive relationship with their parents.
“My hope is that people can learn to use humor as an effective parenting tool, not only to diffuse tension but develop resilience and cognitive and emotional flexibility in themselves and model it for their children,” said study senior author . He's a professor of pediatrics and humanities at Penn State College of Medicine in University Park, Pa. Levi explained there's been a lot of research into how humor helps people in many areas of life.
“Humor can teach people cognitive flexibility, relieve stress and promote creative problem-solving and resilience," he said in a Penn State news release. But there hasn't been much investigation into laughter's role in parenting. “My father used humor and it was very effective," Levi said.
"I use humor in my clinical practice and with my own children. The question became, how does one constructively use humor?” To find out, he and his colleagues conducted .