"Knock, knock."
"Who’s there?"
"Erica."
"Erica who?"
"Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?"

My 3-year-old niece dissolved into giggles, while the rest of us rolled our eyes and smiled. Clearly she didn’t understand this old joke, yet she found it very funny. In fact, she shared her curious brand of humor with anyone who wandered by.

We didn’t stop her, because research shows that all that laughter and silliness was helping to build her body, brain and soul in countless ways. 

Laugh and Learn

Even a toddler knows that having fun makes living and learning easier to do. Now science confirms that having a sense of happiness and well-being can help us learn more and remember it longer. That’s because humor helps us pay attention to new concepts and connect them to what we already know.

Humor helps build human connections, too. When children feel secure in joyous, loving relationships, they feel better about trying out new ideas and taking a chance. 

Mary Poppins Was Right

Humor can also help us convince our children to do what we ask, without shouting matches or bad feelings. Teachers know this and rank humor as one of the top six strategies for classroom discipline. At home, discipline is how parents teach children to behave well and get along with others.

For example, when my toddlers refused to put on mittens during icy winter weather, I would say, "Oh good, I need a new pair to warm my hands." The silliness of their mother trying to wear such tiny mittens would break their stubborn resolve. Usually they would grab them off my fingers and say, "Mine, mine!" 

C’mon, Get Happy

You don’t have to be a comedian to build a happy brain. You just need a little bag of tricks:

  • Laughable lyrics. Use silly songs and rhythms to tickle the ear and enliven unpleasant jobs like washing your toddler’s hair. Teach a new rule by singing it to a common tune. Sing, "Don’t forget to make your bed, make your bed, make your bed" to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down," for example. They will enjoy the task more and remember new ideas longer when you do.
  • Make a mistake. Small children love to catch others making mistakes. Maybe that’s because every day is so risky and new for them and there is so much they don’t yet understand. Invite a giggle by "forgetting" how to brush your teeth or tie a shoe. Read books such as, "Are You My Mother?" where a character is confused by what your wise child already knows.
  • Look on the bright side. Life is full of silly situations, if we get into the habit of looking. Did your child spill over a whole box of Cheerios? Learn to laugh about how far they roll when they get out of the box. Then grab two brooms and start sweeping. Did your car window get stuck open in an automatic car wash and allow "monster" brushes to flap into your car? (This really happened to my toddler and me.) Turn terror to laughter by helping your child see the funny side of life. Then retell those stories often, creating an oral family history of laughter and fun.
  • Sample the sillies. Listen to humor tapes when you drive in the car. Read funny books. (Ask your library staff for suggestions). Watch funny movies together and try to discover what makes your child laugh.
  • Play "what if?" Explore crazy ideas and fanciful questions such as, "What if pigs could fly?" or "What if my friend turned a nice shade of green?"
  • Have fun with language. Try using rhyming words to give simple commands: "After you pick up your cars, we’ll visit the monkey bars!" Or replace the first sound in a word: "Put your shoes on your beet …Oh, you’re right, that’s fffffeet!"
  • Do the unexpected. Once in awhile, eat dessert first. Have a pajama party at noon. Talk like Donald Duck. Create a sense of wonder and delight where any moment might bring a surprise.

 

Linda Wacyk is a former EduGuide editor from Grand Ledge, Michigan.