Why Kids Need Laughter
Kimberley Clayton Blaine, MA, MFT
According to KidsHealth.com, children laugh about 200 times a day; adults laugh only 15 to 18 times. Laughter can help you and your children communicate better and build emotional bonds and having a sense of humor is good for a child’s mental and physical well-being.
Can laughter really alter brain chemistry? Researchers found that when people laugh, a part of the brain’s reward system is triggered. In this reward system, a person feels pleasure and wants to have the same pleasant feelings over and over again.
Laughter:
- Relieves stress, loosens muscles, lowers blood pressure.
- Helps move blood to your heart and lungs and boosts energy immediately
- Triggers a point in the brain that helps a person feel pleasure
Studies show that laughing is key to positive parenting, helping families have fun and come closer together.
Here are some ways to encourage your child’s sense of humor.
- Be a laughing family: tell jokes and laugh out loud.
- Encourage your child to be funny. Laugh at her silly jokes and crazy escapades
- Fill your home with silly books, comics and nonsense kid books.
Copyright, www.TheGoToMom.TV, 2008 |
