Humor Development

You can tell a lot about a child’s developmental level by the things he or she laughs about. Two-year-olds usually find random words like ‘lippity-loppity-lappity’ funny because they are in the process of distinguishing these words that don’t particularly mean anything from the meaningful ones. Children around three years old usually find bodily processes like wee-wee, burp or “making wind” extremely funny because they have just mastered self-control over that area of their development. Older children, with a more advanced understanding of language, may find word play very funny as well. Of course, humor is often that one area of children’s development in which idiosyncrasies reign supreme—they might find something funny when everyone else fails to see the joke.

Laughter truly is one of the best medicines available. Frequent laughter has the following benefits for children:

• It is a great stress- and tension-reliever. A child who just had a long day at day care may find a tickling session with Dad or Mom a fantastic way to release tension about his or her day.
• Laughter creates a bond between the people who share it. Laughter can in fact be the cement that keeps a relationship closely knit.
• Laughter releases feel-good hormones called endorphins and can help improve a preschooler’s general mood.
• Laughter can help build resilience in children, giving them an important skill, which is humor, to cope with their own little struggles.                                                                                                                                            

Although different children laugh at different things, the following ideas are sure to give them a boost on their way to developing a good sense of humor:

• Make a mix-up—Purposefully call things by the wrong name and see if your child reacts to it. Surely your son or daughter would love to correct you this time!
• Swap shapes—While drawing pictures with your kids, draw a round house or triangle-shaped wheels and watch their reaction as you do.
• Adopt a playful attitude—Make full use of the humorous things that happen every day in most households and draw your child’s attention to absurdities or funny events. Be on the lookout for things to spark laughter and enjoy those light moments together. 
• Pretend to be the pet—Swap roles with your pet for a couple of minutes and let your child be your caretaker.