Parenting is hard. I would wonder about any parent who says otherwise. One of the tools in my parenting toolbox that almost never fails is to inject humor into a challenging situation with my kids. Here is one very simple example that I used quite often when my kids were little. My son would not go to bed at bedtime. Arguing, raising my voice, and punishing would have only made things worse and would not have left me feeling like a good mom at the end of the night (believe me – I tried it!). Instead, I lightened up and started saying to my son, playfully and dramatically, “Don’t you dare get in your bed now! Don’t you dare, no, no, no, don’t you dare pull those covers up! Oh no, don’t you dare pick a bedtime book, no! Don’t you close your eyes! Noooo!” Bedtime became a playful, delightful, and bonding experience for both of us. The Sesame Street book, The Monster at the End of This Book, starring Grover, illustrates this philosophy of humor perfectly. Kids often do not want to read, so why not tempt them to read with a threat that there is a monster at the end of the book?
We as parents can learn a thing or two from Grover. Kids do not outgrow Grover’s technique when they become teens or young adults. The humor may change, but it still works. I can still get my sons to help me when I ask them to do something if I combine it with picking up the dog and having him mime the instructions. They may or may not laugh; they will probably roll their eyes, but they will be a little more willing to do the chore because in that moment I am not the nagging taskmaster they often perceive me to be.
I wonder how humor can be added to homework time. We have it in us as parents to be playful. I am sure each parent can come up with their own way of being playful with their child during this dreaded time. If homework time were more playful and less serious, it could alleviate anxiety, promote creativity, release dopamine, activate the mind, and quickly pass the time. With levity and humor, the brain is no longer locked in survival mode, a dopamine release makes homework easier and more fun, and the body relaxes which opens the nervous system and brain to learning. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are many benefits to laughter, including increasing the uptake of oxygen which stimulates the heart and lungs, and releases endorphins in the brain. Laughter can cool down the body’s stress response (which is often present during homework time) and aid in muscle relaxation. The Mayo Clinic also claims long term benefits of laughter, including an improved immune system. One benefit that we as parents can see immediately is that it may eliminate the homework struggle and remind us not to take it all so seriously.
