This little-known trait of parents improves their relationship with their children, according to a new study

Parenting has its share of daily challenges. You have to be able to listen to your child, to stay calm when he does something stupid, to teach him the fundamental values ​​that will make him an adult ready to face life and the world around him… Some parents succeed brilliantly. and you probably wondered what their secret was. A new study reveals it.

A sense of humor, the way to maintain good relationships with your offspring

It may seem strange, but being funny with your children helps you have better relationships with them. In any case, this is what emerges from a study carried out by the University of Macerata, in Italy.

She asked a simple question: does humor have a role in parenting? It seems so.

This work reveals that participants whose parents regularly used humor not only had a better view of their parents in general, but they were also more likely to say that they still had good relationships with them, adulthood.

In addition, these participants were also more likely to consider that their parents had done “a good job” in raising them this way and confided that they would use the same parenting techniques for their children in the future.

Humor creates a connection between parents and children

According to the main author of this work, Dr. Benjamin Lévi, cited by CNN“humor somehow forces you to react differently, which opens up new perspectives and opportunities. This type of connection can be very encouraging for the relationship between child and parent.”

The parent himself benefits from this state of mind. “Using humor can change your child’s behavior, but can also help you reframe a stressful situation, and that was, for me, a huge saving grace“, explains Anne Libéra, co-author of this work.

If you don’t have this type of approach with your child, you may be wondering how to introduce some humor into your education.

First of all, researchers admit that they don’t have all the explanations to understand how humor can be better used as a parenting education tool. Without forgetting the importance of adapting to the age of the child.

According to child and adolescent psychotherapist Dr. Katie Hurley, certain types of humor are more appropriate than others, depending on one’s age. “As children grow older, their sense of humor and ability to understand different types of humor become more sophisticated.” She first explains in detail. “In all cases, avoid sarcasm, regardless of your child’s age. Humor should be used for positive purposes, to reduce stress and maintain positive engagement from all family members ” she concludes.

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