According to psychologist Caroline Goldman, this habit has a more than positive impact on the mental and physical health of children.
Raising a child on a daily basis can quickly become a never-ending race for parents. Between work, household chores, homework, we easily get caught up in routine. Each day is like the previous one, and in this whirlwind, we sometimes forget the essential: enjoying simple things and creating moments of lightness. In her new book, “Guide for Today’s Parents”, released on September 4 by Flammarion, Caroline Goldman advises parents to set up a routine every day, at least once. A practice which would have many virtues in terms of education, according to the French psychologist.
“I am convinced that daily laughter is an extraordinary preventive agent for mental and physical health,” she writes. And for this, there is no need to be the craziest parent, because it is within everyone’s reach. Moreover, from a very young age, we can confront the child with laughter and this famous effect of surprise, which generally precedes bursts of laughter. For example, through the game “the hidden cuckoo” or “the little creature that goes up, that goes up…”. For Caroline Goldman, “a parent who maintains the element of surprise on a daily basis in his growing child softens his psychological functioning. He will then know how to deal with the unexpected.” Parents can also make their child laugh with funny faces, “guilis” under the arms, under the feet or on the neck, or funny words.
More generally, humor has “a very positive emotional and intellectual impact on the child”underlines the specialist in her work. In fact, this allows “to put the emotional charge of events at a distance”. This is the case, for example, when the child falls or does something stupid. Instead of looking at him with eyes full of fear (“Oh my god, you hurt yourself, that’s horrible”), it’s better to say to him with a smile: “Oh, you fell, that’s okay.” It’s not a big deal, it happens, come on, let’s get up and play this game.” He will then understand that falling is not necessarily something serious.
Clearly, Caroline Goldman explains that parents have every interest in making their child laugh for the happiness it brings, but also “for the emotional wisdom, the psychic flexibility that it induces” And “for intellectual enrichment”, she concludes.