A Healthy Laugh
Laughter helps reduce stress and boosts your kid's immunity, so yuk it up.
A recent study revealed that laughing decreases stress hormones in the body and amps up the body's killer T cells that go to bat against virus-infected and malignant cells. So whether you watch a funny movie, play charades, or share silly stories with your kids, be sure to set aside some time for health-boosting belly laughs.
Life can get crazy and stressful for kids; laughing can help them cope. It also can help nip family tensions in the bud by opening the lines of communication and putting your kids at ease. And laughter isn't only beneficial for their psychological state; it's good for their bodies, too. It promotes feelings of well-being by reducing the amount of stress hormones in the body such as epinephrine and cortisol. Results from a new study suggest that laughter increases both the number and the activity of the body's killer T cells, cells that act as the first line of defense against viral attack and damaged cells.
Encourage generous amounts of giggling and silliness in your home. Read aloud books with plots you can laugh about, or pull out the paper and read the comics together. For younger kids, choose books that have silly words and funny pictures. Practice tongue twisters, riddles, and rhymes with your children and help them see the humor in ordinary, everyday events and mishaps. But be cautious. Don't confuse ridicule, teasing, and sarcasm with humor. Remind them that laughing at another person's expense isn't acceptable and neither is tell unflattering jokes about a sibling or friend. With kids, unless everyone can laugh, it isn't funny.
