It seems that laughing can be contagious.  Have you ever found yourself laughing after you see someone else laughing?  You don’t know why you are laughing but just seeing someone laugh can cause you to do the same.  Wouldn’t you rather catch a laugh then a cold or the flu?

Our children certainly know how to laugh.  We can learn much from them. They seem to spend a lot more time laughing than we adults do!  Babies smile naturally too.  Remember your baby’s first smile?

We have all heard the age old saying “laughter is the best medicine.”   Have we experienced this ourselves?

Laughing results in the exercise of your diaphragm and the movement of your facial muscles.  Have you ever laughed so hard that your side hurts?

There is a lot of research into the physical benefits of laughter.  When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.  Laughter activates and relieves your stress response by lowering your adrenaline level, resulting in a good, relaxed feeling.  Laughter can also soothe tension by stimulating the circulation and aids in muscle relaxation, both of which help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Laughter has some positive long term effects too.  It improves your immune system. Negative thoughts result in chemical reactions that can impact your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.  Laughter may also ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers, such as endorphins.  Laughter can also break the pain-spasm cycle common to some muscle disorders such as fibromyalgia.  Finally, laughter increases personal satisfaction by making it easier to cope with difficult situations and in helping you connect with other people.

So, yes it’s true!  Laughing is really healthy by promoting good physical health and mental well being.  It’s good for our hearts and our heads.   This is wonderful news for us all.  We are not wasting time laughing we are exercising our bodies and elevating our moods.  No drugs needed!

Happy people seem to make others happier too.  Most of us would rather talk with a happy person than with a grumpy one-right?

So if laughing is good for us, why aren’t we doing more of it?  In today’s post 9/11 world we are much more stressed and on guard than ever before.  Tragedy seems to be everywhere and with instant media you can follow it for days if not weeks.  I am not suggesting that we not empathize or be engaged with happenings in the world, but we should keep it all in perspective and not let current events put us in a state of constant depression and immobilization.

Wouldn’t we be more able, mentally and physically, to respond to a crisis if we were in good health?  If your doctor prescribed laughter in a pill form, would you take it?

What about our children.   Do they feel this angst?  Do they feel more stressed today, than we did growing up?  What would your guess be?  The answer is obvious.  They feel your mood.

To summarize, there is now clear evidence that laughter is good for mental as well as physical health.  If you are healthier you are more likely to be patient and energetic.  Wouldn’t that be good for your family and children?  Again, an obvious “Yes!”

Here are some of my favorite tips to make you and your family healthier and happier:

• Go to a funny movie together
• Find jokes to share with your kids
• Tickle your kids and let them tickle you
• Don’t take yourself so seriously.  No one else does!
• Have a backwards day at your house where you have dinner in the morning and breakfast at night.
• Have your family make funny faces and take photos
• Read a funny story with your kids.  Mu book, Last Night I Had a Laughmare was created for exactly this purpose.

Wouldn’t our lives be so much better with a little more laughter in the world?  You can be the change that your family and your community needs.

Enjoy

Walt Disney called it “Imagineering” and made imagining fun for all ages!

Young children make sense of the world through play and by using their imaginations.  They learn social and emotional skills through play and interaction with their peers and with adults.

They learn valuable lessons like taking turns and predicting outcomes.    Have you ever built a castle in the sand or maybe just a sand cake with a young child?  Great conversations can develop.  You can discuss your surroundings, like who lives in which house, or whose birthday could this be?  How many people or how many candles should there be?  What about your house or family?  How many birthdays or how old are you this year or next?

They learn vocabulary by trying out different words and different combinations of words.  They learn about humor and what’s funny by playing with words and putting different word combinations together.   For example, “smelly” and “feet” by themselves are not funny, but together it may be hilarious to a young child.   They are developing a sense of confidence by trying new things.  In play they  are not judged or criticized.

Walt Disney certainly understood the importance of imagination for young children and their belief in magic.  Fantasy and reality seemed to weave in and out of stories that children and their parents love.  He knew the importance of developing creativity in children by developing their imaginations.  His stories were engaging for both parents and their children.  He even seemed to be able to touch the child inside every adult.

I was lucky enough to grow up with Walt Disney and Dr. Seuss as my heroes.   I was transported to wonderful lands by the magic of Disney and entertained by the zaniness of many of the Seuss characters.

My book “Last Night I Had a Laughmare” is my own personal tribute to the memory of these two wonderfully amazing people.  It’s my own leap into the realm of Imagineering.  I imagined a book that would enable parents and children to escape together to the land of Gigglyville and meet my own brand of zany folks.   If just for a few minutes, they could share a giggle, a laugh or at least a smile, that would make it all worthwhile.

As an early childhood educator I too believe in the importance of providing lots of opportunities for children to use their imaginations and their sense of silliness.   The silliness enables them to try new things, think creatively and positively about the world they live in.

Here are some suggestions to try with your kids using my book “Last Night I Had a Laughmare”:

• Ask you kids what other funny named characters could live in Gigglyville.  Let them come up with some names and why they would be perfect for this town.
• What other things can you think of that can be done backwards in Gigglyville.
• The residents of Gigglyville can hop on one toe.  See if they would like to try that!
• Try a “dress up day” where you find clothes that are way too big and then way too small.  How do both feel?  Which would they choose if they had to choose one?

Enjoy a happy, funny giggly day or night!

Countless homes in America face this every evening with their children.  How often have heard the frustrated cry of parents everywhere?  “My children just hate going to bed”  “It’s a battle every night and we are exhausted!”Have a conversation with your child as to why they don’t like bedtime.   Look for signs that might give you a clue.  Did something happen during the day that might have upset them?  Are they worried about something?  Are they afraid of the “monster under the bed”? Sometimes it’s just about creating a positive routine. Here are some suggestions that might help and certainly worth try.

1. Give children a 5 minute warning before you want them to start getting ready for bed.
2. Create a routine around bedtime so they know what to expect.  Children like and respond well to familiar routines.  What is your process of getting them ready for bed?
3. Make sure they have a snack before they get into bed. This avoids the need to come back out of their rooms after they are settled into bed.
4. Washing their face and brushing their teeth should occur right before they hop into bed.
5. Reading to them before they go to bed provides an activity that you can do together.  This is a great cuddle time.  A funny or silly story will be welcoming and will put them in a happy mood as they drift off to sleep.

The more relaxed you are,  the more relaxed your child will be.  If you begin to see bedtime as a routine that you look forward to, because it is fun and enjoyable, chances are your child will begin to feel that way too. No one said parenting was going to be easy but hopefully these tips will help ease the bedtime routine.