5 Reasons to Laugh With Your Kids
1. It feels great! Few things in life feel better than hearty laughter.
2. It brings people together! Few things are more connective than enjoying a huge belly laugh together with those you love. Laughter releases a variety of “feel good” chemicals in our brain including oxytocin, the “empathy hormone” that promotes bonding between people.*
3. It’s good for you, body AND soul! Research shows that laughter makes you happier and healthier. Homes where laughter is absent are more stressful and less physically healthy. One doctor’s research reveals that laughter increases antibodies and decreases infection. Laughter also decreases stress hormones.**
4. It’s BIBLICAL! “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Prov. 17:22)
5. Just because you can! Enjoy those hilarious times with your family! Unfortunately, in many families, as children age, they enjoy less and less laughter with their parents. This is certainly not inevitable, however, and parents can make a commitment to keep laughter alive as their children grow.
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* http://www.livestrong.com/article/12141-laughter-best-emotional-medicine/#ixzz24sBswYrG
** Lee Berk, Loma Linda University School of Medicine News: March 11, 1999.
For further reading on growing the connection in your family, check out these resources:
- How to Help Your Kids Like Each Other
- 10 Screen-Free Ways to Have Fun With Your Kids
- Connection in Correction (Love No Matter What!)
- Pass the Peas, Pass the Faith!
