The things they find funny might make their kids roll their eyes or other adults wait awkwardly until the mom or dad finishes laughing (often at their own joke). But if you’re a fan of what one could call parent jokes, you ought to love today’s list, dedicated to an Instagram account titled exactly that, ‘Parent Jokes’. Scroll down to find some of the best posts shared by the account and enjoy a moment of peace, dear parent, as you giggle your worries away. Upon scrolling down you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with a motivational humorist and expert in therapeutic humor, Allen Klein, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions on the importance of having a good laugh. According to a social psychologist, expert in parenting concerns, family dynamics and trends, Dr. Susan Newman, parents tend to view jokes as a distraction from the regular routine – “a break from the serious side of parenting”. But they could be a great tool for calming situations, encouraging proper behavior, and cementing the parent-child bond, the expert suggested in a piece for US News. “A lighter approach reduces both the parent’s and the child’s stress. It can also keep a situation from escalating and reduce a child’s feelings of regret or remorse over having done something inappropriate. Most importantly, humor underscores that you love your child in spite of the immediate misstep,” the social psychologist emphasized. “For example, when you have a good laugh, your heart rate goes up then dips below normal when you stop laughing. Very much like aerobic exercise. “Among other things, you also get a good dose of fresh air in your lungs when laughing, providing more oxygen to your blood and brain, helping you think more clearly,” he said, adding that a big guffaw can also help to relax your muscles. Discussing the former, the expert noted that friends and family are probably the biggest influence on what we laugh at. “When we are growing up, what our family laughed at is probably the same thing we laughed at. Then as we got older, what our friends found funny is what we found funny. It was a way of connecting and bonding with others.” As for the latter, Klein suggested that such things as wordplay, idioms, and slang might be totally different from one country to another, which is why the things people in different cultures find funny tend to differ, too. “The internet has played a big part in the expansion and spreading of humor,” Klein told Bored Panda. “Users are regularly sharing what they find funny, like jokes, funny photos, or cartoons, with their Internet friends. They are also responding to postings with their own funny or witty comments.” Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
