The other day, it was time for my daughter to go to bed. She loves to ice skate and she was watching the Olympics figure skating and did not want to stop. She asked, “Mom, can I take the laptop into my room and finish watching it?”
She knows that is totally against my rules. I looked at her and said with mock seriousness, “D., do you think that aliens invaded our house took me away and replaced me with another Mother that looks exactly like me?”
She smiled and said, “Well, I guess that would be the only way that I would be allowed to take the laptop into my room, right?”
I smiled back and said, “Yeh, that’s right.”
There are some days where life and parenting seem so serious that I forget to use humor when disciplining my kids. Most kids respond well to goofiness and silliness. Setting and sticking to limits and rules can be stressful but it doesn’t always have to be. Kids need discipline. It helps them feel stable and secure, but it does not always have to be meted out with a stern and grim countenance. Using humor while we discipline, helps us parents connect with our kids and leaves everyone feeling good. Its easier for kids to comply when they are laughing.
In today’s world, parents are so busy working, cooking, cleaning, supervising homework, and shuttling kids to various activities. We are all overloaded and stressed. We often forget to lighten up. Humor is a necessity when we are feeling pressured. It can change a potentially tense situation into a fun one in just moments.