It’s no joke! World Laughter Day is taking place on Sunday 7 May and the Ni4kids team are super excited to help inject some belly laughs and giggles into our readers lives.Behind the scenes, we are a highly witty and sarcastic bunch who love nothing more than a good aul laugh with our family, friends and co-workers. After all, laughter is the shortest distance between two people!The purpose of this annual event celebrated across the globe, is to raise awareness about laughter and its many healing benefits.And so, we have put together a great giggly list of ways to make laughter part of your daily routine.
De-stressor: When we are laughing, our brain releases endorphins which makes us feel happy and research has proven that a good laugh has excellent short-term effects. When you start laughing, it not only lightens your mental load, but it actually induces physical changes in your body. Some incredible qualities of a good laugh include the stimulation of multiple organs – Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, increases endorphins in the brain and stimulates your lungs and heart. In addition, it cleverly activates and relieves your stress response by increasing and then decreasing your heart rate and blood pressure leaving you with a chilled, relaxed feeling. Finally, it soothes tension by stimulating circulation and aiding muscle relaxation. It can also relieve pain, improve your immune system and your mood and increase personal satisfaction by making it easier to cope with difficult situations. And the best part of all of this is that laughing is absolutely FREE!
Early-years laughter: We all remember that first adorable smile from our babies, the one that tells us, “I love you, mum”. It fills our hearts to the brim and lets us know we’re not doing too bad a job at parenting. It’s incredible to think that laughter, is a baby’s first form of communication (aside from crying). They laugh before they can speak, and this powerful sound is a great source of human communication and connection for babies and their parents. Babies adore having something to laugh about, whether it’s a game of peek-a-boo with us or their siblings, a tickly belly rub, or some big strawberry kisses on their cheeks. Laughing in the early years has so many positive effects for a developing brain and is closely linked to overall happiness as your baby develops into childhood and beyond
Humour at Home: It’s no myth that families who play together, stay together and it’s therefore important for children to experience the lighter side of their parents. A great sense of humour is essential for many stages of parenting, and it can definitely help to ease tensions in a home, or difficult days. We all have memories of cracking jokes around the Christmas dinner table or the fun of water balloon fights with siblings and friends on hot summer days. And so, it’s important to give our own kids those kinds of fun memories too. So be the initiator! Some suggestions could be, throw a family dance party, suggest a night of jokes or funny poems, play a game of twister. For younger children you could play a silly word rhyming game which spurs creativity while adding plenty of laughs, why not play a simple game of hide and seek, play mummy wrap and let your kids wrap you in toilet roll or play a simple game of tickle catch. Creating silliness with your kids really is half the battle to a happier home and you will reap the benefits once they’re that bit older too.
Generational Giggles: It’s no surprise that families who have a positive outlook on life and laugh more actually live longer. Fun and giggle-snorts aren’t just beneficial to our immediate family but will actually impact on your grandkids and even great grandkids. This is because organically we pass our behaviours on from generation to generation. How incredible is that! Bringing fun into your life doesn’t need to be a chore, if it’s something that doesn’t feel natural to you. Don’t put yourself under any pressure or feel guilty if you’re having to create some fun for the first time into your home (remember it’s generational!) Easy ways of doing this are to look for simple opportunities to spark new life into your family’s routine. Building a fort in the living room, having dinner under the kitchen table, or reading some funny stories together are perfect ways of creating fun with little ones. And remember, your child will just be delighted that you are having fun together, so it doesn’t need to be an expensive outing, or an expensive game that you purchase. By simply being present and smiling and laughing is all the fun your kid needs from you.
