I put Humor in the tagline of this blog because I think it goes a long way in parenting, but it has been sadly lacking on this blog. So… time to laugh!
When was the last time you and your kid laughed out loud together? For me, it was last night at dinner during a discussion of English assignments when my Eldest asked my Youngest if he knew Mark Twain’s real name.
Youngest (with confidence): “Marcus Twainius.”
Eldest (with disdain): “No, Samuel Clemens.”
Husband (not wanting to be left out): “Samuel Langhorne Clemens.”
Which devolved into a conversation about how all Samuels have L middle names – Samuel L. Jackson – and then a joke from Ted2… Maybe you had to be there, but light, unexpected moments are one of the joys of parenting teenagers so I like to celebrate the moments when we aren’t discussing homework or wet towels on the floor.
If you can’t remember the last time you laughed together, maybe you’re due for a funny show, movie, book. Here are some of my funny moments.
Funniest TV show I watch with my kids: Big Bang Theory
Last funny movie I saw with my kids: The Secret Life of Pets. There was some grumbling about me choosing the movie, but every single one of us laughed!
Funniest book I ever read to my kids: This has to be Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing Up Sciezka by Jon Scieszka (author of Time Warp Trio series and The Stinky Cheese Man). I’m guessing it appeals more to boys since he came from a family of six boys. There’s a story in there about peeing in a radiator and I was horrified to learn that my child repeated it for Show and Tell in 4th grade!
Funniest book I read about parenting: I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson which I reviewed earlier on Elephant Mamas. Also, Tina Fey’s Bossypants…I don’t remember how much parenting was in it specifically, but it had me laughing out loud in a hotel room in the middle of the night with my family once. I blamed jetlag, but really I think it was Tina’s fault.
Funniest YouTube baby video I still remember: Because everyone loves the sound of a baby laughing… https://youtu.be/N9oxmRT2YWw
What makes you and your kid laugh??
Books have been a huge part of keeping my sanity along the parenting journey. Some have taught me things like how to get a willful child to sleep or to eat something besides Goldfish crackers while others have been purely an escape. This book fits into the latter category and literally made me laugh out loud.
