Newsletter: Favorite Articles

Pat O’Brien Helps Parents Find Laughter in Life

It was surprising enough to see a guy at the door of the conference room holding a dog puppet. But to be greeted by name was even more surprising. It was impossible not to smile, even when it dawned on you that Pat O’Brien knew your name because of your nametag.

This greeting set the tone for an engaging session called “How to Laugh about Things that Aren’t Funny: Finding Laughter in the Stresses, Tensions and Pain of Life” with Pat O'Brien. If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, go. You'll have a good laugh.

“You don’t have to be happy to laugh,” Pat O’Brien tells parents. You need to laugh especially when you’re in a bad mood. “We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we’re happy because we laugh.”

Parents who are ready to laugh are the most effective parents, according to O’Brien. Humor is the single best antidote to parent burnout. He suggests five simple things parents can do to bring humor and laughter into the family:

Send your child a funny greeting card by mail.
Go to a photo booth with your kids and have your picture taken making funny faces. “If you have a teenager, his regular face will be funny in 20 years,” O’Brien quipped.
Find your favorite comic strip, cut out a picture of your child’s face, and paste it on the comic strip character.
Let your child plan an un-birthday party. This works especially well for a new kid in the family; it’s a silly idea that all kids will enjoy and will help them remember your child.
Teach your kids a few simples riddles or jokes to tell their friends. This is a huge self-esteem booster for kids.

O’Brien’s challenge to parents is to get in touch with your I-HA: your Internal Humor Ally. Find out what makes you laugh and get more of that into your life. The result will be a more positive and optimistic outlook, guaranteed!