Study reveals 'dad jokes' boost parent-child relationships

That humor in parenting is more than just a source of eye rolls — it can significantly enhance parent-child relationships, a recent study from Penn State University suggests, Daily Mail reported.

The survey, conducted by Professor Benjamin Levi, shows that humor contributes to flexible thinking, stress reduction, and encouragement of creative mindedness and perseverance. 

While there has been research done on the use of humour in many spheres, including business environments and interpersonal meetings, the role of humour in parenting had not been explored as rigorously before now. 

The first author of the study, Lucy Emery, points out that there is a similarity between business organisation and parenting, both of which are developed with the help of a hierarchy. 

Typically, humor in commerce is said to alleviate numerous structural impediments, enhance cooperation and minimise conflict. Also, humor can reduce stress and hierarchy in parent-child relationships and as a result make difficult situations more bearable. 

In the study, the authors interviewed 312 people aged between 18 and 45 and discovered that more than half of them were brought up in a household where humor was used by parents, and 71% of participants themselves report using humor with children. 

Humor as a form of parenting was approved by 8% of participants. Although the study, there was a highly significant correlation in parents’ usage of joking degree and children’s attitudes towards their upbringing. 

Out of the respondents who reported that their parents used humor, 50. 5% indicated that they had good relationship with parents while 44%. 2% said that their parents did a good job in raising them. 

9% of the respondents who had their parents not using humor said they had good relation with their parents, only 3. Only 6% felt that their parents where effective in parenting. 

The researchers believe that these results will contribute to further investigations regarding the benefits related to humor in parenting. In conclusion, Professor Levi said: “My hope is that people can learn to use humor as an effective parenting tool, not only to avoid tension but also to toughen themselves and enhance cognitive and emotional plasticity in themselves and their children.