And so does he.
But what I've realized is that Nicholas has learned how to use humor to often diffuse a tense-filled situation. I don't remember me or my wife teaching him that, but it's certainly a good lesson - when all else fails, make 'em laugh.
Many parenting experts recommend humor as an effective way to motivate children, instead of threats or demands.
One parenting guru, Jane Nelson whose authored several books, says humor is a key to successful discipline. "Humor takes us to a whole different level of consciousness," she writes. It can help break the negative mood not just for children, but for grown-ups too. What I've found is that it helps get me out of a reactive state.
Over the weekend, my son got upset over something and started complaining and raising his voice. Suddenly I took a ketchup bottle and held it in front of him, like I was a reporter interviewing him. When he realized what I was doing he started laughing and his mood changed. It would have been easy for me to yell and tell him to quiet down, but humor worked just as well, if not better.
So look for the lighter side when parenting. It will serve both mom and dad as well as kids in the long-run.
When you laugh, you may see a situation differently. Then you'll feel differently and act differently.
That's what my son taught me. The power of humor - the power of funny faces.
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