If you want to see good behaviour in your kids, try being the ‘fun parent’ more

Finding time for more playfulness can benefit children and their parents. Photo: Getty

Being a ‘fun parent’ just got more fun: new research shows that it might just be better for children in the long run to have more playfulness and laughter growing up. Simply having a good laugh with your kids might be doing more for them than having them stick to impossible rules. According to Psychology Today, a 2023 study from the Ruppin Academic Centre has found that playfulness in parents can be traced to fewer behavioural problems, a sense of kindness and a lower risk for anxiety and depression in children.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist Cara Goodwin told Psychology Today: “Being more playful as a parent has many benefits for children’s development and may make your own day-to-day parenting a little bit easier. You are also teaching your child the important coping skill of using humor to manage challenging situations.”