All that chocolate in the shops, lambs in the fields, dry sunny weather, children off school – it must be Easter. This is a time of year that I always enjoy.
As a holiday it has become more commercialised over the years but it is not yet at the levels that are associated with Christmas and in my world at least there seems to be more focus on family and getting out and about and doing “stuff” together.
When my children were younger we really enjoyed have an egg hunt in our garden. The laughter that my husband and I shared as they walked right past eggs is part of our rich store of memories. That and small faces looking up at us full of chocolate.
Perhaps, it is the brighter days and the extra energy that I always week to have at this time of year but I always associate Easter with laughter.
Now it has long been known that laughter is good for us and as parents most of us can instantly think of situations where our children have made us laugh. This type of spontaneous laughter has the greatest impact on us and our ability to deal with the challenges that come our way.
In fact research evidence has found that laughter can
- lower blood pressure
- increase blood oxygenation
- give the muscles of our face, back, legs, diaphragm and abdomen a good work out
- reduce some stress hormones
- increase our defences against respiratory infections
- increase memory and learning
- improve alertness, creativity and memory
Now in an ideal world we would all experience regular bouts of spontaneous laughter. however as busy parents we can find ourselves running around from one thing to another and many of us experience extended periods of time that are devoid of this fabulous health-inducing gift.
So this Easter, why not set yourself the goal of family laughter- in can how about creating regular opportunities for laughter for you and your family
Parenting Club 