How do I raise a funny kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inflict psychological trauma and hope that humor is how they cope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inflict psychological trauma and hope that humor is how they cope.

This is the truth. I watch a lot of stand-up comedy. It's hard to think of a comic who wasn't some kind of misfit or sufferer of adversity. Chris Rock talks about this in one of his shows. He was a scrawny Black kid in a mostly white school.

The people I've know who are quick-witted are similar. I had a good friend who so quick and dynamic. One of the most extraordinary people I've ever known. When I asked her how she became that way, she told me that her father was an alcoholic, and her role in the family was to distract and entertain him while he was drunk to keep him from progressing to the mean stage of evening habit.

[Anonymous]

It depends on your kid's personality. They have to want to be funny. Both parents could be comedians and their kid could grow up to be a boring professional. If your kid likes to be funny introduce them to kid friendly comedians. Maybe SNL reruns or funny movies as a start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inflict psychological trauma and hope that humor is how they cope.

It worked for art buchwald.

This is the answer.

[Anonymous]

Some people are funny and some aren't. I'm not sure you can make an inherently unfunny person funny. But you can raise a kid to have a sense of humor about things and appreciate humor in others. That is almost as good as being funny. Funny people an audience.

[Anonymous]

22:13 here. Ack. funny people *need* an audience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inflict psychological trauma and hope that humor is how they cope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I thinking singing and dancing are different and require some natural talent. I think being a comedian is also a talent. But I think being funny in the sense of appreciating humor and maybe participating a bit can be fostered a bit. I think if I came asking how to encourage kindness and hard work people wouldn’t say just appreciate the lazy asshole you have.

I love and appreciate my kids for who they are. I also believe I can help them develop on certain directions. Maybe it will take, maybe it won’t but doesn’t hurt to try

Honestly, understanding humor is about empathy and EQ. My mom has little of either, and she never gets jokes. Teach your kids to see things from other people's perspectives, and they won't take themselves so seriously.

But if that's too hard, I can attest that the "psychological trauma" thing works pretty well too.

[Anonymous]

I learned most of my go-to laugh lines from books. So I'd say keep your kid on a steady diet of well-written humorous novels, memoirs by comedians, satire, Daily Show books, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s personality, OP. Appreciate the kid you have.

Yup. One of my kids is naturally hilarious. The other one, not so much.

Same. One genuinely makes me laugh, and not in a "kid" way. She really makes me laugh out loud.

The other, just not naturally funny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor. It's the easiest way to be funny, but it's a slippery slope. If they rely on sarcasm, watch out for them being unnecessarily cruel. And when they are adults, it's not an attractive look.

Unlike the know-it-all serious face above.

[Anonymous]

Encourage the kid not to take everything too seriously, and joke around a lot as a family. We bug each other a lot but never in a mean way. Or we talk about what would be funny as a game... The latest from my kid "Wouldn't it be funny if a banana slipped on its banana peel?"

[Anonymous]

My older one is very serious and has a dry sense of humor. My younger one is charming and witty. They’re being raised in the same house so I think this is just genetics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor. It's the easiest way to be funny, but it's a slippery slope. If they rely on sarcasm, watch out for them being unnecessarily cruel. And when they are adults, it's not an attractive look.

Unlike the know-it-all serious face above.

DP. It IS a slippery slope though. Many boys who think they’re funny, are actually bullies. I’ve seen karma catching up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor. It's the easiest way to be funny, but it's a slippery slope. If they rely on sarcasm, watch out for them being unnecessarily cruel. And when they are adults, it's not an attractive look.

Unlike the know-it-all serious face above.

DP. It IS a slippery slope though. Many boys who think they’re funny, are actually bullies. I’ve seen karma catching up.

I'm not saying you don't also have to teach kids kindness and boundaries. In fact humor is so often about walking the fine line!