By Katie Harrison

It probably comes very easy to joke around with your little niece or nephew. Seeing that smile and hearing that adorable belly laugh is music to your ears. But did you know that you’re not only having fun with them, you’re also helping them learn life skills they will use when they’re older?

According to research by The Department of Psychology at the University of Sheffield, and published in Cognitive Science, children as young as 16 months old can pick up on cues from their parents and distinguish jokes from reality. And learning to tell the difference is an important social queue children must learn to develop. "Knowing how to joke is good for maintaining relationships, thinking outside the box, and enjoying life.” Dr. Elena Hoicka of the Department of Psychology, said. “Pretending helps children to practice new skills and learn new information.” Hoicka explains further:

The study shows just how important play is to children’s development. Parents who pretend and joke with their children offer cues to distinguish the difference between the two and toddlers take advantage of these cues to perform. For example, if a parent said something like, 'That's not really a hat!' children would realize it was a joke, and not real, and would avoid putting the toy chicken on their head. But if parents were pretending that, for example, a block was a horse, they might repeatedly make the block gallop, which would encourage children to do the same, and understand that the block really was a horse in their imagination.

Savvy Aunties can take a cue from this research and get sillier with nieces and nephews. After all, the QualAuntie Time an aunt spends with a niece or nephew contributes to their cognitive, social and emotional development. “While parents may feel a bit daft putting a toy on their head, they can at least console themselves with the knowledge that they are helping their children develop important skills for life,” joked Dr. Hoika.

Photo: oksun70
Published: September 2, 2015