Psychologist Caroline Goldman’s Daily Ritual for Raising Resilient Kids

Raising a child can often feel like an endless race for parents. Juggling work, household chores, and homework, it’s easy to get swept up in the routine. Days can start to blur together, and in this whirlwind, it’s easy to forget to enjoy the simple things and create moments of lightness. In her latest book, “Today’s Parenting Guide,” released on September 4 by Flammarion, Caroline Goldman advises parents to establish a daily routine that includes at least one specific activity. According to the French psychologist, this practice has numerous benefits in terms of education.

“I am convinced that daily laughter is an extraordinary preventive agent for mental and physical health,” she writes. And achieving this doesn’t require parents to be wildly funny, as it’s something everyone can do. From a young age, children can be introduced to laughter and the element of surprise that often leads to giggles. This can be through simple games like “peek-a-boo” or “the little creature that climbs up, up, up…”. For Caroline Goldman, “a parent who consistently introduces elements of surprise in the daily life of their growing child helps soften their psychological functioning. They will then be better able to handle the unexpected.” Parents can also make their children laugh with funny faces, tickles under the arms, feet, or neck, or silly words.

More broadly, humor has a “very positive emotional and intellectual impact on the child,” the expert emphasizes in her book. Indeed, it helps “to emotionally distance oneself from events.” For example, when a child falls or makes a mistake, instead of reacting with fear (“Oh my God, you’re hurt, that’s awful”), it’s better to smile and say: “Oh, you fell down, it’s not too bad, it happens, come on, let’s get up and play this game.” This helps the child understand that falling isn’t necessarily something serious.

In summary, Caroline Goldman explains that making children laugh not only brings joy, but also promotes “emotional wisdom, psychological flexibility,” and “intellectual enrichment,” she concludes.