It is easy to alienate teens with humor if there is even a hint of making fun of, or laughing at, them. Always avoid sarcasm, derision, mockery, belittling, and ridicule anything which brings down another person. Using humor consists of fun with them, not fun at their expense. Teen self-confidence tends to run low. Although they often pressure others to be hardy, the truth is that their skin is not thick and hurt can happen easily.
Successful humor is aided by our strong interpersonal bonds.
Having previously established a sense of trust and safety allows me a freer range of humor. When our older son went to college, he phoned from the University of Texas and boldly stated that I needn t worry about him because there was no beer in Austin. He eased my stress with humor. Conversely, humor can help to strengthen an already-present bond. Another important skill or lesson we can model for our children is the ability to laugh at ourselves, not to take life so seriously.