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🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Dad jokes: Science explains how they can strengthen family bonds

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Psychologists describe “dad jokes” as simple, predictable wordplay often associated with fathers, though grandparents and uncles also use similar humor.
  • Research suggests shared laughter can improve parent-child relationships and help develop resilience and emotional flexibility.
  • Experts warn that teasing and avoidant behavior can damage family relationships if parents do not set limits.

“What do we do if it rains?” asks the child. “We get wet,” the father replies. The joke is obvious, predictable and deliberately bad, which is precisely the point of the classic “dad joke.”

Known in English as dad jokes, these lines typically rely on simple wordplay, absurd punchlines or humor so familiar that the listener can see the ending coming. The label does not apply only to fathers. Grandfathers and uncles can also play the role, with the common image being an older man joking with younger relatives to tease them or make them laugh.

During a child’s development, humor can create a shared zone of play, a space of surprise, complicity and mutual recognition. It can be a form of emotional intimacy between a father and his children.

· Maxi McCoubreyThe clinical psychologist explains how humor can support emotional bonds in parenting.

The format also extends beyond Western culture. In Japan, similar jokes are called oyaji gyagu, a term that can be translated as “old men’s jokes” or “middle-aged men’s jokes.” In family life, however, the humor may serve a more serious purpose than showing wit.

I hope that with these findings people learn to use humor as an effective parenting tool, not only to defuse tension, but also to develop resilience and cognitive and emotional flexibility in themselves and to serve as a model for their children.

· Benjamin H. LeviLevi describes the potential parenting benefits identified by the pilot study.

Clinical psychologist Maxi McCoubrey says humor can create “a shared zone of play” during a child’s development, offering surprise, complicity and mutual recognition. He describes the repeated, foreseeable bad joke as a relational ritual that can communicate, “I’m here” and “I want to share something with you.” A child who laughs, complains or rolls their eyes is still taking part in a small scene of belonging.

A pilot study, Humor in parenting: Does it have a role?, found that most participants viewed humor as an effective parenting tool. Participants also said their parents’ or caregivers’ use of humor had positively influenced the quality of their relationships. Researcher Benjamin H. Levi said he hoped the findings would help people use humor not only to ease tension, but also to build resilience and cognitive and emotional flexibility and model those qualities for their children. Psychologists nevertheless stress the need for boundaries so joking does not become hurtful mockery or a way to avoid emotional issues.

This bad, repeated and predictable joke can mean: ‘I’m here,’ ‘I want to share something with you.’

· Maxi McCoubreyMcCoubrey characterizes the dad joke as a relational ritual rather than a display of cleverness.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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