Literature was never my best subject, but I’ve always been fond of this quote by Oscar Wilde: “If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they’ll kill you!”

When parents ask me how I’ve survived through living with more than 2,600 troubled teens, my answer is always laughter. It diffuses stress. It short-circuits anger. And it provides a healthy way to blow off steam.

Is there tension brewing under your roof today? Try watching a comedy together as a family. Find a clean comedian you all enjoy. Post funny cartoons on the refrigerator. Text jokes to each other. Or make fart noises under your armpit, if that’s what it takes to get a chuckle.

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” So lighten up and laugh!

If you listen on a mobile phone or tablet, please download our Parenting Today’s Teens app available for Apple or Android. If you listen on a desktop or laptop computer, press the “play” button above to enjoy daily parenting advice.