What’s So Funny About Wednesday: Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all! I’d like to wish each and every person reading these words a wonderful Thanksgiving.  May your holiday be a wonderful celebration with family and friends – and of course, some great laughs!

Thanksgiving is a time for reflecting on our blessings. This year, we’ve had lots of blessings (and a few blessings-in-disguise). We’re grateful for *most* of them and for *everything* we’ve taken away from the experience.  Most of all, it’s you we’re thankful for.  Without such great people to work and laugh with, the world wouldn’t be such a fabulous place.

Using Humor At Thanksgiving

Are you headed for a holiday dinner where younger children will be present? Try memorizing a few silly Thanksgiving riddles. You’ll be giving the kids something to laugh about, keeping them entertained (and out of trouble!) and it may just turn out that their good mood is infectious. There are worse things than having a whole room full of people enjoying Thanksgiving puns.

(Our favorite? Why did the police arrest the turkey? They suspected it of fowl play!)

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

And for today’s chuckle (and to give a little comic relief to those of you who are facing down 18 pounds of frozen turkey this very minute) check out these real questions asked on the Butterball Turkey Hotline:

1. Is it OK to baste my turkey with engine oil?
2. Can I poke holes all over the turkey and pour a can of beer over it to keep it moist?
3. Should I carve my turkey with a 16in Redmax or should I get out my Stihl Electric Chain Saw?
4. How do I get my Chihuahua out of the turkey. (Her dog jumped up on the kitchen table.)
5. Should I leave the giblets in their plastic bag during cooking?
6. I’m a truck driver. Can I cook the turkey on the engine block of my semi while I’m driving? If I drive faster, will it cook faster?
7. How long should I cook my turkey on the car radiator?
   50 minutes at Mach 1 should do it!

What’s So Funny About Poop? Using Humor in Health Education

It’s no secret: I believe in the power of play.  When we set aside our serious resolve and a little bit of dignity in order to have a good time, we free our minds to absorb information in a fresh and effective way.  Play awakens the imagination and the intellect. “Humanity has advanced,” Tom Robbins said, “when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.”

That sense of play is on full display at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Check out this NY Times Article, “Where Children Discover Their Inner Child.” Eat,Sleep,Play: Building Health Every Day is an interactive exhibit that harnesses the power of play to teach children about their bodies, and what they can do to stay healthy.  The exhibit includes the Royal Flush, which uses an over-sized toilet and Mary Poppins style voice to talk about bodily functions.  As you can imagine, it’s a big hit.  Kids find poop inherently humorous. (A trait they share with more than a few health care professionals!)

Using play as a teaching tool is great for kids.  It’s also an effective strategy to connect with adults. We live incredibly busy, scheduled lives.  Our brains are working all of the time.  We wake ourselves up in the middle of the night, thinking of the six million things that need to be accomplished the next day. (Or is that just me?)

Play interrupts.  When we are playing, everything else – work, chores, errands – simply falls of the radar.  (Think back to how hard it was to ‘remember’ to do your homework in fourth grade – especially during kickball season!) Play frees our mind to be receptive and open to new information.  At the same time, play is fun.  Learning information while you’re having fun creates a positive association in the mind.  It is easier to remember things we learn while we’re having fun.

What are some of the best ways you’ve seen the power of play used in education?

Extra Reading from JNJ: Check out Shirley Trout on Humor in the Classroom!

What’s So Funny About Wednesdays: Adding Humor To Your Daily Routine

Quick, what do Winnie the Pooh, tractor trailers, and your morning commute have to do with more effectively managing your diabetes? You can learn the answer by reading this post!

About WhatsSoFunnyAbout.com: WhatsSoFunnyAbout.com is your premier source on info about my latest book, What’s So Funny About Diabetes? A Creative Approach To Coping With Your Condition.  Everything’s still under construction, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek at this exciting new material! So pop on over, and tell me what you think!