Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“Tell me about a time laughing helped a bad feeling go away.”
What to listen for
If they can name the bad feeling and how laughing shifted it, that shows they're building real tools for handling hard emotions, which will serve them for life.
If they mention laughing with someone else, that connection detail shows humor feels safest and most healing when shared, not alone.
If they can't think of one, ask what usually makes them laugh when they're in a grumpy mood, even if it's not a specific memory.
What this tells you
How they describe laughing through a hard feeling shows they're learning that emotions can shift and don't have to stay stuck.