There is no one or right way to connect with your children. For some children, it might be jokes that they tell or you tell them that enables you to laugh together.
I remember when one of my friends was made to feel bad because she shared that she didn’t like to sit on the floor and play with her kids.
But who says that’s the way a mother must connect?
I don’t remember my mother ever sitting and building Lego with us. Instead, I have memories of my mother reading books to my siblings and me (Shhh… I only read the books that I find fun to read, thank you Dr. Seuss!).
One of the best ways I’ve personally found to connect is through telling jokes and riddles. Between the ages of 7-12, most of my kids go through a stage of riddle and joke-telling. And who knew? I’m not bad at it!
My father is a king, my mother is a queen. Who am I?
(most kids answer a prince/ princess)
A Liar
A man was shot in the hospital. The police line up 10 doctors and ask the man. “Who shot you?” The man says “He did!” and then dies. He doesn’t point at anyone. The police arrest one of the doctors. How did the police know which one to arrest?
9 doctors were women, 1 was a man
A butcher is 5 feet 10 inches tall. What does he weigh?
Meat
Mom (you say): Say apple
Kid: Apple
Mom: Say jump
Kid: Jump
Mom: Say Milk
Kid: Milk
Mom: Say say
Kids: (Most kids say:) Say say
Answer: Say
A farmer is traveling with a fox, a sheep, and a small sack of hay. He comes to a river with a small boat in it. The boat can only support the farmer and one other animal/item. If the farmer leaves the fox alone with the sheep, the fox will eat the sheep. And if the farmer leaves the sheep alone with the hay, the sheep will eat the hay.
How can the farmer get all three as well as himself safely across the river?
This usually needs to be drawn to explain if they don’t get it: First, the farmer goes with the sheep across. Comes back, and takes the fox. Returns with the sheep. Leaves the sheep, taking the hay. Goes back to get the sheep. 
A series of 4 riddles/jokes:
How do you put an elephant in the fridge?
Open the door, stuff the elephant in, and close the door.
How do you put a giraffe in the fridge?
(Most kids will say, open, stuff, and close)
Open the door, remove the elephant, and stuff the giraffe in.
The Lion King is making a party and inviting all the animals. Everyone attends except for who?
The giraffe, he’s in the fridge.
You want to cross a river that is known to have crocodiles. How do you cross?
No need to worry, all the animals are at the party.
A Frenchman, Italian, and Jew are all set to be executed. They say they can have one last meal.
The Frenchman asks for a freshly toasted baguette. They bring it to him, he eats and he gets killed.
The Italian asks for a bowl of fresh pasta. They make it for him, he eats and gets killed.
The Jew asks for a bowl of fresh strawberries. But strawberries aren’t in season for many months, they tell him. I’ll wait patiently, he answers.
Pete and Repeat went on a boat. Pete fell out, who was left?
Repeat.
Of course, I will.
(Then go on and on driving everyone crazy.)
Two men decide to race on horses. However, they decide, the horse who gets to the finish line last will win. They mount their horses and start trotting until they get to such a slow pace that they stop moving. Now what? A wise man shows up and gives them one piece of advice. Suddenly both horses start racing and the race is over. What advice did the wise man say?
He told the men to trade horses. Now each man wants to win to have his horse come in last.
There were three houses, a blue house, a white house, and a red house. The blue was on the right side, the red was on the left side. Where did the white one go?
In Washington D.C.
Share your favorite joke or riddle below!
What has four wheels and flies?
A garbage truck
Knock knock
who’s there
Broccoli
Broccoli who?
Broccoli doesn’t have a last name. silly!!
Two satellites get married
The wedding wasn’t much but the reception as great!
How do you get a squirrel to like you?
Act like a nut
My kids will love these, thank you for sharing =)
What’s black and white and red all over?
A yeshiva bochur!
(Redt all over, as in shidduchim)
Lol
This one drives me crazy!
1. Nochum and Noch Amol (it sounds like Nochum’l, but means ‘again’ in Yiddish) were on a boat. Nochum fell off, who was left?
(this is the yiddish version of Pete and Repeat on a boat)
2. What’s gray? A melted penguin
3. What has 2 humps and can be found in the North Pole? A lost camel
4. What is brown and sticky? A stick
5. What is green and fuzzy and can hurt someone if it falls out of a tree? A pool table
6. What goes black, white, black, white, black, white….? A penguin rolling down the stairs
7. Why did the dibbuk cross the road? Cuz it was inside the chicken
8. Why did the evil chicken cross the road? To get to the Sitra Achra (lit means ‘other side’, refers to the Satan or something like that)
9. Why did the gum cross the road? Cuz it was stuck to the chicken’s foot
10. Why was the chicken upset? Cuz it couldn’t cross the road without people asking questions
11. Why did the elephant cross the road? It was the chicken’s day off
12. Why did the light turn red? You’d also blush if the whole street saw you changing
13. Why does a refrigerator hum? You’d also hum if you sat in the corner all day doing nothing
These are really cute. Thanks, S!
These jokes are great!
Don’t like the first joke though-
My father is a king, my mother is a queen. Who am I?
(most kids answer a prince/ princess)
A child fulfilling the mitzvah of kibbud av va’eim SHOULD consider his parents like royalty and should not be called a liar for saying that!!