Opettajan ei tarvitse olla humoristi – pierusta ja sen vierestä

Authors

• Juli-Anna Aerila University of Turku, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1109-8803
• Tuula Stenius University of Helsinki, Finland
• Timo Laes University of Turku, Finland
• Tuula Laes University of Turku, Finland

Keywords:

children’s humor, lasten huumori, pedagogy of humor, huumoripedagogiikka, excretion or fart humor, erite- tai pieruhuumori

Abstract

This article examines the humor of small children in the light of everyday examples, previous research, and authors ’own experiences. For children, humor is an activity that helps them to cope with different situations and build connections with others. Excretion or fart humor is its’ own kind of humor, and even very young children enjoy fart sounds, fart pillows, and armpit piercings. Adults enjoy children’s humor the most when it arises on adult terms. Therefore, also the use of excretion or fart humor is sometimes banned and sometimes encouraged. Adults’ negative attitudes towards children’s secretory or fart humor is surprising as secretory or fart humor is a widely used theme in the popular culture of adults and in children’s literature written by adults for children. The aim of this article is to make illustrate how innocent and important children’s own humor is and how important it is to encourage children to use humor. Children’s humor builds a relationship of good feelings between an adult and a child. This realationship is relevant to both the child and the adult. An adult does not have to be a humorist to find this connection. It is enough to give the child space and not take farting too seriously.