How to Make Your Mom Laugh

Your mother has been feeling a little down lately. Because she is there to cheer you up when you are having a rough time, you might want to do something to make her feel good. Laughter is one of the best tools to improve someone's mood and emotional well-being, notes Dr. Cynthia Thaik in "Happiness Is the Best Medicine" for Psychology Today. Give your mom the dose of laughter that she needs to lift her spirits.

Reminisce together about funny moments you have shared. Something might not have been funny when it first happened, but when you look back, you realize it was hilarious. Finding humor in bad situations can reveal the irony in life and can be mood-boosting, reports the Helpguide.org article "Laughter Is the Best Medicine." Recall when you both had to run from a deer on a camping trip. Or remind her of the time you both mistakenly used the wrong ingredients for a recipe but it tasted good anyway. Bring out old photo albums and laugh at the memories together.

A funny film can be just what your mother needs. In "8 Tips to Help You Laugh Your Way to Health and Happiness," licensed clinical social worker Debra Manchester-MacMannis points out that comedies promote laughing and smiling. Grab some popcorn, rent a few films and invite your mom to join you for an at-home movie night. Consider cult classics such as "The Goonies," "Sister Act" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Or watch a movie about a mother and child duo and their funny ventures, such as "Hairspray," "The Guilt Trip" and "Freaky Friday."

A mother-child outing can incorporate many silly moments. Partake in fun activities that make you both feel happy to be with each other, suggests Manchester-MacMannis. Look for a karaoke event where you can hit the stage and have fun laughing at each other belt out tunes. Hang out at a game center and laugh together as you compete against each other in a series of video games. Go shopping. Pick out an outfit for your mom while she picks out an outfit for you. Laugh at how you both look in the attire.

Reliving happy feelings from the past can get someone to laugh, suggests Dr. Eva M. Selhub, a motivational speaker, in the Huffington Post article "Let Go and Laugh!" Take your mom back to her childhood neighborhood for a day. She can relive things she did as a child and laugh like a kid again. Look for the playground she used to play at. Swing on the swings, play tag and use sidewalk chalk. Grab a bite to eat at your mom's favorite after-school hangout. It will make her chuckle to order the same foods she enjoyed as a kid.