Dad jokes are the one-liners that make kids laugh (and adults groan). They’re often puns or questions and answers, and they’re the perfect way to break the ice with a new friend. These zingers are funny and wholesome, making them great for family gatherings or road trips. They’re also easy to share on social media, which can make for a fun game of who can tell the most dad jokes.

If you’re a fan of the dad joke, you probably know that its greatest asset is its predictability. You can count on the punchline to be a stale pun and your kids will likely roll their eyes at how predictable it is, but this is what makes dad jokes so appealing. Dad jokes are a low-hanging fruit in the comedy world, so it’s not hard to get a good laugh from them.

While the puns and groan-worthy punchlines may be the main draw, there’s more to a dad joke than meets the eye. They’re a great way for fathers to bond with their children and connect with them through shared humor. They’re also a way to teach children how to be creative with language and to think outside the box.

According to a study from the British Psychological Society, it’s possible that dad jokes help children develop the ability to handle embarrassment. The researchers behind the study found that fathers who tease their children with unfunny jokes can help them to develop their sense of humor by showing them how to respond to embarrassment and not take it personally. The rough-and-tumble play that many dads engage in with their children serves a similar function by teaching kids how to deal with minor humiliation and to build their resilience.

The next time you’re sharing a dad joke, don’t be surprised if you hear your kids repeating it years later or even becoming parents themselves. Despite their groans and eye rolls, it’s clear that kids love dad jokes because of how easy they are to understand, hone and adapt over time.

This article was written by KDKA’s Mary-Anne Williams and is brought to you by Ford.

KDKA’s Mary-Anne’s Take is a weekly series where she explores a topic or trend that’s on her radar, and then reports on what the experts say about it.

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What do you think? Do you like dad jokes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

There are five types of dad jokes, each of which is a classic in its own right. They include the question-and-answer joke, the stale pun, the knock-knock joke, the groan-inducing punchline and the dad-speak joke.

A dad joke is a humorous pun or one-liner, often used by fathers to show off their knowledge of pop culture and current events. It’s a type of humor that is so specific that it can only be created by a parent, and it tends to elicit groans from those who hear it.