Parenting & Family Quote by Vince Poscente

Poscente’s line reads like self-help until you notice the sly reversal at its core: he frames “fun” not as a reward for good behavior, but as the behavior worth rewarding. Calling it “the best lesson” quietly challenges the standard parental curriculum of discipline, achievement, and resilience-as-grit. The intent isn’t to dismiss responsibility; it’s to argue that joy is a skill children can learn by watching adults practice it without apology.

The phrasing does a lot of work. “Teach” implies fun is not merely spontaneous childlike energy but a modeled habit, something structured enough to pass down. Then he shifts from classroom language to epidemiology: “infectious, contagious.” That’s not accidental. It suggests fun spreads socially, often faster than rules, and it reframes play as a kind of emotional public health measure. If stress and cynicism can colonize a household, so can laughter, curiosity, and lightness. The subtext: parents who treat adulthood as a permanent seriousness are teaching that, too.

Context matters here. Poscente, known for motivational writing, is speaking into a culture where childhood is increasingly optimized: enrichment schedules, early achievement, constant evaluation. In that environment, fun becomes suspicious, like wasted time. He counters with a pragmatic pitch: fun is efficient. It builds connection, lowers defensiveness, makes learning stick, and gives kids a template for coping that isn’t numbness or overperformance.

The line’s real provocation is aimed at adults. It’s less a parenting tip than a dare: if you want contagious joy, you have to be willing to catch it first.