We bet you'll be surprised with some of the reasons why
When your children are young most parents will hug their kids throughout the day regularly however once they are older and of a school going age the ritual can reduce greatly though it really shouldn’t. Though older children love to flex their independence muscles and believe themselves to be big they do still need love and affection without even realising it. Teenagers especially will retreat from you gradually but it is so vital for them to still have that loving side of your relationship even if it is just a cuddle in the evening before bed. Here are some very good reasons why you should hug your child more…
- Helps a child’s development- Hugging impacts your child’s cognitive and emotional development and we all know how important human touch is to a new-born baby encouraging weight gain, better regulation of body temperature, heart rate and blood sugar levels to name a few.
- Kids need affection- All children need love and affection to feel loved and wanted at home. Expressing your shared love is a privilege and a honour rather than a weakness in relationships and it should always be encouraged to openly express feelings within a family.
- It makes them feel safe, secure and happy- A child that gets regular hugs will feel loved and cherished which will enable them to feel safe, secure and therefore happy. Hugs are antidotes for feelings of anger or stress and they must be utilised fully.
- It shows them how to express empathy- When someone hugs you when you are upset you are grateful for the support and it shows that they care. Hugging your kids when they are upset means they will learn to understand empathy and you too will need their hugs at times when your day is going wrong.
- Helps with the aftermath of discipline- If your child has misbehaved and been on the naughty step for a few minutes a hug is a great release for your child to remind them that though they were punished that you still love them completely. Everyone breaks up and makes up and hugging plays a major role in these reunions. It doesn’t mean you are rewarding their bad behaviour but you are comforting them through their issues and helping them feel better. It reduced stress and relaxes muscles- Hugging releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin and therefore it can reduce stress and relax a person’s muscles. Hugging will also promote a good relationship between parents and a child helping to build trust and unity.
- Hugging improves the immune system- A new-born baby is unable to manage their emotions by themselves and during time of distress a baby’s brain will release cortisol into the brain and their body. If this is left for a long period of time it can cause long term effects on a kiddie’s body including compromising a youngster’s immune system and affect memory or lead to depression. Once again, a hug will release the happy hormones and calm an upset child.