Those hugs last a lifetime

It’s a touchy feely week, yo! I mean, this week, we are discussing a beautiful aspect of parenting: the power of touch. Parenting is the journey that sets the tone for the rest of the life of your child. Loving, laughing, bickering, being grumpy, kids learn all of this and more at home. In all this, the power of touch is just not talked about enough. The presence of secure touch is a morale booster for kids. It fosters love, affection, positive vibes and happiness. 

Let’s look at secure touch

By secure touch, I am referring to those cuddly random hugs, the holding your child’s hand, ruffling their hair, the pillow fights, you get the drift right? So, as babies, kids receive immense love in the form of oodles of secure physical touch. As kids grow up, the touch gradually reduces from us parents.

When do we lose touch with secure touch?

We parents stop this secure touch rather unknowingly. We do not realize how much this impacts our kids. Think fact: Why do we have the culture of hugging our loved ones when we meet and greet each other? It instills a sense of love, belongingness and comfort right? Our kids need them from time to time. They may not know to articulate this if they grow up in a household where display of affection is not a common occurrence. Of course our kids know that we love them. However, that closeness in the form of hugs and other secure loving touch is important for kids. If you wish to learn more about this, do explore the course videos on Building Self Esteem and specifically on Lack of secure Touch.

What happens when the hugging and other secure touch is lacking?

Lack of touch sort of symbolises the lack of enough affection and parental warmth. Kids, even teenagers and those in their tweens need warmth and affection! In fact, kids who grow up without any physical affection whatsoever sort become rigid adults. They cringe from physical display of affection even in their adulthood. Imagine, not propagating secure physical touch in the lives of kids could set them up for unstable adult relationships, poor attachment to others and even low-self-esteem. So hug it out, already you.
Did your little guy just walk through the door? Go, give him a big bear hug now. He might freak out if you have never done that previously, but oh what fun it will be! It will deepen the sense of love in your home. 🙂