How many times do you hug your kids in a day and how warmly?
Yes, you should be asking yourself this question because this has wonderful effects on your kids and your relationship with them. Not just that, any warm and kind skin touch are crucial to normal and healthy development. So, before reading ahead, find your munchkins, hug them, and kiss with all the love you have for them!
You feel satisfied and grateful to have them, right? It is much more than this that they feel and that affects their upbringing. Here are four benefits proven and verified by psychology.
- Smart Growth and Development
Science proves that the brain responds to human touch. Its positive growth is very much dependent upon the warm skin contacts.
Right after the birth of a child, the body starts recognizing and the physiological changes start to occur in response to the physical stimuli. Have you ever noticed your child crying and then calming down as soon as you have them in your arms? Well, that’s the wonder.
Research justifies that sensory stimulation as a result of hugs is necessary for better cognitive development. It was found that the orphanages where kids were fed with feeders and had minimal interactions with humans had many problems including impaired intellectual development, under-developed motor skills, and shorter life span.
- The Release of Love Hormone and Happiness
You would have never thought of it. Happiness and the perception of love are very much associated with such physical contact with parents and children. You hug your kids, give them a peck and go away but here is not the end of the story. You never know the significance of the act you have just done. It instantly releases the love hormone called ‘oxytocin’ that enhances the feeling of gratification, satisfaction, security, and happiness. Keep in mind that these are the basic requirements of the stages of child development. And this is how easy it is, hug them and kiss them with warmth.
- Calmness in Personality
Sometimes, the kids are predisposed to being aggressive and showing tantrums. Sometimes, they have symptoms of ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) due to which throwing tantrums become a part of their behavior. Child psychology says that tantrums and aggression are the results of overactivity of the arousal branch of the body. While hugging your kids produces counter effects to this.
In short, hugging your kids has anti-anxiety effects on them and calms them down. It relieves their stress and anxiety. We are not asking you to not seek help, it is just how you can create a safe and calm environment for your kids at home.
This therapeutic effect of hugs over children is proved by many studies. It is considered to be an important factor in emotional regulation as a result of chemical and physiological alterations. Emotional intelligence carries more worth than IQ and the expressions of love like this help in building this.
- Better Sense of Belongingness
A child needs the feeling of belongingness to feel safe and secure which Maslow says is an important need of childhood. The release of oxytocin as a result of hugs reduces the fear of vulnerability and enhances trust between kids and parents.
It in turn helps strengthen the bond of a parent with a child. So, what else do you need from your kids? Once they have their sense of belongingness with their family, they are more prone to be confident, empathetic, and brave. Moreover, it improves their overall well-being and academic performance.
The primary need for love is important to be fulfilled at the right age. Otherwise, kids and teens look to fill that space with other sources. Teens with disturbed personalities often have some deficiencies in their childhood needs. So, make sure that you give them what they need at the right time.
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