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Hugs and Kisses: How to Help Your Babies and Kiddos
How many hugs are we supposed to receive each day? Virginia Satir, a family therapist, once said that we need four hugs per day to survive. Eight hugs are needed daily for maintenance. For growth, we need 12 hugs per day." What are the benefits to hugging? How can you encourage your children to hug you often?
Hugging has physical health benefits
There are many reasons to ensure your children get plenty of physical touch and hugs every day. Hugging your children often can improve their development, reduce stress, improve heart health, and even boost their immunity.
Huge Investments in Better Development
You can't wait to show affection and physical love when you are young. Hugs and kisses are a great way to show affection to infants. A study that looked at infants in Eastern European orphanages that are not touched or held found that they have "impaired growth" and "impaired cognitive development" and that babies receiving extra stimulation for 15 minutes three times per day for 10 days had greater weight gain and better motor and mental scores than those who received no stimulation. These benefits are the reason hospitals offer Kangaroo Care. Kangaroo Care gives infants skin to skin time with their parents and fathers. This is especially helpful for premature babies. Many hospitals have "baby cuddlers" who care for premature and newborn babies in the NICU. The cuddling experience is much more pleasant, with increased eye contact and less fussiness. So what are you waiting? Grab a baby today!
Hugs for the Heart
Hugging can reduce stress, blood pressure, and heart rate. Hugging and holding hands can lower blood pressure in stressful situations. Researchers found that being reassured by someone who is supportive and provides physical touch can help us be more responsive to stressful situations. We can all agree that we would love for our children to be able to respond better to stress. It seems simple and effective to hug them every day. Another study showed that people who had physical contact with their loved ones before taking a stress test resulted in lower levels of cortisol. This is the hormone that causes us to feel stressed. It means that hugging can make us feel calmer and less stressed. This is a great idea!
For better health, take healing hug
Did you know that an embrace can help prevent sickness and speed up healing? One study showed a correlation between oxytocin (a hormone that is released when you hug someone long enough) and wound healing. Another study examined the relationship between hugs and immunity. It found that people who received more hugging were less likely to get sick when they were exposed to common cold viruses. The ones who got sick were less likely to get sick if they received more hugging. They also recovered faster. You can give your children superpowers if you hug them often. Okay, maybe not. It will boost their immune system!
Hugging has mental and emotional health benefits
Hugs and love are not just good for the body. Cuddling can improve your mental and emotional health. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found that children who have their mothers care for them as young children develop a larger and more nurturing hippocampus than those whose mothers are less nurturing. The hippocampus is responsible for motivation, emotion and learning. So if you love your child, make sure to give lots of hugs and to show affection. This will help him regulate his emotions, which can lead to better learning and recall. Hugging your children is a great way to show your love and to communicate emotions through touch. There are many reasons to hug your children regularly.
Hugging has many behavioral benefits
A calm parent's soothing touch can help to diffuse the emotions of children who are upset. Consider human emotions like a car with two pedals. One is the arousal pedal, and one is the calming pedal. The car's gas is the arousal pedal. It increases emotion and speeds things up. It does the opposite. The calming pedal acts as a brake and calms down our emotions. Emotional dysregulation is when children cry or throw tantrums. Their arousal pedal has been pressed to the ground, but their calming mechanism is still inoperative and cannot soothe them. A hug from you can calm the situation better than a time-out. To calm down, children in this state require love and not isolation. Skeptical? You are skeptical? Your child will learn how to manage emotional upset by using calm and love rather than punishment.
Hugging can improve relationships
Hugging is a key part of building a loving relationship. The 20-second hug is enough to produce oxytocin. This hormone is also known as the "lovehormone," "cuddlehormone" and "bondinghormone." Long hugs are a great way to feel connected with someone. Numerous studies have shown this to be true. One study found that gentle touch and hugs can increase security in relationships. Another found that physical affection can improve relationship satisfaction. Another found that touching can make people feel more connected and supported. If we want our children to feel secure, happy, supported, connected, and secure, we must open up and hold them close. We need to do this often.
Hugging has many lifelong benefits
Hugging your children will help improve their heart health, reduce stress levels and control their emotions. Hugging can make our children feel more secure, connected and loved. It's too bad that all that goodness and love can't stay with them once they leave home. But it's wrong! Research has shown that children who have a loving mother are more likely to experience less stress in their lives. This study was unique because it tracked the children through adulthood and found that "even very early experiences in life can have an impact on adult health." It also suggested that a strong bond with a mother in childhood could play a crucial role in reducing anxiety in adulthood. A second study shows that loving touch can have a positive impact on long-term well-being. We will always remember the good feelings we get from receiving hugs and kisses of someone who cares about us.
Get Hugging!
How many hugs would you need in a single day? Eight sounds wonderful! What if you have more than one child? How can you ensure that your children get the affection they deserve? Although it may seem difficult, it is well worth the effort. There are many kinds of hugs. Good morning hugs can be as short or long as you like. Warm hugs and short hugs. You can choose between long, tender, and silly hugs. You can give hugs to someone who is in hurry or for healing purposes. Hug your children, your parents, and your partner. You get the same benefits as those you hug. Don't wait, hug someone today!
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