I’m not ashamed to say it—we’re a “hugging family”. We hug each other a lot. And it’s intentional.
As parents, one of the greatest things we can do for our children is to give them our unconditional love. And one of the easiest ways to show that love is to hug them often.
According to scientific research, the benefits of hugging are numerous. Not only do they make us feel good and warm and fuzzy, they also provide a ton of benefits for our children, including:
Smarter kids – a child’s mental development requires positive sensory stimulation. Hugging easily provides that.
Healthy growth – Hugging is connected to the immediate release of “the love hormone” – oxytocin, which increases a child’s growth stimulation as well as strengthens their immune system. However, children deprived of physical affection are more likely to suffer from growth deficiencies.
Emotional regulation – Children naturally have a hard time regulating their own emotions, but hugging can be used as a calming factor for your kids, whether they are throwing a tantrum or struggling with other strong emotions such as fear, anger, or frustration.
Happier children – does this one really need any scientific explanation? When a child feels loved, a child feels happy.
A hug is a gift that keeps on giving. I like how one person said it:
Hugging is good medicine. It transfers energy and gives the person hugged an emotional lift. Scientists say that hugging is a form of communication because it can say things you don’t have the words for. And the nicest thing about a hug is that you usually can’t give one without getting one.”
So, whether you’re naturally a hugger or not, why not start “hugging for health”—the mental, emotional, and relational health of your kids? I think you’ll both be glad you did.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Godly Parent.
Featured Image by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
