Hugging is a kind of comforting touch that helps in communication, but its benefits for our children are limitless as it contributes to their cognitive and emotional development.
Research has shown that children thrive in environments where they are constantly showered with love, starting from the day they are born and continuing throughout their lives.
According to the "Mind Champs" website, in neonatal intensive care units in hospitals today, parents are encouraged to practice what is known as "kangaroo care", by holding their premature babies, as it has been proven that this It results in an improvement in vital signs such as weight gain and minimal breathing complications.
A parent's touch is important, safe, and indispensable to children, and when they don't get enough of it, they look for love elsewhere.
The matter is not much different for adolescents, despite their refusal of parental touch because of the mood swings they go through, they do not realize the importance of hugs for their mental health.
And the “Health Line” website quotes family doctor Virginia Satir as saying that the minimum that a person needs daily is 4 hugs, and 8 to continue in a psychologically stable way in life, and everyone, including adolescents, needs 12 hugs daily to grow. .
If your child is having a hard time, sit next to him and put your arms around him (Shutterstock)
Girls need parental hugs
For girls, getting enough parental hugs is of great importance, and the girls' need for touch and tenderness can be seen by observing their small gatherings, as they do not stop hugging each other, extending their arms until the end when one of them meets her best friend, and despite This does not make up for the lack of physical affection on the part of the parents.
The "Fathers" blog mentioned that studies have shown that physical touch makes us feel better, physiologically and psychologically.
But children, especially girls, need more than just everyday gestures offered in passing.
Our physical affection “hugs” helps create an emotional bond with our daughters, as we can say many things that we cannot say with words during a hug or through a gentle touch or a kiss on the cheek, and our girls desperately need this closeness, understanding and affection.
If a girl's needs for affection are not met by parents, she may become frustrated and may eventually give in to anyone who is not suitable for meeting those needs.
There are many things your teenage daughter wants to tell you, whether about boys, relationships, or life.
But first, you must acquire the right to this looseness by listening, courtship, and giving it a lot of daily hugs that remove barriers and help communication, closeness, and reassurance.
Find small opportunities or excuses to give your daughter a kiss on the head (Shutterstock)
Why do teenagers refuse to hug?
According to Ms. Nancy, founder of Raising Teens Today, after children become teenagers, they don't crave their parents' physical affection as much as they did before.
"Gone are the days when they would run to me with open arms as if I had left them for a year when I was only 30 minutes away from them," she adds.
Their idea of quick communication, she explains, has become a nod of the head or a quick fist bump without eye contact.
Maybe it's because they think they're too big to be hugged or because they're suddenly too big for any emotional expression, especially in public, or maybe they think they don't need to be hugged anymore.
But the truth is that many teens are deprived of touch, and they don't realize it and there is never a suitable substitute for a mother's or father's hug, so it is up to us as parents to find creative ways to maintain physical contact with our adult children.
How do you circumvent their rejection?
According to Your teen mag, child-parenting expert Dr. Laura Markham advises parents to get past the discomfort teens give them and to remember how important hugs and other displays of affection are to a teen's development.
So it's a trick to give our grown children the physical hug they really need.
Always hug your teen when you see him for the first time in the morning, and it doesn't matter if you're both angry.
Hug them too when you see them for the first time after school and before bed.
Find small opportunities or excuses to give them a kiss on the head.
If your child is having a hard time, sit next to him and put your arms around him.
Boys love talking to them in the car because they don't have to make eye contact.
So you can sometimes touch them and pat them on the shoulder without making eye contact.
Do not make the hug mechanical or cold, and it is better to accompany it with some phrases such as How are you?
or “How was your day?” Focus on the moment when you give them a warm hug.
If the parents do not meet the girl's needs for affection, she may become frustrated and may eventually succumb to any inappropriate person (Shutterstock)
Benefits of hugs for teens
According to Healthline, apart from the feeling of happiness caused by hugs, there is plenty of scientifically backed evidence supporting the benefits of cuddling our teens.
Communicate with your teen
Most human communication happens verbally or through facial expressions, but hugging is a kind of touching and comforting connection, and when tension is high or words fail between you and your teen, a hug can say a lot about how you feel about them, help defuse the situation and open the door to more communication. productivity.
Relieves stress
Hugging your teen can make them feel calm and relaxed.
This is because oxytocin, sometimes called the "cuddle hormone", is released.
According to authors Emily and Amelia Nagoski, hugging someone you love for 20 seconds a day is the key to relieving stress and ending burnout.
feeling safe
When we wrap our arms around our children's bodies, it can help them feel less isolated and safer in a world that is often very noisy, confusing and difficult.
Mood improvement
When your daughter comes home from school with an angry, restless and tired face, a long hug might be just what she needs to lift her mood.
A hug not only improves a teen's mood, it has the potential to boost self-esteem by making them feel more accepted, happy, and confident.
Building bridges
Parents' relationship with teenagers is exposed to many disturbing situations, and frequent disagreement and fights with them lead to the erosion of our relationship with them if we do not intervene quickly to repair the damage.
Although a hug won't solve all of your teen's problems, it can help relieve some of his stress, improve his overall outlook on life and well-being, and strengthen your relationship with him.