When a child comes into this world, one of the first things he will feel is the skin and heart of his mother that bring him warmth, affection, emotions and the courage to feel loved.
We can offer a baby many things: daily food, a good cradle, the best clothes and a room full of suitable visual stimuli, however, there is something fundamental that will contribute prodigiously to its neuronal, physical and emotional maturation: it is hugs. , caresses, voices that call your name . . .
- There is very discouraging data on the education of babies in some orphanages around the world.
- Children who do not receive hugs or affection cry less often because they understand that they will not always be cared for.
Their development is generally slower, aren’t they so curious about what surrounds them because they don’t have the security to explore, they lack connection with a loving adult who serves as a mediator in their search for stimuli and sensations?
It is vital that we take care of this physical contact with our children on a daily basis, do hugs create neural connections, create sensations, thoughts, affections, fears, doubts, uncertainties?It doesn’t matter if it’s a few days or 12 years. Bring them closer to your heart whenever you can (even if they’re already that age to resist).
This intimate skin-to-skin contact between the mother and her children during the first months of life provides a sensory stimulus capable not only of promoting their growth, but also of strengthening their immune system, regulating their temperature and breathing.
While parenting during these first few months is almost always very intimate in the mother-child relationship, the role of parents is also vital, as well as being a great way to further improve the development and safety of their children.
If there is a parent who does not give enough importance to cuddles or caresses, all this ends up affecting the child’s personality.
Have you ever thought about that? Babies spend much of the day lying in their cribs horizontally, since an adult takes it in their arms, kisses and hugs him, has the opportunity to see the world through them and they do it in the best way. possible: calmly, feel loved.
There is nothing more comforting and satisfying than a hug, if as adults we need it to strengthen the bond, calm stress or erase doubts, in the case of children, the need is even more relevant.
Crying in babies, for example, is never unfair, and sometimes their cries are not out of hunger, cold or momentary discomfort, they also demand affection, they need your hugs to end each creature’s universal fear: loneliness and abandonment. Don’t be too irritating in your daily life, don’t make money and have a force and intensity of the whole universe.
Images courtesy of Amélie Thiebaud, Pascal Campion and Claudia Tremblay.