The First Hug is the mother’s first embrace with the baby immediately after giving birth. It is highly recommended as doctors say it transfers a mother’s warmth and protective bacteria to her newborn child. The World Health Organization even calls it life-saving.
Skin-to-skin contact such as an embrace or hug is vital to your child’s well-being.
A report from Child Trends, which is a nonprofit research organization says, “Higher self-esteem, better parent-child communication, and fewer psychological and behavior problems have been linked to warmth and affection between parent and child.”
According to the Child Trends’ reports, 90{4db744927fa64ed7316e4508ab58730c752d9c4bed2dec67632f9dcb98499f4f} of parents with children 3 years old and below gave their child hugs every day but this display of warmth decreases as children grow up to 10-12 years old with 74{4db744927fa64ed7316e4508ab58730c752d9c4bed2dec67632f9dcb98499f4f} of mothers and 50{4db744927fa64ed7316e4508ab58730c752d9c4bed2dec67632f9dcb98499f4f} of fathers hugging them.
Many scientific claims show how hugging benefits children. Author and coach Christopher Bergland wrote in an article for Psychology Today, “Scientific studies are always a helpful reaffirmation of how important it is to practice loving-kindness and ‘shower the people you love with love.”
What impact does parental affection really have on your child?
1. Less Stress For Your Child
After a long day’s work, don’t you feel your exhaustion and stress melt away as your child welcomes you with an embrace? Your child feels the same way. According to a 2013 study from the University of California, “Parental warmth and affection protect one against the harmful effects of toxic childhood stress.”
Researchers, on the other hand, found how child abuse coupled with a lack of parental affection impacts a child’s physical and mental health all throughout his life.
2. Affection Makes Your Child Feel Loved
A 2013 study conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia observed mom-and-child interaction during playtime. It was found that moms who showed more affection and positive reinforcement had stronger bonds with the kids.
Deseret News reported “Children whose parents spent too much time directing play showed ‘more negative feelings’ towards their mothers.”
Lead author Jean Ispa said in a press release on Science Daily, “We know that children, regardless of culture, need to feel loved. Children take in the meaning of what their mothers are trying to do, so if a mom is being very directive and is generally a very warm person, I think the child feels, ‘My mom is doing this because she cares about me, and she’s trying to do the best for me.’
3. Helps Raise A Happier And More Mentally Stable Adult
A hug can last a lifetime. The warmth of your hug can impact your child all throughout his life. A study conducted by the University of Notre Dame where 600 adults were surveyed about how they were raised found good news about parents affection towards their children.
Writer Sandi Schwartz in an article for Parent Co. said, “The adults who reported receiving more affection in childhood displayed less depression and anxiety and were more compassionate overall. Those who reported less affection struggled with mental health, tended to be more upset in social situations, and were less able to relate to other people’s perspectives.”
So, to all moms and dads out there, keep your child happy and healthy by giving off kisses and warm hugs!
