5 Awesome Reasons Why You Should Cuddle Your Kids

New parents are often bombarded with a litany of unsolicited advice of dos and don’ts.  The purpose is to guide the new parents with tips on how to raise the perfect child. One advice parents should not heed to however, is ‘don’t cuddle or hold your child too much, because it will spoil them.’

According to the study published in the journal of Development and Psychopathology, the cuddles and hugs we give our babies have a lasting impact at the molecular level, for years. Basically, cuddling with your baby is changing their genes.

The researchers found that the kids who had been cuddled and held less, and been more distressed when they were babies, had a molecular profile in their cells that was underdeveloped for their age.

READ ALSO: Experts Reveal Spank-then-cuddle Approach Does Not Work. See Why…

So in that vein, here are 5 reasons you should cuddle your child. Like all the time and never worry about whether you are hugging them too much.

1. Cuddling Releases Good Chemicals

Physical contact releases a certain chemical in the brain that promotes happiness and lower stress hormones. Cuddling and hugging can literally put you in a better mood. And pretty quick at that!

If you have had a tough day, or if your kids are just all over the place, testing your limits, a good way to stop and reset the home atmosphere is to cuddle.

2. It Makes Them Smarter

Research shows that children whose parents demonstrate love to them verses children whose parents don’t actually have bigger brains. Along with creating a safe environment for your child, you actually directly affect their development when you cuddle them.

Hugging may not increase their IQ, but it will help them get the most out of it. And that will be good for their emotional strength, as well as influence the spheres in which they will move as adults.

READ ALSO: Five Beautiful Things To Say To Parents Of A Child With Special Needs

3. It Communicates Love

While adults can tell how they want to be loved, kids can’t. If you look them in the eye, give them attention, smile at them, and show them physical affection, it is sufficient and obviously makes them feel good.

Hugging or cuddling them is one out of many ways to confirm to them that they are loved, hugging them even when they are naughty shows them they are in a secure place.

A loved child is a happy child, a happy child is a confident child. And in the words of Mother Theresa;

“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family”

4. It Establishes A special Bond

At the end of a long day, a good snuggle before bedtime says, “After all is said and done, I am here for you.”

And on the flip side, sometimes a hug is the only way little ones can express appreciation. If you have company over and your kids feel slightly overwhelmed or shy, a cuddle says,

“Even though I’m focusing on others right now, I haven’t forgotten about you.”

All of these are so simple to do, but could mean the whole world to your child’s overall development and stability in their adult life.

5. They Will Bed Comfortable With Showing And Receiving Affection

Have you ever tried to hug someone who doesn’t like physical touch? Awkward.

Physical touch doesn’t have to be your love language for you to appreciate the connection and thought it implies. If parents never touch their children they will be deprived affection.

If your kids are deprived affection they will seek it elsewhere. Here’s what you should know, if you dont show affection to your kids, they will seek it elsewhere and you may not like where.