The power of human touch has long been recognized by the medical profession. What can it mean to your family?
I was deep in thought today about small pleasures I’m grateful for and saw a commercial about the healing properties of human touch.
Many hospitals are now using massage therapy techniques to sooth and advance healing of adult patients. For many years, hospitals have used volunteers in the NICU to hold premature infants – highlighting the need from birth for human touch. Research has shown that infants deprived of touch will face issues of failure to thrive and in worse case scenarios, death.
What then are the implications for those of us who have children at home past the infant stage, where they are held close to you each day and the toddler stage, bouncing on your lap? Truthfully, we don’t get the opportunities to touch our children as often as they grow older, yet they are still in need of a reassuring touch.
As parents, we have to make opportunities to hug our children as they grow, give a quick peck on the cheek or put a steadying hand across a shoulder. Yes, they will go through a stage when they protest, but especially mothers can get by with many things!
What is the pay-off? I believe a parent’s touch makes our children feel loved and secure. For our family, the touch has come full circle. My adult children and my teenage son are not afraid to hug me good-bye (although not in front of the football team), take my arm when it is slick out or hold my hand as we walk through he mall or the city street.
I understand the children think they’re helping a tottering old lady from falling or tripping, I understand because of the caring in their touch.
