Why does a child`s brain need 12 hugs a day?

Here we tell you many reasons why you should not stop doing it!

We know in practice that a hug calms us down, and that more than once we have asked or needed a hug, without words, to calm us down and feel loved. But when science also confirms it to us, then we have more reasons than before not to go beyond this topic and put ourselves into practice. In this sense, Virginia Satir, an American psychotherapist who was focused on family therapy throughout her life, went so far as to affirm in her work that a child needs around 12 hugs a day to carry out normal growth.

Let`s now see why this is positive for a child`s brain:

Hugs give a feeling of security.

Children need security, to feel that they are not alone and that they will not be abandoned. You have probably experienced the rejection of the child when he stayed for the first time in school or in the house of a relative. This rejection is due to the insecurity he feels when staying in one place alone without seeing his family again, mainly his parents. Giving a strong hug to the child before leaving and then upon arrival, allows him / her to understand that it is not an abandonment. Hugs make children more confident that their parents will be back soon.

Hugs release dopamine.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that kicks in when we receive an unexpected reward like a big hug. When released, many functions are fulfilled in the brain, such as the regulation of sleep, mood, attention and learning ..., in addition to better motor, motivational and cognitive behavior.

Hugs produce oxytocin.

Oxytocin is a hormone that is released in children when they receive affectionate physical contact, although at this point it is necessary to add that this hormone is released only with the mother`s voice without the need for physical contact. The truth is that the embrace and the voice of a mother towards her child help to increase confidence and reduce social fear and stress in children, while also increasing their generosity and capacity for empathy.

Reduces the level of cortisol in the blood.

Cortisol levels in a child can be elevated when under high stress. And it is that, in the smallest, a high production of cortisol reduces bone formation and suppresses the action of the immune system, being more likely to be sick. One of the ways to inhibit the production of this hormone is through therapeutic massage. A long and prolonged hug can lead to children having better bone formation and less illness.

The hug is a medicine!

A child who receives 12 hugs a day is, in short, a happy child who grows up confident, with more confidence and less fear in life, prepared to have better relationships with the other and a strong bone structure and immune system and proof of bombs.

Publication Date: 2021-08-10

Source: Jesús Falcón