A psychotherapist famously said, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

We all agree that a “hug” from your loved one is all you need to spark up your mood when you are stressed. The reason why everyone, irrespective of age, loves a hug is because it makes the person, both the giver and the taker, feel fresh and alive again.  This is also true in case of children, but many of us are not that forthcoming when it comes to hugging our children simply because we are unaware of its benefits. 

The following are the reasons to hug your child more often:

  1. Hugging enhance cognitive growth and development in your child’s brain.
  2. A big warm hug can reduce pain and fear, soothe hurt emotion, increases feeling of safety, fight fatigue, and boost immune system.
  3. It regulates emotions, and makes children happier as well as healthier.
  4. It increases mutual trust, and thereby helps them experience a crucial part of their life, i.e. childhood, in a fulfilling way.
  5. It improves parent-child bonding, much like a like kangaroo that is perpetually hugging its baby in the pouch.
  6. A quick hug is enough to boost your child’s mood; and as a result, he will be more willing to learn something new in a very short span of time.

A parent should never be so busy that she is not even able to give a hug to her child. With so much to gain in terms of emotional and physical, you should ask yourself daily, “Did I forget to hug my child?”  Just call your bundle of joy, and hug her like there will not be tomorrow.