It is said that a “hug a day keeps the doctor away—more is better than fewer.” Caring, physical contact is an important,non-verbal way of communicating uncritical acceptance, of being valued and thus valuable!
Mothers - Fathers, how many touching opportunities do you take advantage of during the day? (Do you fix your little girls’ hair for school, give your sons haircuts? What about rubbing a tired athlete’s feet or giving a good backrub? What about cuddling a child on your lap while you read a story?)
Dr. Ronald Zirker, a child psychologist, says that one of the best ways to communicate your love to a child while correcting or disciplining is to maintain some sort of warm physical contact: an arm around the shoulder, shoe touching shoe, hand on the shoulder, etc.
BEWARE: Touch can also inflict much pain—and for some, is still preferred to not being touched at all.
The power of a hug!
During the 1970s, Ohio University conducted an experiment on rabbits, feeding them high-cholesterol diets and hoping to duplicate the effect that such a diet has on human arteries. “Consistent results began to appear in all the rabbit groups except for one, which strangely displayed 60 fewer symptoms. “Nothing in the rabbits’ diet could account for their high tolerance to the diet until it was discovered by accident that the student who was in charge of feeding these particular rabbits liked to hug and pet them. “He would hold each rabbit lovingly for a few minutes before feeding it; astonishingly, this alone seemed to enable the animals to overcome the toxic diet. “Repeat experiments, in which one group of rabbits was treated neutrally while the others were loved, came up with similar results.” (Deepak Chopra, Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine [New York: Bantam Books, 1989], p. 33.)
There is a great need for Vitamin T (for TOUCH)
One study on “touched preemies” done in California revealed that they cried less, had better temperaments and so were more appealing to their parents. It used to be the policy with premature babies not to disturb them any more than necessary. But now the evidence about the importance of touch is so plentiful that more hospitals are encouraging large-scale touching.
Suggestion: Why not add to your list of “to dos” each day to make time to hug each child (and your spouse) at least five times during the day. A warm hug can be truly magic in the effect it can have on those who are moving in the same direction!
Sherri Zirker has been involved with American Mothers since she was the National Young Honor Mother in 1975, Western Division, and continued in service as State Young Mother Chairman (Washington and Arizona), Division Coordinator (all states west of Mississippi), National Education Chairman (1988-1997), National Young Mother Coordinator (2001-03), National Third Vice President (2003-04), National Search Chair: Mother-of-the-Year: (2009). Sherri was married for over 49 years to the late Ronald Zirker, Ed.D, a School Psychologist. They had five children (3 girls-2 boys), 28 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, 17 foster children. Sherri has completed an Educational Degree, taught school, authored "Learning: A Shared Experience Beween Parent and Child," and co-authored many magazine articles with Ron, including his book: "Parent and Teen: Teamed for Success' and a newspaper column, "Recipe for a Happy Family" (1971-1998). She is currently the Mother of the Year Search Chairman.
Posted on
Wed, January 27, 2010
by Sherri Zirker