Maintaining a close, warm, supportive family environment is an important priority. Whether you’re holding your baby close, comforting your toddler, welcoming older kids home with a big hug, or greeting your partner with a loving embrace, these interactions help solidify the feelings of family and love that bond your household and make it a happy place to be.
These interactions come so easily to us that we don’t even think about them, and the reason why may be twofold. Of course, we love our families and want to express our love whenever possible, but we’re also receiving a legitimate psychological and physiological health boost when we embrace the ones we love on a regular basis.
How People Hugging Keeps Adults Healthy
- They can lower our blood pressure: High blood pressure is linked with heart disease, stroke, and other dangerous health conditions. The release of oxytocin triggered by regular hugs with your partner can help bring down blood pressure.
- They reduce inflammation and help prevent dangerous diseases: Studies have shown that regular hugs decrease the presence of two pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which is linked with a number of serious health problems.
- They increase our “good” bacteria: Though we generally think of bacteria as something to avoid, the “good” bacteria we receive through contact with others is what helps us build healthy immune and digestive systems.
Why Kids Need Hugs
There are so many scientific studies now that show why people hugging is so important not only for adults, but for kids especially. Here are some of the most important reasons that you should hug your children daily:
- Promotes brain development in infants
- Helps kids get sleepy
- Provides emotional comfort
- Eases depression and anxiety
- Eases depression and anxiety
- Assists in overcoming feelings of rejection
- Increases their (and your) microbiome
- Reduces feelings of powerlessness
These studies were summarized by a wonderful and simple infographic on the We the Parents website. Each study is also cited on this website if you want to read more about them.
Heidi Keefer is a Content Creator for Lifetime Adoption and has over 15 years of experience in the field of adoption. An author of thousands of articles and social media posts over the years, Heidi enjoys finding new ways to educate and captivate Lifetime’s ever-growing list of subscribers.
Heidi has a keen eye for misplaced apostrophes, comma splices, and well-turned sentences, which she has put to good use as a contributor to Lifetime’s award-winning blogs. She has written and published hundreds of adoption articles which explore the various facets of domestic infant adoption today.
I adopted two teens to keep my Son(adopted as a baby) company and to complete my family.
The Older one has fitted in and does so much to make it easier for me.
The Youner Teen however is horrible in behaviour and makes me quite irritated most of the time. When he is nice, he wants ALL my attention but most times, he blames every other person for his bad behaviour tries to teach the youngest boy bad attitude, disrespects his senior brother and me….It really hurts.
We have been together for 1Year 6months and He just has to stop lying to have his way, threatening us, esp. his little brother etc.
Whether adopted or biological, all children are different. I encourage you to seek help; it would benefit your whole family to see a licensed family therapist.