Beware of tickling your children too much
Do you usually tickle your children a lot because you think it is fun and do not stop even if I ask? Then keep reading because this interests you …
Tickling children can lead to moments of joy and screams of laughter … but there are some theories that say that tickling is not as good as it sounds if you do too much. But what is the truth in the idea that tickling a child can have something negative?
Index
IT IS BAD?
Just because your child laughs a lot doesn’t mean he’s enjoying being tickled . Humans laugh when tickled as an automatic response, like when sneezing, it’s something you can’t control … it just happens. Tickling was even used in the past as a form of torture (you could die laughing from cardiac arrest, suffocation or causing strokes caused by extreme stress caused by continuous and unwanted tickling).
So, knowing this, it is necessary to understand that the laugh of a child with the tickle does not mean that he likes it or that he wants you to continue tickling him. It’s gratifying for you to hear him laugh, but actually, for him, it can be very annoying.
THE EFFECT OF TICKLING ON THE BODY
If you force your child to endure the tickling, you may also be sending a dangerous message about the autonomy of the body . From a child’s perspective, you are forcing the idea that an adult has the right to do what they want with their (child’s) body, whether they ask it to stop or not.
Although it is a thought that parents are afraid of, it is a message that is sent without any evil. You need to consider it and take the responsibility to teach children that they are in control of their body and if they say they want you to stop tickling them, just stop. In this way you will give him autonomy and he will see the importance of respecting him when I do not want to be touched. So if they are ever in an abusive situation, they can recognize that what the other adult does to them is not right.
AUTONOMY IN CHILDREN
Children need to learn to make their own decisions in life, in this way in the future they will be able to solve problems better and make better decisions. Parents who allow their children to discover what they want to do at all times will be able to develop better executive brain activity.
In this way, your children will have to make the decision of whether or not they want to be tickled. It is a way for your child to express his options and control over his body.
CHOOSE OTHER WAYS TO PHYSICALLY CONNECT
The physical connection, like the actual physical contact between a parent and child, is critical. Humans need physical contact to survive and thrive. There are also other ways of fostering the physical bond between a parent and a child, leaving tickling aside … because when tickling is unwanted it can even be considered an aggression. Other ways to connect include:
Read a story together. At night before going to sleep, it is a good idea to get into bed with your child or snuggle up on the sofa and read whatever stories you want together. You can enhance language and also enhance physical contact and healthy emotional closeness.
To do a massage. The massages are relaxing and help to have close physical contact. But it is important to only massage in neutral areas where it does not feel uncomfortable when you touch them. “Forbidden areas” of the body should not be used for massage and children should be warned that these areas can only be touched by themselves or the doctor only if absolutely necessary.
Contact games such as horse riding, hugging contest , etc. Your child will have to be in control of the body and decide whether or not he wants to have physical contact with you.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.