When your toddler cuddles with you, they're showing they know you're always there to provide comfort. This is an active way of saying "I love you!"
To a large extent, how touchy feely we are is a part of our personality. Even among babies, you can sense those who like to be held more often and those who are content to be put down. Your children will have their own 'normal' when it comes to how affectionate they are and how much they like to be touched.
Lots of physical contact like cuddles, being carried, stroking, holding hands and tickles all help your baby or child release natural chemicals in their body. This makes them feel good – and the chemicals also help their brain grow.
Physical touch releases happy hormones.
The same is true for children. Cuddling is good for kids because it helps form strong emotional bonds.
Clinginess is a natural reaction for children experiencing separation anxiety, or fear of being separated from a person they trust.
Lavin says that children may show clinginess due to separation anxiety, the fear of being away from their parents, or because of stranger anxiety, where the fear is more about being around unfamiliar people. “These types of anxiety can be normal parts of child development,” he says.
Simply put, your child may be touching you and others excessively because he/she does not know how it feels like for your personal space to be invaded! A child cries when he/she is either hungry, sleepy, or wants attention. A child shouts when he/she is angry. A child runs around when he/she is bored.
However, men are humans, and all humans need some form of physical touch to establish a connection with another person. Don't believe it when people say that men don't like to cuddle, as that couldn't be farther from the truth. A guy will love cuddling just as much as a woman would.
Physical touch might be your son's primary way of expressing affection. It could also be that he craves closeness to you at times where he feels anxious, insecure, or some other way that would have him seeking comfort.
A young child needs a lot of different sensory stimulation for normal development. Skin contact, or physical touch such as hugging, is one of the most important stimulations required to grow a healthy brain and a strong body1.
Family and RelationshipsThe Importance of Hugging Your Child Every Day. Author and family therapist Virginia Satir once said, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth”.
– When your baby is six months old, it starts to cuddle. It wants to lovingly feel and caress your skin. Your child understands that this is pleasant for others and learns a lot from it. It deliberately shows his love for you.
At a very young age, children begin to explore their bodies. They may touch, poke, pull or rub their body parts, including their genitals. It is important to keep in mind that these behaviors are not sexually motivated. They typically are driven by curiosity and attempts at self-soothing.
Touching People and Objects – Children who touch everything in sight, including people and other materials in their environment, are often seeking tactile (or touch) input to their bodies. These children should be given appropriate means to receive touch input to calm their system.
Emotionally absent or cold mothers can be unresponsive to their children's needs. They may act distracted and uninterested during interactions, or they could actively reject any attempts of the child to get close. They may continue acting this way with adult children.
When they cuddle with you, they know you feel safe and secure in their arms. Even if there aren't any real dangers, guys perceive cuddling as a way to protect you. In addition, they also know it makes you feel loved, so when they cuddle you, it's also a sign of affection and warmth.
Cuddling and getting cozy typically indicates that a partner feels more comfortable being intimate and close with you. Some couples enjoy cuddling at night before they sleep or after they make love. Cuddling could also indicate they have deep feelings for you and want to be near you.
If you're in a romantic relationship with a guy and he cuddles you, it's likely a sign that he feels close to you and enjoys being physically intimate with you. Cuddling can be a way to express love, tenderness, and intimacy without necessarily engaging in sexual activity.
You can tell your kids about different kinds of touches, Dickson says. Safe (good) touches feel caring, like pats on the back or wanted hugs. Unsafe (or bad) touches hurt your body or feelings, such as pinching or hitting. Children should know it's ok to say no even if it's a family member or friend.
Study after study shows that parents can't turn infants and toddlers into brats by showing them too much affection or devoting too much time to their well-being. In fact, according to research, parents should be more concerned with whether they are being attentive enough than with whether they are being too attentive.
“The brain likes comfort and associates comfortable things with whatever was happening in the moment,” says Kolari. Toddlers look for comforting sensations that were familiar to them as babies—sucking, touching, skin-to-skin contact—and find a way to repeat them.
As well as the obvious hugs and kisses, children show they love you by rubbing their face against yours, holding your hand and sitting on your lap. Asking to be picked up, snuggling into your arms, resting their head on your shoulder. There's no greater trust than what a child has for their parent.