Parenting is hard. Sleepless nights and busy days sometimes meld into a seemingly hopeless congealed mess. As a young mother cries while having a rough morning, her 14-month-old baby senses her despair and reacts. Not knowing what to do, the child does what kids do best. He offers his mom some love and a hug.
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You can see the concern on the child’s face as he looks up at his mommy crying. He puzzles over what to do. A brief flash of “I should cry, too” crosses his face. It is quickly replaced with, “I need to comfort Mommy.” The intuitive child gently reaches up, touching his mom’s shoulder comfortingly. He tugs at her shirt to get her attention.
The video has gone viral for several reasons. It proves that even SuperMom can have a moment and shows a child’s natural empathy. It also offers the solution to almost all of life’s problems. Hugs.
Most of us realize that a hug always makes it better when our children are hurting. The same science applies to adults. Reports say every person needs 8 to 12 daily hugs to remain happy and healthy. Research into hug science lists several reasons why and how hugs help.
Our bodies produce different hormones as a reaction to circumstances. Stress releases adrenaline. To counter that, hugs trigger our bodies to produce oxytocin. This hormone reduces the stress reaction, bringing out feelings of love, trust, and safety. As the young mother discovered when her intuitive son offered a hug, they help.
Our children can be more intuitive than we give them credit for. Even at 14 months old, her baby reacts and offers Mom the perfect remedy: a hug.
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