Kissing Our Children in the Morning
Kissing our children in the morning or giving them a hug at night are rituals that can provide wonderful benefits.
Waking up our children with a good morning kiss is more than just an affectionate way to help them open their eyes. It is also an exceptional mechanism that can be used to celebrate the new day by reinforcing the bond between “mother and child” or “father and child.”
If there is something that we cannot forget, it is that our social universe is loaded with daily rituals and costumes that effectively build our reality, charging it positively or negatively.
The customs that take place in the home will also influence how our children understand the world.
If a child lacks these types of emotional reinforcement; a goodnight hug, a good morning kiss, a “how’s was your day?” after school, the little one will grow up thinking that positive emotions have no value in the world.
A kiss in the morning is a gift for both parent and child. It should be practiced daily. It is something that may seem silly at first, but it actually provides many interesting psychological and emotional benefits.
Today in “YouAreMom” we’ll explain the importance of these types of daily rituals.
Kissing our children in the morning is very healthy
We know they will soon grow up. And we are very conscious that there will come a day when they’ll slip away telling us “mom, you’re embarrassing me.”
It doesn’t matter. It is ideal to start this habit from the first day they arrive in the world.
Giving these gifts of affection will fuel the development of their brains. Thanks to the affection and comfort you provide them, you will end up shaping a wise and present child.
A new day starts and mom loves you
Maybe your baby doesn’t let you sleep a lot. You might be waking up every three hours to give them breast milk or a baby bottle in the first months after birth.
However, when the new day arrives, we should kiss our children first thing in the morning.
- It is a natural act that provides a sensational vehicle to be “present” in the here and now. It allows us to transmit comforting emotions to the child which makes them feel safe and loved.
- A kiss is a sign of love, language that our children will understand immediately.
- Although we might tell them we love them all the time, kisses, hugs and caresses make up powerful nonverbal language.
Practicing this exercise of kissing our children in the morning is very healthy.
A good night hug and a good morning kiss
We already know that a good morning kiss is very positive in the development of a strong affective bond with our children.
However, we cannot forget that the act of going to bed also needs a little emotional reinforcement that many children appreciate.
- As our children grow up, they will start to sleep more hours in a row without needed our attention. However, we cannot forget that on average, a child need to sleep between 10 and 13 hours a day.
- It is undoubtedly a long time. A way to encourage a deep, safe and happy rest is by favoring a proper farewell.
- Here at YouAreMom we have already given advice on how important it is to read a bedtime story to your children before they fall sleep no matter how young they are. After reading a story, something as simple as giving them a long hug will make them feel more relaxed.
In order to make sure our children feel loved we most perform these types of daily rituals.
If we wake up our children in a hurry to take them to day-care or their grandparents’ house, or if we put them to bed too quickly at night with the idea that we will be able to perform other tasks at home, we will undoubtedly neglect the most important thing: The emotional and physiological world of our children.
Conscious parenting
Conscious parenting is an approach in which parents are more present. There is no rush.
We should respect our child’s internal clock while attending to all of their needs: biological, psychological and affective.
- Something a simple as waking them up wth a kiss, dedicating a few precious moments for a hug, to talk or to make them laugh, will definitely leave a positive impact on their brains.
- Help them wake up for a new day with a smile, and a mother and father that shows them how much they love them. Parents should allow children to grow up in a safe environment, knowing that they will always have their support.
As they get older, they may start to get uncomfortable by these effusive displays of affection. However, on the inside, even if you don’t believe it, they will always be grateful.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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- Bowlby, J. (1995). Teoría del apego. Lebovici, Weil-HalpernF.
- Garrido-Rojas, L. (2006). Apego, emoción y regulación emocional. Implicaciones para la salud. Revista latinoamericana de psicología, 38(3), 493-507. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/805/80538304.pdf
- Marrone, M., Diamond, N., Juri, L., & Bleichmar, H. (2001). La teoría del apego: un enfoque actual. Madrid: Psimática.
- Moneta, M. (2003). El Apego. Aspectos clínicos y psicobiológicos de la díada madre-hijo. Santiago: Cuatro Vientos