![]() ![]() That is where reading a child’s cues comes in, Madigan said. “Rather than the physical affection being comforting and reassuring, it becomes anxiety-provoking.” “It will have the opposite effect of what we would want for kids,” Damour said. ![]() (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images) Michael Loccisano/Getty Imagesĥ ways adults can boost kids' well-being - and their own - as schools return from break The city's mandate ordering all New York City school staff to be vaccinated by midnight today was delayed again after a federal appeals court issued a temporary injunction three days before the mayor's deadline. ![]() New York City schools fully reopened earlier this month with all in-person classrooms and mandatory masks on students. 124 gives a lesson to her masked students in their classroom on Septemin New York City. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 27: Melissa Wong, a teacher at Yung Wing School P.S. One of the most important components of good, helpful physical affection is ensuring that it’s driven by the child – not just a hug because the parent or caregiver wants one, Damour said. It might be a little love note in their lunch box, cramming on the couch for a move or climbing into a blanket fort together, Barchers said. “For teenagers, especially if they are hurting, I think it is great to say, ‘Can I give you a hug?’”īut just as children differ in how they communicate their need for affection, they also can differ in what kind of affection they want – and the appropriate adults in their lives can still meet their emotional needs in creative ways. “It is as simple as saying, to younger kids, ‘Do you want to cuddle?’ And make it clear that you will take no for an answer. One way to start and attune to your child’s cues is to ask questions. “A really important ingredient in children feeling safety and security is actually just having people attend to those cues.” Other children are really looking for people to pick up on their cues and signals, like when they might be distressed or frustrated,” said Sheri Madigan, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of child development at the University of Calgary in Canada. “Some children are more comfortable seeking affection. Mindfulness for kids: 'Right now, I'm OK' ![]() Teaching children mindfulness techniques can help them be more in tune with their emotions. But not every family has the same culture around hugs, and with so many things to worry about in this pandemic, families could be missing signs that their children need a little extra warmth and affection. Without as many playdates, sports and opportunities for community contact, many children could be getting the physical comfort they need from their immediate families, Damour said. “Physical wrestling, bumping into each other, sitting close – that has not only been reduced by the pandemic because of our expectations of kids to keep a good distance, but it has also been policed.”ĭamour added, “Rather than get relief, they get correction.” “The challenge is that children, and then especially adolescents, get a lot of comfort from the physical contact with their peers,” said Damour, author of “Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls.” The access to soothing physical affection, however, has been shrinking as people keep their distance from one another to keep safe from Covid-19. In a time of abrupt changes and prolonged uncertainty, it could be argued that many children and adults need hugs now more than ever. Should parents be worried if their child's school no longer requires masks? An expert weighs in ![]()
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