Do your teens feel comfortable showing affection?
Do you sometimes get jealous when your teens hug their friends but not you?
That’ll happen, and sometimes it’s hard to deal with.
Teens want independence and when they realize they are allowed to have that independence, parents just seem like a burden to deal with and be around.
Some teens will resist your hugs, which can make you lose your motivation to hug them. You think, well, I don’t want them to hate me even more…
Here’s what you should do:
Hug them anyway. Here’s why…
It turns out that physical contact, like hugging, releases oxytocin, which is a hormone that puts people at ease.
And we thought that hugging them would do the opposite!
Next time your teens resist your hugs, and regardless of how they act toward the hugs, you can tell them they’ll actually be at ease later, but they just don’t know it yet.
Do you have any hug haters in your home? Do you avoid hugging your them or do you do it anyway? What were some of their responses, and do you think hugging them even if they do resist is worth it? Share with us.
Don’t Stop Hugging Your Teenagers [Families]
