The sense of touch is important and conveys information to
our brain and body that is used in a myriad of different ways. Skin is the largest organ of the body. It serves many functions, but a primary one
is to sense and convey the sense of touch to our brain. Touch can express care,
affection, and love. Touch can also be
noxious or warn us of danger.
Touch is defined by Webster as, “to handle
or feel gently usually with the intent to understand or appreciate.”
Children are equipped at birth to feel; they learn to
interpret and discriminate touch as they grow and develop. Infants have poor motor
control, so they are unable to initiate touching contact—it needs to be the
adult care provider that instigates or makes the first move.
Mother-child
attachment is extremely important and is developed through touch, vision, and
hearing. Many pre-mature babies are kept
in the NICU for weeks and months, limiting the amount of nurturing contact they
experience with their mothers.
They are
subject to harsh lights and noxious stimulation (intravenous feedings, intubation,
and other vital medical procedures). One
can easily understand how some of these children develop an eversion to touch.
Studies have shown that when we are deprived of touch,
severe and significant problems can result.
Harry
Harlow was a famous research psychologist who used monkeys in the 1950’s
and 1960’s to study the effects of touch and development.
Baby monkeys were raised in isolation and were
deprived of their mother’s touch and other social interaction, resulting in atypical
development. Anti-social and even
psychotic behavior resulted as well as poor development of interpersonal
relationships throughout life.
Touch
deprivation can produce developmental delays and deficiencies in children
and in extreme cases lead to death.
Elderly who live alone without social or physical contact do
not live as long or healthy as their peers who have more social interaction. http://bit.ly/2wYxpkt
Babies need to be cuddled.
Children need to be snuggled.
Teens may enjoy a hug/back rub/wrestling match. Find a way to connect
and affirm your child.
Physical touch strengthens emotional bonds; those bonds shapes us for the rest of our lives.
Look for ways to convey
your love, affection, concern, and care to your family members.
Blog Administrator: Trisha Roberts
proeducationaltoys@gmail.com
Copyright © 2017 TNT Inspired Enterprise, LLC, All rights reserved.
Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws.
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