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Touch: Six Simple Ways to Keep Your Family Close |
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by jenlemen  (October 2006) (rank 1st) |
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In a world where grownups and kids spend most of their days plugged in, scheduled or wired, sometimes the first thing to go is our sense of connection and touch. Here are six suggestions to help you keep your family's touch quotient high when everyone seems to be running in
different directions:
- Snuggle bunny. Wake up your little one by climbing into her bed for an early morning cuddle. Kiss her eyelids, cheeks and the top of her forehead. Lie quietly together until she's ready for the day.
- Group hug. Nothing motivates my children more than seeing some way they can wiggle their way in between mom and dad locked in sweet (and too rare!) embrace. Kids love the very together family feeling of everyone connected in one giant hug.
- Hands and feet everywhere. Take turns giving each other a nice hand or foot massage. Use those wipes to get hands and feet massage ready, and make your tiniest member first in line. Do this often enough and your kids will start offering to give you a massage the next time you're feeling blue.
- Back scratcher extravaganza. Keep a big basket in your living room full of all different kinds of back scratchers. Next time everyone is vegged out in front of the tube, pass around the scratchers and see if a little familial affection brings your gang back together.
- Brush, don't rush. Nothing says nurture like someone gently brushing your hair, long after the tangles have gone. Children with hair too short to brush will enjoy being the "brush-er." See if your kids don't calm with some quiet music and this kind of tender loving care.
- Family sleep-in. Push a couple beds together on a Saturday and fall asleep in one another's arms. Your kids will feel just as warm and cozy as you do when your sweetheart holds you tight. Suitable for families with kids big enough to sleep in a big bed, but still little enough to enjoy a mom/dad super-snuggle. Move everyone to their respective beds once the snoring starts.
