Intuitive Touch
Loading...
Authors
Bunten, Annie
Issue Date
2010
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This paper emphasizes the importance of touch on infants and young children and provides a framework for health educators to educate parents on the benefits of touch. The quality of touch or lack of touch has lasting effects on an infant's physical and emotional development. Touching children gives them a sense of trust and intimacy, and helps them to process emotions and energy. The Intuitive Touch model encourages parents to honor each child's unique needs through three primary modes of touch. First, parents are encouraged to explore different ways of touching when the child is falling asleep. The multiple benefits of bedtime touching include enabling children to sleep for longer periods of time because they feel safe. Second, parents are encouraged to honor their children's requests for touch. In meeting their children's need for touch on demand, parents will find theirchildren become more independent and paradoxically less "needy." Third, parents are encouraged to massage their infants and young children. Among other benefits, massage helps the baby or child to remember what the body feels like when it is relaxed, creating a healthy pattern for the body to remember in the present and in the future.