5 Reasons Why Children Need A Toy to Hug
My personal story…
Why I believe children need to have a toy to hug goes back to when…
…I was very young I could not sleep. I was often cold and hungry.
My parents worked very hard and had little time for the non-sense of a little girl who constantly begged for input.
So I would get out of the bed that I shared with my sister and my dolly, Pinky, in the scary darkness of night.
Pinky and I would go to the bay window that overlooked the street around our town square. I could see an amazing water fountain that had colorful lights. (The image is me at age 3 with my beloved Pinky.)
I had the belief that fairies danced in that fountain that lasted until I was quite grown up.
I would tell Pinky stories that I made up from my very vivid imagination about fairies, and unicorn flying among the stars, eating chocolate cake for breakfast every day, having shiny red patent leather shoes and being able to fly…I dreamed that I could fly away to where everyone loved me and I was always safe and warm with lots of food to eat.
Holding my doll close to me helped me to feel safe and warm. Talking to the doll helped me feel that my voice was heard. My doll calmed when I had all my “temper- tantrums” and I had a lot of melt-downs every day.
My parents did not know what to do with me…and that is another story I had been embarrassed to ever let my peers know about. It turns out I was not the only child in history to feel sad, cold and hungry or to fall apart.
All children need a toy to hug.
5 Reasons Why Children Need a Toy to Hug
- Comfort from something constant and familiar
- Develop social skills with role play
- Develop language by taking turn talking to doll with a familiar face
- Practice demonstrating empathy or compassion
- Practicing tasks of daily living skills on the toy.
My personal conclusion
Well, that was along long time ago… I wish my parents had not been so busy to pay attention to my basic needs as a child. I will never forget being a child who was blessed to some wonderful people in my life who saw my potential and took me under their wings when may parents did not seem to know how.
At some point in my growing up years I decided that it was my destiny was to be a teacher and a nurse to help teach parents about how to help their children feel safe and loved. I realized that no one told my parents about normal child growth and development.
That is why is do what I have done or have for so many decades.
Am I perfect?
No…I am not.
I have made my share of mistakes as I did the best I could with what I had to work with. Life, with all the imperfections is a learning experience we can all learn to embrace.
I have spent decades studying how children play and how to set the stage for success as future adults. My expertise was in Behavior Management of Children with Special Needs.
I learned the value of a sincere hug and the use positive words.
I understand the value of child’s play that includes a cuddly confident like a doll or stuffed animal.
I am old enough to have retired, but, my passion is still focused on helping parents to help their children play – the Mission of my Heart Felt Play Store. ( heart Felt Play Store closed when I retired. Heart Felt Play is the new name of my Facebook page which you can still follow today for parenting tips the Heart Felt Play way..)
On my No Non-cents Nanna blogs I have been writing about parenting tips. I share a the things we all need for someone to tells us so we can put all the puzzle pieces of life together and feel confident as adults.
Heart Felt Play Store has Retired
Malika Bourne the No Non-cents Nanna
founder and owner of
Heart Felt Play Store
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