My Arms Are Your Shelter, Forever
It doesn’t matter if you are three months old, 3 years old, or 30. My arms will be your shelter – the home where you can grow up and feel loved, valued and protected.
My arms will always be there when you need a pillow to rest your head on and forget your troubles. Anytime you need love and attention, even when you’re already an adult.
It must have happened more than once in your daily life as a mother or father that someone said to you: “Don’t let your baby get used to being held, otherwise he will be spoiled”.
When we hear these things based on so-called common wisdom, we ask ourselves if it really is better if we leave our babies in their prams or cribs, staring at the wall or ceiling or looking at the infinite sky where nothing happens and no one talks to him.
Of course everything has limits and there has to be a balance. But despite what we may believe, babies should spend the first part of their lives resting on their mother’s body. Nothing is more beneficial and stimulating.
The parents’ chest and arms are the ideal environment to find constant safety and stimulation. This is exactly what their maturing brains need.
What if you don’t grow up in my arms?
Furthermore, we want to give you a detail to think about. There are studies that show that affective development of children raised in a home is so weak that it is traumatic.
The majority suffer from disorders when it comes to relationships. In fact, it’s so bad that babies in the worst orphanages have been observed to have stopped crying.
These babies get to the point where they learn that crying is useless. It has nothing to do with being fed or not. What they really crave is to be held, cradled, and emotionally reassured.
When this is missing, when it is not offered, children begin to develop defects. The impact of these unmet needs will have a number of consequences, including:
- Low self-esteem
- Problems with attention
- Slower mental development
You will grow up in my arms so that you become strong
Given such dramatic circumstances as that of the neglected children in certain orphanages in, say, Asia or Africa, we all agree on the importance of strong, healthy and safe bonds with our babies.
These bonds are essential and something we should promote, especially during the first three years of their lives. This period is especially important for psychomotor, affective and psychosocial development of the brain.
For this reason, it is always good to follow the basic principles of raising children in our arms. The benefits and holistic impact this approach to parenting has on our children is astounding.
Growing up in Mom and Dad’s arms improves a child’s development
The natural position of a child as we all know is with their back arched in the shape of a C. This is how babies lay in the womb and it is the position they find most comfortable during the first months of life.
- Whether we carry a baby in a carrier or in our arms, remember that his knees should always be higher than his buttocks. We call this a fetal or ‘frog position’.
- Continuous interaction while holding the baby is good for his social, affective and communicative development: your baby will respond to laughter, words and caresses…
- Carrying the baby in your arms will also reduce colic. And also the classic reflux that is so common in the first three months of life.
- Keep in mind that babies who lie all day can develop plagiocephaly (a flattened skull due to poor posture).
My arms will always be your home no matter how old you are
Children grow up fast, as we know. Yesterday they were still sleeping on your chest and we were still walking through the park with a child in our arms. Now they suddenly go to school. They are sitting in the front of the car and are preparing to go on holiday with friends.
All these things are good and positive, and what all mothers and fathers hope for. They want their children to be free, strong and mature. Also that they are able to be happy and make others happy too. But remember this: no one is too old not to need hugs or hugs anymore.
Hugs and hugs should always be available
Hugs from a mother and father do not have an expiration date. They should always be available for those everyday moments as well as those when your kids need them the most.
Hugs are a way of returning home, an emotional way to remind children that we love them, how important they are to us, and how proud we are of who they are and the way they are. They are our precious, perfect and precious children that life has given us.
So don’t pay attention to those who say your baby will be spoiled if held too much. The truth is that if your baby grows up without this source of emotional nourishment, you are robbing him of something he desperately needs.
Raising a child is not just about taking care of his physical health. It is also about feeding his emotions and taking care of his mind, brain and heart….
