raising kids you like

Is human touch that important in the healthy development of children?  Is there a difference between children who have positive human contact versus children who do not?  The answer to both questions is simply, yes.    I want to be clear about the type of touch I am talking about because different kinds of touches elicit different reactions.  This is non-sexual touching.  For example, hugging your child, patting them on the back, holding hands, kissing a cheek or top of their head, etc.  This is not the kind of touch used in types of punishment or abuse.  

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It all starts when your child is a newborn.  Their little minds are just waiting to make neural connections about the world around them.  These beginning connections will play a vital role in how your child will react to the world around them as they grow.  Touch is so critical in the formation of a child's brain that a deficiency of it will lead to underdeveloped prefrontal cortex.