How To Help Children And Youth That Are Not Loving Or Affectionate To Family And Friends
Most Of The Time
Different cultures have different ways of being loving, kind and affectionate. When a child or youth in any culture becomes not loving, kind and affectionate it is seen as a danger signal. Without help, this can become a habit leading to isolation. Being not loving/affectionate can also lead to being stereotyped as unfriendly and “cold.” Once stereotyped, it can lead to being treated in ways that can cause even further alienation. It can prevent success in living, learning and social relations. All this can build into anger, being a bully, being a victim, and being crippled by anxiety and/or depression and/or other mental illness. A lack of affection can often be due to and complicated by a child or youth’s need to protect themselves emotionally from confusing events in their lives. It can be due to and complicated by a combination of: family patterns; a lack of receiving love and acknowledgement; chaotic and/or unhappy family life; lacking effective communication skills; perceptual difficulties; learning and developmental challenges; exposure to environmental pollutants; nutritional imbalances; physical/emotional discomfort due to unhealed accidents, trauma and birth traumas and abuses of all kinds; exposure to environmental pollutants.
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First, We Would Investigate |
Second, We Would Investigate |
For Long Term Support |
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On Our Own We Would Try: • Long Walks/Hikes • Bedtime Stories and Chats • Replace sodas, juices, sugars, fats, fast foods with water, veggies, whole grains, nuts, protein, fruit, slow food • Wholesome Pleasures • Back Rubs and Foot Massages • Nature • Pets • Less or No TV, Movies, Video/Computer Games |
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For Parents: • Get medical evaluation as soon as possible. • Learn how to set limits if the child or youth becomes disrespectful or abusive. • Try to avoid having this behavior create emotional barriers to your expressing your affection for your child or youth. • Try to find and repair the causes of this behavior. • Get support from other parents whose children or youth have this challenge. |