European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pine Twining affection for children by Lawrence Kutner new York time Jules older remembers when his twin daughters then 12 years old pulled Back lion his Dily ritual of embracing them As they went off to school they said in unison there s no Law Hal says to have to kiss you goodbye every Day older an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington was taken Aback. They had obviously been rehearsing the line with each other to recalled. But i had Little doubt that they would come Back at a later Point in their lives and be More into hugging and  the reaction of children to being touched by their parents vanes greatly. While some children appear to bristle at the slightest Louch. Others cling to their parents showing an unquenchable thirst for affection and Protection. Recent studies have shown that touch can have a profound physiological effect on infants and Hal contrary to the fears of parents having a child who pulls away from being cuddled is not by itself an indication that anything is  have discovered Hal baby rats who arc deprived of their mothers have below Normal Levels of certain hormones. Those hormones however return to near Normal Levels if the baby rats Are stroked. Such findings led to experiments on human babies hospitalized in intensive care units soon after birth. One measure of Overall health of such infants is How much weight they gain. We Lound thai babies who received three 15-minute periods of Massage each Day grew 47 percent More than babies who did  said or. Tiffany m. Field a professor of paediatrics psychology and psychiatry at the University of Miami medical school. Their average Hospital stay was shortened by six Days and their average Hospital Bill was $3,000 less than the other babies one year later their weights were still greater and they were better developed than the babies who weren t  although Many toddlers and preschoolers love nothing More than to curl up in the arms of their parents a few do not. Parents of these children often interpret their resistance to touch As a rejection and wonder what they have done wrong. Child development researchers say such behaviour is most Likely a reflection of the child s individual style rather than a reflection on the parents. Ii a child likes to keep his distance but seems to be developing Fine otherwise the Parent should respect the child s wishes said or. John e. Schowalter the chief of child psychiatry at the Yale child studios Center. That same diversity can be seen among school age children although clinging to a Parent has almost always disappeared by the time children arc 5 or 6. Although it s nol set in Stone you can expect Hal a child who Al 3 or 4, is reticent about hugging will continue with some reticence years later said or. Stanley Turecki a child psychiatrist in Manhattan and author of the Dill cull child Bantam. 1985. He has Lound that Many children whom parents describe As nol being affectionate Are highly Active. Such children More often boys than girls appear to be in constant motion throughout the Day and usually have difficulty sitting at a dinner table Lor the entire meal. Teen agers sometimes feel uncomfortable with certain types of touch that they relished a Lew years earlier. As they come to terms Wilh their maturing bodies they May View parental affection especially in Public As childish and embarrassing they worry that their Peers will View them As dependent for it is those Peers who now provide them Wilh some of the affection they used to receive from their parents. Hugs and kisses from parents become acceptable to adolescents Only if they Are done discreetly and usually out of sight of others. Despite their apparently growing indifference to physical Alf Clion from their parents some teen agers can become upset when they notice that their parents no longer Louch them in ways they once did. This is especially True among lathers of adolescent girls and among noncustodial lathers who were involved in bitter divorces because of the growing number of charges of sexual abuse of children. Allaying youngsters fear of films by Erica guessing Santa Barbara Calif news Pressi f your child suffers nightmares or has trouble sleeping the problem could be too Many hours in front of the television watching programs like the incredible Hulk or the wizard of of according to research under Way Al the University of California Al Santa Barbara. But watching movies and television shows with Creepy crawly creatures witches goblins or monsters does t have to deprive children of sleep said Barbara Wilson an assistant professor of communications Al Ucb Wilson is one of a team of researchers designing strategies to help youngsters Cope with fear stemming from viewing horror films and television programs. Grotesque monsters that growl loud sound effects and even Disney programs have been scary for children under 7 years old said Wilson. When Bambi loses its Mother it has proven very Page 14 the stars and stripes upsetting to youngsters " the movies jaws poltergeist and halloween tend to scare children from the Ages of 7 to 12, said Wilson. In contrast older children Are not usually frightened by the incredible Hulk since they understand he comes to the Rescue of people in need. Younger children just perceive a big ugly Green monster said Wilson. Older children Are More frightened by danger that is threatened but not always shown on the screen older children understand better the abstract threat. In jaws there Are Only a few minutes of actual Gore. But there s the possibility when they Are near the water there could be a  Wilson said she has documented dozens of cases where parents say a television program has been on their child s mind for two months. Some parents say they can t reassure a child the program in t  said Wilson who often uses youngsters from the Santa Barbara area for her " research. What can parents teachers and children themselves do to allay some of the fear connected to television and movie  strategies work for youngsters of different Ages according to Wilson. _ _. I for Young children under the age of 7essentially distraction. Give them a new toy turn the show off give them something to eat or drink said Wilson inc but contrary to beliefs perpetuated by most parents discussing scary movies with Young children does not allay fear in fact discussion can make the situation bin contrast older children respond Well to " discussion of snakes Sharks witches and goblins a. According to Wilson. " a if parents say most snakes Are not poisonous but some Are older children May fee reassured but if i younger children will Only hear snakes Are poisonous care with w three incr it tech Scari Strauf dest to with scar Ethel scar Biza