Hugs, especially daily hugs from a mom or dad, can make a difference. Hug your kids today, folks!

Considering the handbook for Global Hug Your Kids Day, which I wrote, is titled, “Hug Your Kids Today! 5 Key Lessons for Every Working Parent,” I think her parenting advice is brilliant, for all working mothers and dads.

I laughed when I saw this photo of a cat lover named Cynthia hugging her cat for Global Hug Your Kids Day on Tumblr. The caption is: Cynthia from Seattle celebraes ‘Global Hug Your Kid Day’ with her cat Jaspar, who apparently is not a fan of this holiday.

I am often asked if it’s ok to hug your cat – or dog – for the holiday. Sure. The more family hugs, the better!

What do you think?

I just stumbled across this post by Defending the Blue Line, a group that helps bring the sport of ice hockey to the youth of military families. What a cool program!

After the recent Aurora, CO tragedy, they posted:

• “Here is what we know today: Make sure you hug your kids. When you’re done, do it again.”

Short and sweet – but powerful and poignant. Hockey is a tough sport. The military is a tough job. Yet hugs keep us all grounded to what really matters – family, service to country, sports, and kids.

Global Hug Your Kids Day has been looking for ways to tie into the military. Maybe youth hockey is the door.

Comments?

In honor of Global Hug Your Kids Day, Public News Service - some awesome folks! - interviewed me about the health care impact of hugs. With the recent ruling of the Supreme Court on the Affordable Care Act AKA Obamacare, health care is again on folks’ minds – who should pay for it, what should it cover, and more. Hugs have not been part of the discussion because no one can bill for them but I think they should be since everyone can afford them. Talk about affordable care!

I’ve found about 20 health impacts of hugs – raising the good stuff and lowering the bad stuff, including hugs can LOWER: Cortisol, a Stress Hormone, Fear, Pain, High blood pressure, High heart rate, Obesity, Tension, Loneliness, Depression, Insomnia. For my complete list, http://www.hugyourkidsday.com/Health_Care.html

To hear and read their great interview http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/27420-1

PS Last year, Public News Service’s one interview about the Hug holiday got played on 753 stations in 15 states. They rock! 

We’ve been blessed by more media attention this year. Yea! Hopefully, that means more kids -and their parents – will get hugged, and that, after all, is the point of the holiday.

I was thrilled that we were announced on Yahoo News as the lead story by contributor Cherri Megasko | Yahoo! Contributor Network last week. Here’s the link: http://news.yahoo.com/july-16-global-hug-kids-day-national-corn-065000477.html  I love that our holiday is in the name of the link.

A big hug to Cherri!

This begs the bigger question, why doesn’t everyone like to be hugged? I think it’s like asking why doesn’t everyone like chocolate ice cream? I don’t, even though I love chocolate. My point is, it doesn’t matter why some folks don’t like to be hugged, what does matter is they have the right to not be hugged and not to be given a hard time for feeling that way.

So Jake Johnson, if you’re reading this, you have the Hug Judge’s OK for no more man hugs – or any kind of hugs, if you want. But if you have kids (I don’t think you do,) hug them. Hug nieces and nephews that like hugs too! As for hugging Zooey Deschanel? You’re on your own there, buddy, but good luck!

What do you think about Jake Johnson saying no more man hugs? Comment below!

Peter Gowesky, a pastor, blogged recently on 4 reasons to make your kids cry. I thought this was kind of weird but then I saw #4 was because you are hugging them so tight they can’t breathe. OK, I’m going to assume he really meant was you hugged them with a lot of enthusiasm. No matter whether you hug your baby or hug your child, daily family hugs are good advice on how to parent better.

He also reminded me of a good piece of parenting advice, and that is that for parents, love is spelled t-i-m-e.

Good reminder, and reason #451 why hugs are so great – they don’t take much time but well done, they can linger a long time. In business, we call that ROI – return on investment. In parenting, I guess that’s ROT – return on time.

Keep hugging! And don’t forget, Global Hug Your Kids Day is Monday, July 14. www.hugyourkidsday.com Please help us spread the word!

Fan mail! I’ll admit it, I love fan mail, especially when it comes from folks who found us and as a result, are changing how they live and parent. This one came over the transom yesterday:

I came upon your website at random, one of those “down the rabbit hole” moments, clicking from one link to the next. So glad I did.

All I have to say is “Wow!” Reading your bio made me cry, but in a good way. Last week, I turned in notice at my job, and will be leaving at the end of June to work a part time position and be home with my 4 year old son. There are bigger payoffs in this life than the salary we earn. Thank you for sharing your truth.

Hopefully, the writer (dare I call her a fan?) will put into practice our advice to “Hug Your Kids,” not just today, but everyday – and maybe twice on Global Hug Your Kids Day, July 16, 2012. www.hugyourkidsday.com

Just read another sad post about a parent losing an adult child but it was sweet in that it was a dad that was writing. It was written by Bill Lyon of Stevensville, Montana, in the Bitterroot Star, their local newspaper.

Women often assume my Hug Your Kids message is just for other women, or to tell men to hug their kids. However, dads make up about 50% of our fan base because they love their kids just as much as the moms do, only they probably forget to say it aloud as often. Dads, here’s some parent advice from other dads, that I’m just passing along: Hug Your Kids.

And you don’t have to wait for Global Hug Your Kids Day, July 16.  www.hugyourkidsday.com

Hug your kids today, and every day. It’s a fast and free parenting tip.

A long-ago photo of my husband and our first-born.

The list of the Top Baby Names for 2011 is out. Here’s my how to parent advice: Hug Your Kids every day, no matter whether their name is on the list of Top Baby Names for 2011 or not. Spend at least as much time hugging your kids, especially when they’re teenagers, as you did picking out their names before they were born.

By the way, the list is released by the Social Security Administration, according to Today Moms, part of  MSNBC.Jacob topped the boy’s list (for the thirteenth year in a row) and Sophia was number one for the girls, swapping spots with Isabella, which was number one last year but number two this year.

Parenting is tough. Hugs make it easier – and sweeter. And don’t wait for Global Hug Your Kids Day, July 16, to get started, but for more info, www.hugyourkidsday.com

Hugs and babies – what could be more natural?
Hugs and teenagers – what could be more important?