Advice to Money Magazine Reader AR: Hug Your Kids

Just when I think I understand people pretty well, I come across an article and say, “Huh?”

In the April 2012 issue of Money magazine, in the Social Currency section, reader AR asks: When will my husband and I know we’re secure enough financially to have kids and provide for them?”

OK, I get it that kids cost a lot. I’m the mother of 3 children. But waiting for the perfect money moment to start this journey called parenthood is like finding the perfect pair of shoes and then waiting for them to go on sale and use a coupon. Sometimes, ya’ just gotta’ hold your breath and jump in the pool.

Some of the readers gave advice like: Unless you’re a millionaire, you’ll never be financially secure enough, and My advice: Have kids. Life is short. Enjoy.

My advice? Hugs are free. You don’t have to wait until you have 6 months of salary saved, or whatever the rule-of-thumb is to start your family. Hug your kids. Hug your honey. Hug, hug, hug.

You can probably read the article at www.cnnmoney.com
You can definitely learn more about Global Hug Your Kids Day at www.hugyourkidsday.com

Hug Your Kids Today – Teen Suicide Wrong Answer to Teen Problems

Gosh darn it, we lost another teen to suicide last Sunday. According to The Morning Call, based in Allentown, PA, Mahmoud Mahmoud, a 16 year old boy from Whitehall Township in PA, died by suicide by jumping off a local bridge into the Lehigh River.

Please notice I wrote “died by suicide,” not “committed suicide.” Death is death. It’s a loss for a family and a community no matter what the the cause of their death is, even teen suicide.

Yet one of the commenters, Kristy72, a mom to a 14 year old son, offers this advice:  Hug your kids and let them know the door is always open, and no matter the problem it’s only temporary, and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Folks, please help me spread this message of hug your kids today. Speaking about it after a death is too late for this young man, but it isn’t too late for the rest of us.

My sympathies to his family and friends. And kids, go hug your parents. They need hugs too! You don’t need to wait for Global Hug Your Kids Day on July 16. Start daily hugs today! www.hugyourkidsday.com

To read the story: http://discussions.mcall.com/20/allnews/mc-whitehall-boy-dead-lehigh-river-20120429/10

Hug Your Kids Day Part of Domestic Violence Programs?

Can hugs help prevent domestic violence? I think so.

So does Theresa Berrincha. She was talking about the the murder of Suzete Berrincha, a young West Hartford, CT woman who was stabbed to death, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend, last year.

According to family friend Jaimy Blazynski, Theresa said, “you need to hug your kids, and you need to help me to stop this from happening to anybody else.” said Blazynski, a West Hartford resident. “As a result, we started S.M.I.L.E.” The name stands for Suzete’s Memory Impacting Lives Everywhere, and it’s a program aimed at educating young people about domestic violence.

From Hugs to SMILE. It’s too bad this sad path had to go through the loss of a young woman.

I’m sorry for this family’s loss, this community’s loss. I fall back on the famous saying that has given me so much strength after the death of my own son, Mark, in whose memory I started Global Hug Your Kids Day. The saying is: When you lose, don’t lose the lesson too.

What’s the lesson? Ask Theresa and me: Hug your kids. Hug your spouse or partner. And if you’re in a situation of domestic violence, get out now. Everything’s replaceable except you.

To read the story, http://www.westhartfordnews.com/articles/2012/04/27/news/doc4f96f01ea4361278772801.txt

To learn more about Global Hug Your Kids Day: www.hugyourkidsday.com

Bedford NH Police Captain Sets Example to Hug Your Kids Every Day

First responders – police, fire, and ambulance crews -  have a special place in my heart because they witness the fragility of life – and thereby, the importance of hugs –  every day, sometimes for a 30 year career. Many of the police departments I’ve read about, and I expect many first responders in general, have already adopted the “hug your kids and loved ones every day” message as a part of their culture.

Daily hugs matter. Unfortunately, the police officers in Bedford, NH were reminded of this simple truth once again after the sudden death of one of their own this week. I won’t print his name because I don’t want to add to his family’s grief, but if I could, I’d be on a plane tomorrow to grieve, and hug, with them and his fellow officers and their families.

Bedford Police Captain Daniel Douidi said. “It makes you realize why you hug your kids before you leave for work each day.” Our loved ones make our life worth living, and worth protecting.

My dad was born and grew up in Nashua, NH. I think of it as a bucolic place but I have to realize there are bad guys everywhere. Thankfully, there are good guys, and good gals, to keep us safe too!

If you’re a first responder, thank you. If you’re a first responder in Bedford, NH, please accept my sympathies. Thank you for protecting me and my family and everyone else, and thank you for setting the example to hug your kids every day. Global Hug Your Kids Day is Monday, July 16 this year but I’m glad you’re already in the hug habit.

To read this story: http://bedford-nh.patch.com/articles/greenland-shooting-hits-home-for-bedford-police-captain

Detroit Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock Says Hug Your Kids

Detroit Red Wings fan, I’ve gotta love your coach, Mike Babcock. When The Detroit News’ writer Bob Wojnowski interviewed Mike, Bob asked Mike about hockey (duh!) but also about his family and his life.

Bob asked: You mentioned adversity — right before the season, there was the horrible tragedy with your former assistant, Brad McCrimmon. (Coaching a team in Russia, he died in a plane crash.) How hard did that hit you in the gut?

And Mike answered: All those guys had families, and that’s what resonates with me. Those kids don’t have a dad. Beast (McCrimmon) had a love affair with his family like nobody I ever met. It goes to show, you better hug your kids today.

Many women are surprised at how many men really “get” my message of hug your kids. Men tell me, “Of course I love my kids and I love to hug ‘em whenever I can.”

 

Hugs – they are important to moms and dads – and sons and daughters. Don’t go to bed tonight without hugging somone you love. Hugs matter. Ask Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team.to read the full interview from The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120411/OPINION03/204110326#ixzz1rkT8c9FR

The Value of a Hug – from Global Hug Your Kids Day Founder, Michelle Nichols

I was at a fundraiser luncheon for some local do-gooders last week and I met a divorce attorney. When he heard I was the founder of Global Hug Your Kids Day, his fist question was, “Is that lucrative?” I was taken aback by his directness but then I realized, many people must wonder the same thing. I assured him it was, since some companies hire me to give speeches on work-life issues, and other companies partner with me to joint-market or hire me to consult.

A day later, I thought of a good response to his question that takes a different tack: Think of a person you long to be able to hug but cannot – either because they’re too far away or they’ve died. What would you pay to give them one more great hug? I call that a hug regret. Our message, “Hug your kids,” helps more people not have any hug regrets – and when I figure out how to monetize that, I’ll really have something!

While I’m working this out, please go hug your kids. Thanks!

Hug Your Kids Message Helps Before, and After, Tragedies

According to my research from Google Alerts, someone uses the phrase “Hug your kids” on the Internet about once a day, somewhere in the world. However, at least half the time, it’s after a child or teen dies or is badly hurt, like in the case of Stephen Gant, a promising young man from Riverside High in Tennessee with a bright future in baseball, who died by suicide in April of this year.

These Google Alerts are a daily motivator to me to work harder to get out my message “Hug your kids” farther, faster, deeper, sooner, because hugs matter. Could hugs have prevented this young man’s tragedy, or that of any other person’s? I don’t know. But I know that a history of hugs before a tragedy, helps in the healing of the survivors.

So folks, hug your kids, and loved ones, today. And if you know the Gant family, or any other family who has had a loss recently, go hug them too.

PS Here’s the story of this young man. I don’t want to add to his family’s pain but maybe someone reading this post can learn from their tough loss. And if you’re thinking of hurting yourself, please go ask someone for a hug and help.  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/prep-baseball-superstar-possible-first-round-mlb-pick-170907446.html#ugccmt-container