So, I've got a tween at home. Mostly she's still sweet. She still holds my hand in public. Snuggles up close.
Mostly. But some days I pick her up from school and she greets me with scowls, hisses and growls. Anything I say -- any breath I take -- is met with skillful eye rolling and "Duh!!"
On my better days when this doesn't trigger my monsters or I've gotten a decent night's sleep, I pause and breathe.
And I pull out my Secret Weapon: When she collapses on the couch in audible tween despair, I collapse next to her. I check for safety (never skip this step). I keep my mouth shut, peel off her socks and give her a foot massage.
Instantly, she melts.
Her eyes stop rolling. Sometimes "Duh" becomes a coherent sentence. She says, "Today was rough." And she spills it all.
Massage has always been part of our relationship.
We started when she was very young. And never stopped. Sometimes, it's all fancy with a massage table. But mostly, it looks like this foot rub after school. A way to connect without words. Mommy to baby. Oxytocin flowing. Connection is re-established. Sweet girl is back! (for now)
You've got this secret weapon, too. It's human touch. Done lovingly, touch elicits a chemical response in the other person. Yes, kinda like you're drugging your kid. But better. And no guilt.
Massage is probably part of your parenting already. You don't need special training for this, but, sometimes it can help get things started right.
After enough requests, we decided to re-launch Massage for kids -- from infant massage to massage for tweens and teens. Massage for Kids does look different and one of the biggest differences is that for us here at Equilibrio -- Massage is a Family Affair -- if it works for your, family, we want the parents involved!
Let's put extra Oxytocin on our vision boards for the entire family!