Somewhere along public education’s path for protection of students, teachers were trained give-up hugging kids. Well, actually they weren’t given an alternative. Administrators, school attorneys, maybe a few parents and preachers said, “Don’t touch the children!” With caution, teachers have learned what is appropriate and what is not when it comes to physical contact.

okay hugs
Knowing what is okay is kind of intuitive, but it is also practical. It’s a twist on the “golden rule.” Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is hug a child as you would want a child hugging you! Think about it. Some children are native huggers. They have known hugging all their lives. After a day of knowing you, they wrap their arms around you every time they see you. Others are special occasion huggers. They squeal and show their emotions when something excites them. The I’ll-Hug-You-Back huggers wait for someone to initiate, and then they are all in. The one arm huggers want to give affection. They keep their bodies at a distance but manage to get an arm around you and pat you on the back.
what to do
Most teachers love to hug kids! Being respectful of a kid’s personal space, teachers approach hugging children much like they approach each child’s learning…it’s individualized. Not every child wants a hug, some need several a day, others schedule this display of affection as part of their routine. One constant, however, is required…trust. Once trust is established the gap between no-hugging and hugging can be breached. Until then, forget it. Hugging would be an invasion of personal space.

In the world of education, hugging is akin to the three R’s. It’s fundamental to a teacher’s core curriculum, and it lasts.

(None of this applies to students and teachers of middle school or older. They have their own set of rules that only they understand!)