Go daddy, go!

Continuing our discussion of the sensory system, I want to have a talk with mom's about rough-housing.  How many of you have fits when your spouse wrestles with the kids or tosses your baby up in the air?

Yes, I know it can be nerve wracking to watch your young child being flung around like a pro wrestler, but I am here to tell you that this is important for your child's sensory system.  That's right, you heard me...you need to let dad's do their job which is to stimulate your child's need for movement and touch.

As moms, we rock our children and sway with them often without even being aware that we are doing so.  Sometimes we sway when we aren't even holding them!  Our movements with our children are often calming, e.g, rubbing their backs, giving them soothing touches, etc.

Dads, on the otherhand, engage in tickle fights, wrestling, etc.  These activities stimulate the central nervous system giving it lots of sensory input.  The deep touches during wrestling and the light touches during tickle fights really stimulate the proprioceptive sensory system (which, again, involves input to our muscles and joints).  The variety in the input, e.g., deep touches and light touches, help the sensory system regulate itself.

So, just as we intuitively know to rock and sooth our children, dads intuitively know that they need to give their child more intense movements.  Feel free, however, to encourage your spouse to do this activity at some other time than just before bed.  The rule in our house was: You wind them up, you put them to bed.

Does your husband rough house with the kids?  Given the information in this post, have you changed your view of this activity?

Comments

[Matthew]

I do roughhouse with our twins. We roll on the ground, do "horsey rides" and tickle to no end. I even "throw" them into the air (I don't let go) and they love it.

Fortunately, my wife's a pediatric physical therapist so she knows my role is an important one. Although every once in a while she'll scold me for being too rough. I haven't made one cry yet though.

[Jill Urbane, The Mentor Mom]

Good for you Matthew! Dad's are naturals at eliciting squeals of joy that could break glass. I bet your twins LOVE it! How fortunate fortunate for you that your wife understands the importance of rough housing. Glad to hear you haven't made one cry...let's keep it that way!

[Anne]

I must admit, I gave the hubby a very hard time at first. My pediatrician told me to close my eyes or leave the room. Guess what? It works! I'm very relaxed about my husband's shenanigans ... as I sip iced tea in another part of the house.

[Jill Urbane, The Mentor Mom]

You have a wise pediatrician Anne. You're right, it is hard to watch the rough housing in the beginning. But just like we are instinctively programmed to soothe and nurture, dad's are programmed for physical play. There must be a reason for it. So to all those mom's still struggling, follow Anne's lead by having some ice tea elsewhere :)