Teaching Parents and Caregivers
Here are some talking points when teaching pediatric
massage to parents and caregivers:
• Touch is beneficial in any way, as long as the child
welcomes it. This could mean hugs, pats on the back, or
even tickles.
• Work up to it. Start with touch that makes the child feel
comfortable, even if that means them massaging you.
• Don't give up! The more you use positive, welcomed touch,
the stronger the bond with your child will grow.
• Massage isn't just for infants. Massage can help teenagers
handle stress—a simple back massage works wonders.
Positive touch is about giving the power back to the child.
During a massage, children have the power to say "yes" or
"no," to lay on their stomach or their side, or to ask for a story
to be told during the work. Listen to what your child says and
honor those requests.
Teaching the Parents
When appropriate, teaching parents
and caregivers how to therapeutically
touch their child is an important part
of the healing process. When teaching
parents to massage their infants or
children, one of the first steps they must
take is to be open to their children's
cues. This means seeing children
for who they are, what they need,
and what they are telling the parent
through nonverbal communication.
Then, as parents provide a soothing
or gentle touch, they are not only
teaching their child what healthy touch
looks like, they are communicating
to that child "I hear you," "You are
safe," and "I am here for you now."
These messages, communicated
by the primary caregiver, are vital
for a sense of emotional healing.
"Many children who have
experienced trauma or have been
exposed to drugs in utero usually have
a lot of sensory needs," Benson says.
"They can be easily overwhelmed by
noises; they are anxious and startle
easily, and
may not have
experienced
gentle
or nurturing touch as infants."
One benefit of pediatric massage
is that once parents find a way to
connect with their children through
touch therapy, it is well received.
You do not have to announce, "It's
time for a massage," because children
are requesting it. This benefit not
only empowers the child to request
healthy touch, but allows a parent to
feel proactive in their child's care.
Pediatric massage has tremendous
impact, especially when offered to
children who have suffered through
traumatic events. The value of safe,
nurturing touch is a soothing salve for
these little clients. Teaching parents
and caregivers how to offer the work
to their children creates a strong
therapeutic path for healing.
Notes
1. National Child Traumatic Stress
Network, "How Is Early Childhood
Trauma Unique?" accessed August
2013, www.nctsn.org/content/howearly-childhood-trauma-unique.
2. National Child Traumatic Stress Network,
"Medical Events & Traumatic Stress in
Children and Families," accessed August
2013, www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/
edu_materials/MedicalTraumaticStress.pdf.
3. US Department of Health & Human
Services Children's Bureau, "Statistics &
Research," accessed August 2013, www.
acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/researchdata-technology/statistics-research.
Tina Allen is the founder and director
of the Liddle Kidz Foundation. She
is the recipient of the 2012 Massage
Therapy Foundation/Performance Health
Humanitarian Award. For more information
on the foundation's Global Volunteer
Outreach, visit www.liddlekidz.org.
massage, and I fell asleep. When I awoke, my dad said he never saw me sleep so well." Elizabeth, age 15
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