Finally got the courage to write another post for publishing on the Rainbows & Unicorns blog. (The last time I published on there was in August! I don’t know why I get such stage fright when I think of writing for that blog. I write here all the time, often with much less forethought.) Anyway, it went up today…
Babies cry because they have no other way of communicating. They can’t speak in full, coherent sentences—or even at all, sometimes—to tell you they’re hungry, or tired, or scared, or feeling unwell. Yes, babies eventually realize that crying can get your attention and they may learn it as a cause-and-effect type of situation. Yes, my son obviously needs to feel comfortable around people other than myself or my husband. But if he’s crying or pushing away from someone or even saying a basic “no,” I don’t think he should be forced to feel comfortable with them—instead, I want him to feel as much when he’s ready.
You can read the post in its entirety here!
Motherhood & Everything Else 
Agreed! I always cringe when parents force their kids to be physical with someone. It seems at odds with the lessons we try to teach them about their body etc. I know a friend who taught his daughter that if she isn’t comfortable giving someone a hug or kiss, that’s fine, you can just wave or high five or fist bump. Her body is hers to decide what to do with.
If your son doesn’t want to be held by someone I totally agree with you. No way! He will learn to be comfortable with people in his own time. Probably starting with people he sees most often and generally not in loud party gatherings!
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