5 Surprising Reasons Why It’s Better Not To Tickle Others, Especially Children

Nothing can brighten up Father’s Day more than your child’s laughter. Seeing the joy in their eyes and hearing the sound of those giggles is music to the ears. However, some experts believe that uncontrollable laughter is not as much fun as it seems, especially for young people.

The team of awesome.club researched what really happens when you tickle a baby or toddler and why it’s best not to.

The best “judges” on whether we should tickle babies are all of us former toddlers. Most of us have at least one unpleasant memory of trying to stop a tickle, but we were laughing so hard we couldn’t speak. Other times we would keep telling it to stop over and over or try to run away as the tickling continued.

A prolonged tickling session can speed up the heart rate, stoking a child’s fear of suffocation and causing him to feel “hyperexcited.” As a result of this condition, she will have excess energy which, if not released, can lead to trauma.

Tickling can look like fun, but it can also be dangerous. The sensation of being tickled often makes people feel attacked. It can often cause cataplexy, a temporary paralysis, which prevents the person being tickled from fighting back.

We often assume that laughter is a manifestation of joy. In contrast, humans laugh as an automatic reaction when tickled. Because of this, we have no control over how we react, and it’s even worse for babies and toddlers who are unable to verbalize their needs and wants.

A tickle can make your baby scream with laughter. The practice can, however, be painful and uncomfortable for him. Facial pattern research shows that tickling has an unpleasant side, as participants grimaced indicating pain, even while laughing.

When we think of tickling, we imagine someone laughing hysterically and squirming as they try to escape. The act involves touching sensitive areas of the body such as the armpits, stomach and ankles.

Since it’s hard to tell if your baby likes to be tickled and set a boundary, it’s easy to get carried away by the sound of laughter and ignore your baby’s attempts to escape. This practice can send the wrong message, implying that we don’t respect their boundaries and bodily autonomy.

If you want to play with your baby, there are countless ways to keep him entertained without putting his mental or physical health at risk. There are many ways to have a good laugh, like making funny faces, playing hide and seek, talking in a funny voice, or using doodles.

Are there other ways to make babies laugh without tickling them? How do you make your children laugh?