One of the traditions at our house when somebody leaves is “Hugs and kisses and high fives.”  It is how Geetle taught herself to get over her separation anxiety.

Here’s how it works.

One of us announces we our leaving for work or whatever and starts putting on our shoes.  Geetle comes running from wherever she is in the house and starts yelling, “Give me hugs and kisses and high fives.”

Then, and this is the tricky part, the person leaving gives Geetle a hug, a kiss, and a high five.

The girl is a genius.  She came up with it on her own.

Another thing we very frequently do is hug our kids.  Any time , often for no reason, we’ll just reach over and pick them up and give them a big bear hug.  Or tackle them and give them a tickle hug.  Or kneel down and give them an old fashioned standing hug.

One of the common problems parents have with autistic kids is they often do not openly express their affection.  Pookie does.  All the time.  He walks up and pulls us down to give us hugs and kisses out of the blue.  He hugs and cuddles and says “Snuggly bear” when we sit on the couch.

Some of that affection might just be luck and part of his personality but I think a lot of it has to do with how often we just grab him and hug him whether he is hurt, happy, in between or just because we feel like it.
Next time you see your kids, give them a big hug.  Just because.