Dr. Chheda – We all need human contact. We actually need physical contact. Kids, toddlers are very easy – they’re always coming up to you, giving you a hug, you’re hugging them, you’re holding them, you’re carrying them.

What about that moody teenager? You know, the one that’s got the hoodie on and like this, and doesn’t want to talk to anybody and just “hmm” – grunts all day long? What do you do with your moody teenager who doesn’t want to be touched? Well, there are some ways to touch that are appropriate and can still give them that physical human contact that they need. You need to make it more of a habit to go to them. Go to your teenager instead of screaming around the house for them. Go to them and tap them on their shoulder to get their attention. That’s one way.

Play video games with them. You know, fist bump them. Do a high five. These are all ways that you can give your teenager physical contact, the contact that they need, without feeling like you have to hug them all the time.

But yes, you do need to make the effort to go to your teenager and to accomplish this. We all need human contact. We all need physical contact in order to feel loved.