I love hugs. Who doesn’t? I have a super cuddly three year old who lavishes me with cuddly love and I know I’m one of those lucky moms in the hug department so I shouldn’t really complain, but I’d still love MORE. Little boys grow up too  fast and so I need to capitalise right this very minute while hugging mom is still sort of cool. I have a few tricks up my sleeve when it comes to this, so I thought I’d share what I do to get my little one to hover in my embrace for more than a second. Here they are:

1. Hold and release. Enjoy a good deep squeeze and then loosen on up. No one likes to feel trapped in a hug, least of all a little boy. Release him before he wriggles way and you might buy yourself some time.

2. Secrets. Tell him you want to whisper a secret into his ear. He has to come close for this, he probably has to even sit on your lap. Bravo, now you just need a nice loooong secret to keep him there.

3. Be the hug monster. Little boys love monsters and moms of little boys like hugs. There we go.

4. Be the tickle monster. A fit of giggles can be very exhausting. Your child may need to collapse in your arms to recover. (Bear in mind that being a tickle monster can also be very exhausting. Especially if this game is played on repeat.)

5. It’s all about timing. Hugs happen best when your little one is sleepy or when he is trying to buy some time before bed or when you are hiding under the duvet together and waiting for Dad to come and find you.

6. Start a family hug tradition. This is the flavour of the the week in our home at the moment. Ilan summons us for a family hug by shouting, ‘Family hug happening now’. We are often summoned at inconvenient times but I’m game if it means I get a hug from my boy.

Voila. There you have it. The easy peasy guide to getting hugs from your three year old. (Sometimes they work, sorry no guarantees!)

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