Tickling “Contaminated Sensitivity Powder” (Ages 3-8)
What was Mother Nature thinking when she gave us the capability to be tickled? Is this sense really necessary for survival? Has anyone ever been tickled to death? Maybe when she was mixing up the ingredients for the skin, she got a bad batch of “sensitivity powder,” and ticklishness was the result. Or maybe, because we can’t tickle ourselves, ticklishness was her way of encouraging social interaction, like incorporating, we couldn’t tell ourselves a joke and laugh.
When humans are deprived of tactile stimulation, they’re emotionally affected, which gives substance to my theory. Whatever the reasons, one thing is for sure: children can’t get enough “tickle episodes.” (Nevertheless, remember to keep the duration of each episode to a minimum.) An infant immediately responds positively to, “This little piggy went to market.” Tickling children in the right spots often causes hysterical laughter—yet they will continue to come back for more.
- The palm of the hand — How long can they withstand?
- Above the knee — They just might pee.
- Under the arm — Don’t get alarmed.
- On the side — They might just divide.
- Bottom of the feet — Can they take the heat?
Heck, just tell them you are going to tickle them, and they will come undone. However trivial this horseplay appears, it often can work well as a communication bridge. Here are 10 times when you might find it useful and fun to tickle your children. When:
1) You want to wake them up.
2) They won’t tell you what’s wrong.
3) Violence appears in a TV show (to distract them).
4) They are bored.
5) You want to extract a confession (good naturedly).
6) You want to find out if they really hurt themselves badly.
7) They are angry.
You are washing them in the bathtub (no intent required).
9) They are sad.
10) They have the hiccups.
Remember, make sure that when they tickle you for the first time, you bite your lip and say convincingly, “I have never been ticklish.” This performance will make the rest of your life much easier.
Rex Bowlby is the father of two boys. He is the author of the book, Why Would I Want the Toy, When I Can Have the Box? (101 Ways to Make the Most of Your Children, With the Least from Your Wallet*) *For parents with children ages 3-8. He lives in Los Angeles, California, USA.