Those early days with a baby are wonderful but exhaustingly hard. Sleepless nights create a tiredness that consumes you mentally and physically, but holding your child in your arms makes it all worthwhile, even at 3am. Snuggling them close and breathing in the scent of your newborn is the perfect reward for the seemingly endless rounds of feeding, changing, burping, bathing and washing that comes with early motherhood. I'll never forget those super soft early cuddles that saw me through those long days of being a new mum.
And as our children grow up, the power of precious cuddles need not diminish. Clumsy toddler hugs, with chubby arms around your neck and sloppy kisses planted on your face are simply perfect. Sat together on the sofa, cuddled up watching Peppa Pig is a wonderful way to enjoy some closeness with an otherwise boisterous pre-schooler. These hugs are all utterly priceless and each and everyone of these beautiful moments can be treasured for a lifetime. Memories of soft skin and love-filled hugs can see you through even the darkest times. Sharing that closeness and knowing that you love and are loved in equal measure is, for me, what family is all about.
The time spent with little ones flies by so quickly. The moments between them being completely dependent on you for their every need to them becoming little people in their own right are fleeting. You can never get back that time, but you can embrace those precious moments and never stop letting your children know just how much they are loved. However busy you are, you can always find time for a hug.
I have been blessed with five wonderful children and have enjoyed a lifetime of cuddles from each and every one of them. Freddy is my youngest and my last born child, and I treasure the cuddles he gives me. Now he is at school, the time I spend with him has lessened, but he always gets a kiss and a hug as I say good-bye to him in the classroom. If he wakes up in the night and creeps into bed with us, I enjoy snuggling him up against me, feeling his warmth as he cuddles close. One day, he won't need to seek out the comfort of mummy and daddy's bed when he wakes up, but while he does, there will always be a place for him between us.
Being close to all of my children, even the grown-up ones, is part of who we are. We still hug, we still snuggle up to watch a film together, we still enjoy the closeness of a cuddle. It's no surprise that we enjoy a loving relationship with each other, because even now I still love a cuddle with my own parents and never fail to jump up to give them a hug when I see them. I love to embrace every moment and let my loved ones know just how treasured they are and just how special a place they hold in my heart.
With my third child, Ella about to fly the nest, I know only too well that our children are ours alone for a very short time. As they spread their wings and fly, I look at my children with such utter pride and I know that they feel utterly and unconditionally loved, giving them the strength and confidence that they need to forge their own paths in the big wide world. And I know that however old they are, they will always be hugged and cuddled whenever I see them! For me, cuddles are not reserved for the littlest members of the family, they are for everyone.
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After listening to mums across the UK Fairy Non Bio has discovered that parents hold their children's pre-school moments as some of their most treasured memories. 25% of mums confessed to missing their child's super soft kisses and cuddles after they start school, so Fairy want to remind us to give our kids an extra big cuddle today!
Fairy Non-Bio are encouraging mums to embrace the Power of Soft and to make the most of every special moment with this moving video entitled "The Softest They'll Ever Be".
I have been recompensed for this post but I have retained full editorial integrity.