My son is in high school now, and he grows taller and taller.  He relishes the fact that he is at least five inches taller than his mother.  And, with his shoe size already bigger than his father's, this teen looks forward to the day that he outgrows his father as well.

We've often wondered where he gets this height from.  My entire family is short, and although his father's side is taller, this boy seems to be fast approaching the position of being the tallest of them all.

Despite the fact that he towers above me, however, I sill rule when it comes to homeschool.  Today, the topic was psychology.  Specifically, a discovery by Rene Spitz.

Dr. Spitz noted during the early years of World War 11 that babies in orphanages were dying at alarming rates.  He looked closely at their living conditions, and quickly realized that the children were receiving adequate physical care from their caregivers, but little physical affection.

To prove his hypothesis, Dr. Spitz performed a short-lived study.  He divided the babies into two groups.  One continued to receive adequate care.  The caretakers of the second group, however, were instructed to add plenty of hugs and kisses and to rock and hold the babies as well.

I'm sure you know where this is going - the second group thrived.  Not only did their emotional well-being show marked improvement, but they succumbed to fewer illnesses than the first group.  In fact, measurements of the first group showed stunted growth.  And they cried more.

My husband interrupted our discussion by walking purposefully into the room and wrapped our son in a big bear hug.  Noticeably surprised, my son pulled away, but his father wouldn't let him go.  He hugged him again.  He tousled his hair.  He told him how much he loves him.  And then he said, "Now you know, Son, why you are growing so tall.  It's because we love you so much."

We all laughed.  But it got me to thinking.

Because of Dr. Spitz's research, it is well-known today that healthy human development requires physical love and affection.  How many of us actually put that to good use in our families?  I hope we'll always err on the side of giving too much rather than falling back, fearing to embarrass, and neglecting that so-needed affection.

Although pre-teens and teenagers often shy away from our affection due to embarrassment because they are "too old for that stuff," I hope we as parents will continue to show that love.  A pat on the back here.  A squeeze on the shoulder there.  A rubbing of the head.  A pat on the hand.

No matter how old these children get, I'll keep giving the physical affection only a mother can give.  I don't care if I do end up the shortest one of them all.