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Home › Articles › Play Time › Beyond Laughter

Beyond Laughter

The Hidden Power of Tickling

By Mark Stackpole

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

An innocent little "zerbert" is an example of all that is good about tickling. If handled appropriately, tickling can indeed be a fun way for children and adults to communicate about touching and the importance of personal space. If these basic rules of respect are not honored, then tickling can easily get out of hand, which can have some long-term detriments for a child.

Know When to Stop
According to Panaccione, some of the potential drawbacks include a fear of human closeness, a distrust of human contact, an inability of the children to trust their bodily sensations and messages and feelings of helplessness to set boundaries and protect themselves.

Ultimately, Smith's children enjoy this kind of play, just not by her – it's their father who handles the tickling duties. "I think they are looking for more roughhousing play from him and more snuggly, gentle play from me," she says. "I don't know if that's what they learned we would give them, or if that's what they naturally preferred. I'm not sure it matters."

"Tickling can be a pleasurable way to engage and experience laughter and playfulness," Panaccione says. "Physical contact with a child is a very personal matter that must be geared to the individual needs, desires and sensitivities of the individual. Some children love the contact, while others find it terribly intrusive."

Panaccione admits that she loved to hear her son laugh and would tickle him if she had not yet heard that "music to her ears." Of course, the rule was that she would stop immediately if there was any indication that it was no longer enjoyable for him.


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