I’m delighted you’ve joined the Cuddle Up with Laura community.
If you’re here, chances are you believe, as I do, that the relationship between a child and the people who love them is one of life’s greatest gifts.
For more than forty years, I’ve had the privilege of working with children and families. Along the way, I’ve learned something that research continues to confirm.
Children don’t just need food, clothing, and education.
They need to feel safe. They need to feel loved. They need to know they belong.
Sometimes those feelings are created through life’s biggest moments. More often, they’re created through life’s smallest ones
Reading together. Talking together. Laughing together. Listening together. And yes . . . hugging together.
Those everyday moments may seem ordinary . . . I believe they are extraordinary.
That belief became the foundation for the Cuddle Up with Laura book series and for a mission that is simple and heartfelt:
Hugs Matter.
Twice each month, I’ll share research, practical ideas, parenting insights, and simple activities that encourage children to feel safe, loved, and emotionally connected. I’ll also include a featured Book of the Month in PDF format, so you can put these ideas into practice with a child you love.
The Science Behind the Cuddle
We all know that hugs feel good. A hug can communicate love, safety, comfort, and reassurance without saying a single word.
But can a hug actually help us cope with stress?
In a study published in Psychological Science, researchers studied 406 healthy adults. For 14 consecutive days, participants reported interpersonal conflicts and whether they had received hugs. They were then exposed to a virus that causes the common cold and monitored for infection and signs of illness.
Researchers found that greater social support appeared to protect against some of the effects of stress, and hugging accounted for part of that stress-buffering effect. Among participants who became infected, those who reported receiving more hugs also tended to experience less severe signs of illness.
Human connection matters.
Perhaps that’s something parents and grandparents have always known. Science is simply helping us understand why.
Try This Tonight
Tonight, before your child goes to sleep, try something beautifully simple.
Turn off the television. Put your phone aside. Read a story together.
When you’ve finished reading, don’t immediately close the book and leave the room.
Stay for another minute.
Give your child a hug.
Take one slow, deep breath together.
Then simply say:
“I’m so glad I get to spend this time with you.”
That quiet minute may become one of the most meaningful moments of your child’s day.
This Month’s Featured Book
Cuddle Up & Goodnight . . . Four Bilingual Editions
This isn’t simply a bedtime story . . . it’s a bedtime experience.
Throughout the story, children are encouraged to relax their bodies, slow their breathing, use their imagination, and experience the comfort of being close to someone who loves them. The story repeatedly reminds children that they are safe, deeply loved, and never alone.
My hope is that this book becomes more than something you read . . . I hope it becomes part of a bedtime tradition.
I want to help children end each day feeling peaceful, secure, and surrounded by love.
This month, I’m sharing Cuddle Up & Goodnight with you in four bilingual editions:
English–Spanish • English–French • English–German • English–Persian
All four PDFs are included with this publication. Choose the edition that speaks to your family, or share another with someone you know.
Read it. Share it. Most importantly, read it with a child.
A New Home for Cuddle Up with Laura
I’m excited to welcome you to the new Cuddle Up with Laura website!
It was created as a place where families can discover the books, learn more about the people behind them, explore resources, and become part of the growing Cuddle Up with Laura community.
And because our community reaches across cultures and languages, the website can be viewed in both English and Spanish.
I hope you’ll stop by, look around, and come back often.
We’re just getting started.
Join the Cuddle Up with Laura Community
Do you know someone who loves children?
Perhaps a parent. A grandparent. A teacher. A school counselor. A librarian. A childcare provider. Or simply a friend with children in their life.
I’d be honored if you would invite them to join the Cuddle Up with Laura community.
Members receive two publications each month featuring children’s research and resources, book news, and a featured Book of the Month in PDF format. Members are also automatically entered into our Monthly Giveaway.
If this publication encouraged you, inspired you, or taught you something new, please share it with someone who might enjoy being part of our community.
Together, we can place more books into the hands of children.
Until Next Time . . .
Every child deserves to end the day knowing three simple truths:
You are safe. You are loved. You matter.
Thank you for becoming part of the Cuddle Up with Laura community. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.
I hope these publications become something you look forward to reading . . . and something you’ll want to share with others who love children as much as you do.
Because Hugs Matter.
Laura Lee Lockwood
Founder, Cuddle Up with Laura
Research Citation
Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Turner RB, Doyle WJ.
Does hugging provide stress-buffering social support? A study of susceptibility to upper respiratory infection and illness.
Psychological Science. 2015 Feb;26(2):135–147.
doi:10.1177/0956797614559284
Epub 2014 Dec 19.
PMID: 25526910
PMCID: PMC4323947
