Have you hugged your child today?

I was sitting with two of my students today, girls aged about 11 years old. One, "Ann", told me that she was going to get her hair cut. So she, "Maria" and I talked about haircuts. "Ann" told me that she could only get a blunt cut because that's all her mom and grandma would allow.

After about five minutes of conversation, she told me that she wanted to get her hair cut because, when she was a little girl, her mom would tell her she was beautiful and hug her.

Her mom no longer hugs her.

She said, "I want my mom to hug me and tell me that she loves me."

I asked her if she had tried. She said, "[My teacher] told me to try to hug my mom. I was scared the first day and then I tried. My mom say, 'Go away, I'm busy' and she pushed me. I wish [my teacher] was my mom. She said she would hug me if I need it. When she hug me, it remind me of how my mom used to hug me."

Her mom also tells her she's fat, and won't let her play with her best friend.

This poor girl. It's not easy being a preteen. It's not easy being deaf/hard-of-hearing - especially when your family won't sign to you, and they yell at you in their first language (which they're sure you understand, but you're just lazy).

All this girl wants to to be hugged and told that she matters.

It's a reminder to us all - don't forget to hug your children and tell them that you love them ... every day.