Question for all you lovely primary school teachers

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

Hello. DD is in reception and absolutely loves her teacher. This lady was my DS's teacher a few years ago, too, so DD has "known" her for quite a while. Anyway, DD has taken to hugging her teacher - usually when we arrive in the morning and at going home time and possibly more, although obv I'm not around to see that during the school day! My question is, as a teacher, would this bother/annoy/irritate you? I think it's sweet, but I can see why someone else might not . Just wondering whether I need to have a chat wiht DD and tell her to lay off! Can't really gauge her teacher's reaction either way.

Speaking as a primary school teacher, I would say that this doesn't bother me at all!

I get hugs from Reception children all the time ( and I teach year 6!) They stop in corridors for a hug ( and not just me, the majority of teachers and the Head are hugged too- even the caretaker if he doesn't move fast enough!)

Sounds perfectly normal all our pupils (and ex pupils) hug staff when they see them.

Oh, thank you! She's so fond of her teacher, I wouldn't like to stop her, so that's made me feel much more comfortable

My ds kept telling teachers that he loved them when in Reception. They coped with it!

It wouldn't bother me at all.

Me neither - normal imo.

Dd's school is a hugging school. Dd hugs her teacher usually after the holidays but sometimes when she only saw her the day before. The HT is always surrounded by children wanting a hug. All the staff seem comfortable putting an arm around a shoulder, holding hands or giving a hug when needed. It's one of the things I love tbh.

I like the hugs, as long as they've blown their nose... nothing worse than ending up with dribbles and mucus all down your clothing!

On a more serious side, we had a very sad incident over the Christmas holiday where a little girl in year 4 got very sick and sadly died, and if it hadn't been for all the hugs, I'm not sure the children or the staff would have got through the last half term. They definitely helped me as much as I helped them.

I work in the school office and whenever I go into reception I get hugs it's great!

Normal and fine x

Sounds lovely!

No problem here!

I sometimes sidestep the Y6 girls that fling themselves at me with a jokey 'gerroff' but weeny ones sometimes just need a hug.

I teach Y1 and have a very warm relationship with my class but I discourage hugs and cuddles...if the children ask I say that I save my cuddles for my own children. I prefer to keep a bit of emotional distance because I feel my behaviour management is more effective then.

Personally I think there is a time for behaviour management and a time for cuddles, one doesn't preclude the other!

I got to spend some time in the nursery and reception classes of the last school I was on placement in and the hugs lifted my mood a heck of a lot and sent me home feeling a bit less exhausted!

I think cuddles are healthy and am so pleased so many schools are still huggy -there was a time when it was discouraged and we were warned not to have too much 'contact' with children - overraction to child protection - we have children in our school who only get hugs at school it's part of what we do apart from teach them - last year we had a year 6 boy who hugged some of the older TAs - just little people needing reassurance - I think it's a natural part of what DC do and is odd if it doesn't happen. I also agree there is a time and a place but that is part of learning too.

When I taught at primary level I saw myself as a bit of a surrogate parent with the infants, and I was more than happy to sit kids on my knee or give them a cuddle if they had fallen over, that kind of thing. At story time, they used to sit on the floor around me and sometimes one or two would suck their thumbs and secretly attempt to stroke my tights as I read to them. I took it as a compliment and was just amused by the whole thing. They are still very little, and in many countries they wouldn't even be in school yet. With the juniors things got less tactile but you'd still hug an upset child if they looked like they needed it. At story time, the juniors used to fart a lot and look at each other as though I was the perpetrator, or pull out their teeth in front of me. Give me the infants any time, even though there was the odd wet patch on the carpet at the end of the day.

It's reassuring to read these posts, to know that my school is not alone in the huggyness!

Thanks for all the replies! Really nice to hear.

DD started her schooling in France so was used to giving her teacher a kiss at the end of the day. It took her a while to give up the habit after we returned to the UK. Teacher didn't seem to mind.