Don't hug random toddlers in the street, you will end up in jail! – Another Dear Dads public service announcement...
Seriously, they are better than all black market supplied substances. They are free, you don't get downers unless your really really really into hugs and you can't be arrested for possessing a hug (as long as you follow the above public service announcement). Toddlers usually hand them out freely or at least after a little coaxing. With mine, all I have to do is kneel down and open my arms up and they come running. Try it: 99.9 percent of toddlers will hug you with out asking why. Without reason or prejudice they will simply hug away.
I think the only thing more satisfying than getting a hug from a toddler is watching two toddlers hug it out. They do it in the most random places. Recently I saw a photo of two toddlers randomly meeting on an airport concourse and hugging it out. They had never met and would probably never meet again, but for 10 seconds, they shared something special. Kids do it in play grounds. We could learn something from them. Next time you feel crap, don't whine about your day, it might make you feel better but will bring others around you down. Instead, grab your toddler and hug away, it will instantly make you both feel better. If you're sans toddler, grab a loved one, or if a loved one is hard to come by, grab a stranger (with their permission, of course) and hug away. It will change your day, and perhaps theirs, too!
Try it right now, I guarantee that it will take your worries away if not for a moment... Go on.... Do it..... Hug it out!
21 iParent Magazine August 2015 www.iparentmagazine.com