The Power of Oxytocin

I wrote on my Facebook page:  Challenging Children that our 7 year old grandson used his powers this morning to calm a very agitated possum who had been trapped unwittingly in the trap set for a groundhog.  He was pacing the perimeter of the cage like a trapped animal...which of course, he was.  Our young grandson went out to get a closer view of him and as he stood just a foot away from the cage he began to talk to the possum in a soft voice.  He told the possum that he was safe, his Papa would take him out to the woods and release him.  His Papa would never hurt him.  He kept talking to him in this soothing way and soon the possum quieted down and laid down in the cage.  About 20 minutes later, a mole came up trying to get under the cage and that started the possum moving again around and around the cage.  This time, our young grandson simply walked over to the cage where the possum could see him and just quietly stood...and again the possum settled down.  What was happening here was what happens in relationships between humans and also other animals.  If one approaches another in a loving, attentive, calm manner a hormone in the brain called oxytocin is triggered in the receiving party.  In this case, our young grandson did not want the animal harmed and he didn't want him to be stressed...in order to "reach" the possum, he quietly and repetitively told him (who by the way he named, "Speedy" when they released him into the woods) he was okay, he was safe.  Animals are neurobioogically wired to be in relationship; relationship that is attentive and caring.  And when we are in relationship with another our brains naturally release this calming hormone.