Ok, before I get all of the Karens in the world coming out and telling me that I am a horrible mother and that they feel sorry for my kids - let me explain what I mean about not tickling your kids. I don't mean the cute little tickle you give you kiddo as they are sitting next to you. I am not talking about your toddler coming up to you and showing you their belly and you tickle their little belly. I am talking about the tickling where you are not letting them leave and you are tickling them while pinning them down. I am talking about you tickling your baby under their armpits and you think that they like it because they are laughing, they are not having a good time. Just think, if you were unable to move, would you like it if somebody was just tickling you under the armpit? It sounds like torture to me!

RELATED: Should You Ask Permission Before Tickling A Toddler?

I have four kids and I refuse to just sit there and tickle them until they cry. You might think that is an obvious but it is not. I have seen people tickle my children (family members) and I can see their looks and I tell the people that they don't really like that. You should see the looks that my family members give me when I tell them that they don't like being tickled. It seems that the people who are tickling my children the most are the people who don't have a relationship with my kids and don't know how to interact with them. I was very happy when my oldest got to a point where he can stand up for himself and say, "don't" or "stop." That makes me happy, but some people think of this as a "challenge" and don't stop tickling him even after he says "no."

I have told people many times not to tickle my kids and people think that I am just being an overprotective parent, but what are we teaching our children if you are not listening to them? What are we teaching our children if we are tickling them and they are saying, "stop" and you don't stop because you think they are having fun because they are laughing? My child have the right to tell people not to touch them and you need to listen.

We need to teach our children at a very young age that it is their body and they have the right to tell people not to touch them. They should never be forced to give hugs to family members, they should never be forced to interact with somebody they don't feel comfortable with and you should never touch a child - even if you think that they love it. They most likely don't.

Remember that laughing is not a good indication that your child is having a good time. Laughing is the bodies natural response when you are being tickled. People think it's funny to see children or adults squirm when they are being tickled so then they trickle, but raise your hand if you love being tickled! Well, I doubt there are many hands that went up. Did you know that tickling use to be a form a torture? 

In a study conducted at the University of California in 1997, scientists found that tickling doesn’t create the same happy feelings that are created when a person laughs at a funny joke. Tickling just creates an outward illusion that a person is laughing. Children might start to be afraid of the individual or resent their parents because they are afraid of being tickled. Being tickled against your will shows a sense of dominance. The person tickling as all of the control and the child or baby can't get away.  Dr. Alexander shared that tickling can cause "mental pain" and he goes on to explain the serious problem with  ''A child can be transformed from laughter into tears by going the tiniest bit too far with tickling, raising the question of whether tickling is an expression of dominance. There are lots of people who do abusive tickling, causing great mental pain, and that raises a big question about laughter.''

Before you tickle your child makes sure that they have the ability to leave or that you aren't doing it relentlessly. Just remember all of the times that you were pinned down by older siblings and tickled. Remember the annoying grandparents who would tickle you every time that they saw you. Remember the stupid guys who thought tickling was flirting and you would just sit there thinking, "don't touch me."

Just stop tickling your kids.

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