What do you call rubbing/massaging/petting a child in English?

ZaraZara · Jul 16, 2015

*Sorry to mods if this is in the wrong place; it just appeared to be the best forum for it.*

I know the description I gave sounds very pedophilia-esque, but bear with me please. I wasn't trying to deceive, but those seemed like the best verbs to describe the action I'm talking about.

Despite being a fluent speaker, I have no word for this action in English.

For simplicity's sake, let's say there's a mother and child. And the mother has the child on her lap, and maybe the kid's falling asleep, or is relaxed, who knows. The mother has her hand on the kid's leg/arm/head, and is sort of moving her hand up and down - sort of like's she's petting, but without going pat, pat, pat. An action that's more gentle than how you'd roughly rub/pet a dog, too. It's a very soothing, repetitive motion.

If anyone who speaks either language could help, in Gujarati and Hindi, the word is "baashi". As in (in both Gujarati and Hindi) the verb: to do baashi. Actually, on second thought it might be Swahili, but maybe my family has warped it into their Gujarati and Hindi as well? Not sure. Speakers of any of those languages, heard of it?

I know English-speaking mothers do this too. Everyone does it - what do you call it?

cornflake · Jul 16, 2015

Stroking?

ZaraZara · Jul 16, 2015

Thanks! Is there no specific word for it then? Would you just use stroking to describe it?

cornflake · Jul 16, 2015

ZaraZara said:
Thanks! Is there no specific word for it then? Would you just use stroking to describe it?

Not that I've run across - I'd say someone was stroking the kid's back or hair - I'd also say rubbing or patting the back, but stroking I think is more in line with what you want and somehow feels like it needs to be tied to a specific less, though it can be and often is. Perhaps because stroking also means general soothing, coddling - like 'she just needs some stroking.'

Pony. · Jul 16, 2015

Soothing.....consoling maybe. Comforting could be another. But those would more describe the reason for the action than the action itself.

Usher · Jul 16, 2015

There's the Scots word bosie - internet says it's Scots word for hug but I've only ever heard it used to refer to a soothing cuddle with a child. It's probably as obscure as the Hindi

My family call it snuggle time but that will mean different things to different people.

Chumplet · Jul 16, 2015

I would describe it as caressing.

blacbird · Jul 16, 2015

What Chumplet said, although context is important. What is the purpose of the action? To express affection? To express sympathy? To relieve, after some form of bad experience? Different words might be appropriate for all those situations. I'd recommend against "petting", though, because that could be taken in a rather bad way, as sexual.

caw

Roxxsmom · Jul 16, 2015

In English, we usually describe the action performed a bit more specifically when the recipient is a person--stroking someone's hair, patting or rubbing their back, patting them on the shoulder etc. I don't think it's common to refer to patting, rubbing or stroking another person without mentioning the body part.

I'm not sure why this should be, except that "petting" and "stroking" do have sexual connotations by themselves in modern English, and when we use the terms non sexually we're most often referring an animal as recipient.

You pet, pat, or stroke dogs and cats, for instance, but not people. Unless it's sexual, or unless you mention a specific non-sexual body part.

So maybe something like: She cradled her son in her lap, stroking his hair and rubbing his back until he fell asleep.

The closest thing to a non-specific term might be "cuddling" or "snuggling." She cuddled her child in her lap until he fell asleep.

ZaraZara · Jul 17, 2015

Thanks everyone. All your suggestions were really helpful. It's always weird when there's a particular concept that's just not expressed in a different language in the exact same way that you want it

BethS · Jul 20, 2015

ZaraZara said:
*
For simplicity's sake, let's say there's a mother and child. And the mother has the child on her lap, and maybe the kid's falling asleep, or is relaxed, who knows. The mother has her hand on the kid's leg/arm/head, and is sort of moving her hand up and down - sort of like's she's petting, but without going pat, pat, pat. An action that's more gentle than how you'd roughly rub/pet a dog, too. It's a very soothing, repetitive motion.

I know English-speaking mothers do this too. Everyone does it - what do you call it?

Caressing is the word you want, I think.

What do you call rubbing/massaging/petting a child in English?

ZaraZara

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

ZaraZara

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

Pony.

Aspiring supervillain

Usher

Chumplet

This hat is getting too hot

blacbird

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

ZaraZara

BethS