1:32pm August 13, 2013

➸ Mily Really: Teach your children about bad touch, don't wait for the school to do it

josiahd:

webelieveyou:

mandiebird:

milybayshere:

I just randomly remembered/realized that my aunt molested me and my brother, and told us she was just tickling us. My parents had only briefly told me what bad-touch was.

While she was “tickling” us it made me uncomfortable, and it didn’t tickle, but I wanted to be polite so I didn’t tell her she…

When I told a friend my plans to educate my children early on about inappropriate sexual touching and who/how to tell, she told me I was being ridiculous and paranoid. She said she wanted to keep her kids “innocent”. Telling your children that someone touching them in a bad way- a way that makes them feel uncomfortable or in an inappropriate place- is something they should tell you or another authority figure they trust is NOT going to hurt them or destroy their innocence. I am so thankful my mother told me about it early. I may have been the target of sexual abuse and assault later in life, but I was able to speak up as a small child because I was informed.

There is really no time too early to teach your kids about “bad touching”. As soon as they can start to understand, start to teach them.

I hate to be self referential (not really!) but I’m going to requote something we posted on our blog awhile ago, because it applies.

“Education about consent can start before education about sex. If we teach our children to respect others, they’ll grow into respectful adults.”

Kids aren’t innocent anyway. Ever.