Good touch vs bad touch: How to educate your child
As we come across cases of child abuse, kidnapping, and molestation making news headlines, we can only imagine the horror you feel as a parent wanting to protect your children. To ensure their safety, it is important to empower them with the knowledge of good touch and bad touch before it is too late. Here's how you can educate your children on the same.
Use the proper words for body parts
Some parents use different nicknames for body parts, especially private parts, but it is important to use the correct words for each body part instead. When children sense their parents' awkwardness around talking about the body they make a perception that it is something to be ashamed of. Telling the proper names of their body parts will enable them to communicate about these.
Keep the right tone
Don't avoid conversation on the topic thinking that your children are too young and the subject might scare off them. It is normal for children to come up with questions that can feel silly in front of others, but it is important that you don't laugh or scold them. Use books to help guide conversations, or reach out to the school or their pediatrician.
Teach children they are the owner of their body
Teach your children about body safety. Tell them about it while buckling up the seat belt in the car, while eating healthy foods or when holding hands to cross the street. Teach them on every occasion so that they understand the value of their body. Then empower them to speak up firmly and politely when someone intentionally hurts them.
Don't force any kind of touch
It might be challenging to balance encouraging social skills with encouraging ownership of one's body. It is important that children feel that they are in control. To establish this, try not to force affection or any physical contact with them if they don't want to. Kids will be uncomfortable at different times for different reasons. Instead, give them options.
Talk about good touch versus bad touch
Talk to them about different kinds of touches. Safe touches like a pat on the back or wanted hugs feel tender. On the other hand, unsafe touches like pinching, hitting, or grabbing hurts one's body or feelings. Bad touches make you feel scared or distasteful. Children should be empowered enough to say "no" and reject unwanted advances even from family members or friends.
