The safety of kids is the primary concern of every parent. To keep children safe, we teach several ways like “Do look at both sides of the road before crossing the street”, “Don’t talk to strangers”, “Always wear seatbelts in a car”, and many more. But, most parents hesitate to teach their kids about the good and bad touches to protect themselves in uneasy circumstances and make them better equipped for handling tough situations.
Although almost daily we come across different acts through news or surround about sexual abuse with kids, even then, parents find it difficult to talk to their children about such things. Yes, it is not easy, but it is imperative to make children aware of what is safe and unsafe for them, whether boys or girls aged three or above. The best schools in Gurgaon also recommend parents talk openly to their kids about these things. Now the question arises how?
Here are some simple tips for breaking the ice and talking to your child about these sensitive topics to make them understand better.
- Tell Kids, “You Are the Owner of Your Body”
Every parent should tell their child that they are the boss of their bodies. It means they have the authority to allow or stop anybody from touching them. It would be best if you told them about their body parts, defining some body parts reserved as private ones that only they or their parents can touch. Also, even if someone is kissing them or hugging them or even holding their hands for a long time, they have the right to say “No”, “I don’t like it”, or “Stay away from me” and run from there, if they don’t like the touch good or feel it to be painful, even if the person is a relative. These teaching will gradually help kids to save themselves better.
- Teach The Names of Body Parts to Every Child
Children often find it difficult to communicate about the abuse or wrong touch since they do not know the correct name for their body parts. Teach your children the correct name of all their body parts, even private ones, in subtle ways and with utmost politeness. Children should feel comfortable talking about their body parts with their parents without embarrassment or hesitation. For example, you can tell them what part should be covered in a Swim Suit. You can also tell them that there should be no secrets between them to make them speak openly about their body parts. Ask them always to share every little detail or incident they have experienced at home, at relatives’ houses, at schools, or at a friend’s place.
- Appropriate, Inappropriate and Unwanted Touch
Here are some safe touch-related rules which parents should communicate with their children:
Never let anyone touch your private body parts
Learn to say “No” if anyone touches your body parts
Do not touch anyone’s intimate body parts
Don’t watch or show any pictures or videos of anyone without clothes
Do not take your clothes off in front of others
Never allow any stranger to touch you, even if it is not a private part
Keep telling them about good, bad, and unwanted touch
You can also role-play to teach kids to run, shout, and refuse someone.
Conclusion
Good and bad touch is a quite uncomfortable topic for every parent to discuss with kids, but it is becoming pertinent in today’s scenario. However, it is crucial to teach your kids different ways to keep themselves safe and to converse with them every single day, about every single moment. From this article, you can refer to some simple ways to teach your child to avoid, protect and communicate about any good and bad touches they experience to keep them safer.
The Best Schools in Gurgaon are trying to create a safe environment for kids and teach them how to handle themselves in difficult situations and make them more independent and confident.
