The topic below is a sensitive one. Just so you know in advance.
First, use swimsuits to teach private parts. It's up to you if you want to use anatomical names or not. Based on swimsuits, you can show that girls have two private areas and boys have one.
Second, was a little saying: Private parts are private. No one should touch them except for a few adults who need to help keep you clean and healthy.
Then define clean and healthy: wiping, washing, doctor check-ups, and in the case of my girls, applying ointment to yeast infections. Give examples of adults who might need to help keep a kid clean and healthy: caretakers and doctors. Every one's list of caretakers varies.
Teach your kids to say "No" and move away if they aren't sure a touch is appropriate. And teach them that any adult who asks them to keep a secret from Mommy and Daddy is deceitful and must be not be trusted. Always tell mommy and daddy. (Of course, Hadley wanted to know about surprise presents...there are always exceptions).
We can't guarantee safety for our kids since most of can't, and don't want to, be with our kids all the time. The stats about how most abuse occurs by someone a family knows and trusts is alarming. I think teaching our kids a few simple ideas could be helpful. Has anyone had similar conversations with their kids? Any suggestions?
4 comments:
I have talked to my girls about this but I liked the information you just shared. It is simple and I think the kids understand what is good touch/bad touch by the examples you gave. Is there any way you could find out the name of the curriculm?
No matter how much we try to protect our kids it is sad that so many are abused by someone the know and trust.
what happened to H and K's just a reminder since i know you went back and fixed your post.
good topic!
Our local Rape Crisis Services Center in Champaign as a Child Assault program. We put together a meet up with them a year or so ago. It was really helpful for the parents because it went over the whole good touch/bad touch, it also talked about other areas where kids might feel helpless.
They taught us to never tell your child they have to hug someone if they don't want to. If you go down that road... then they'll feel that you will be displeased with them if they don't follow that person's requests later on down the road. And you're right, most abuse does come from people a child knows (family members, neighbors, parents of friends, etc.). So it sets a bad precedent.
They also covered bullying, and what to do, which was awesome.
The state grant program is called CAPE: Children Assault Prevention Education. And the event was free. They go into the schools and do role playing in front of the kids of high pressure situations and then ask the kids what to do. But as a parent, it taught me some things I had never thought of. It's free, and they're glad to talk with anyone.
Tracey: I'll work on finding the name of the curriculum. Amanda: I didn't forget, I just couldn't stand it any more. I think I need to come with better nicknames!
Thanks for the tips D.
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