Mom Gives Her 9-Year-Old Son A Lecture About Consent After He Hugged A Girl And Her Husband Thinks She Took It Too Seriously
What is the best way to teach a child about consent?
Consent can feel simple in theory, until it shows up in an ordinary family moment. In this case, a mom watched her 9-year-old son put his arm around a girl from class, then decided it was time for a serious talk.
She explained that he should ask first next time, but her husband thought she was taking the situation too far. That left the parents split over whether this was a useful lesson or an overreaction to a harmless childhood hug.
Reddit had plenty to say, and the reactions were not subtle.
Parenting includes instilling in children the value of respecting others' personal space.
Kelly SikkemaOP saw her son putting his arm around a girl from his class.
RedditSo she explained to him that he should ask for consent the next time.
Reddit
Her husband didn't want to oppose her in front of the child, but later told her she was blowing the whole thing out of proportion.
Reddit
OP has a bad personal experience and wants to teach her son from an early age.
Reddit
Redditors backed her up.
Reddit
They believe she is right.
Reddit
Parents should raise boys to respect women.
Reddit
This also echoes the situation in the story where a meddling sibling kept trying to control family decisions.
Some kids took it too seriously :)
Reddit
It is not weird.
Reddit
You have to start early...
Reddit
Kids like these will know how to behave when they grow up.
Reddit
Asking for consent should not be limited to just girls...
Reddit
Childhood is for learning.
Reddit
Some people even questioned the husband's reaction.
Reddit
Very wise.
Reddit
Boys will be boys?
Reddit
OP clarified her husband's concerns.
Reddit
Everyone should learn about consent...
Reddit
Everyone.
Reddit
OP posted an update:
Reddit
What’s sad is that there are so many shy guys out there who dread touching the girl they like, even though she is sending all the signals. They are so afraid of rejection that they are blind to all the signs in the book.
Well, when they become parents, these people will teach their kids about consent. And their kids will inherit their genes, meaning they will also be shy.
They will remember the things their parents have taught them about consent, and they will be even more afraid of making a mistake, which, in turn, will make them even more introverted. All the while, the jerks who don’t care about consent won’t teach their kids about it, and they will grow up into insensitive jerks, doing exactly the same thing their dads did.
The bottom line is that we should pay a lot more attention to educating parents. That’s where it all begins.
Want more boundary drama like the AITA argument over a friend’s daughter asking inappropriate questions? Check out what happened when she confronted her friends daughter.
