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

Consent is a very important issue, and we should teach our sons from an early age about how they should behave with others, not just girls. But should we wait until they reach a certain age, or should we start from early childhood?

Do little children even understand what they are told? They know nothing about romantic or sexual intentions; how can you explain it to them?

Does this kill romance? Should you ask a girl you like if you can touch her hair?

Should you make a contract before hugging, specifying the area to the shoulders and adding an annex about the waist? Not everything is black and white.

Depending on the strength and context, the same action can be hurtful or romantic. Just look at hand-holding.

It can be the most romantic thing or the most frightening thing. It all depends on the force and context.

This is such tricky territory because consent is everything. There is absolutely no question about it. We all know what’s acceptable and what’s romantic. But what’s the best way to explain it to our kids?

One mom asked Redditors for help. She wants to know if she overreacted by giving her 9-year-old son a lesson about consent.

Parenting includes instilling in children the value of respecting others' personal space.

Kelly Sikkema

OP saw her son putting his arm around a girl from his class.

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So she explained to him that he should ask for consent the next time.

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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.

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OP has a bad personal experience and wants to teach her son from an early age.

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Redditors backed her up.

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They believe she is right.

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Parents should raise boys to respect women.

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Some kids took it too seriously :)

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It is not weird.

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You have to start early...

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Kids like these will know how to behave when they grow up.

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Asking for consent should not be limited to just girls...

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Childhood is for learning.

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Some people even questioned the husband's reaction.

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Very wise.

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Boys will be boys?

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OP clarified her husband's concerns.

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Everyone should learn about consent...

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Everyone.

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OP posted an update:

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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.