Mom Talk: Teaching Consent to Toddlers
Last weekend I experienced one of my proudest parenting moments to date. At a friend’s birthday party, an adult guest was tickling my 2.5 year old kiddo. When my kiddo said “stop” the tickler did not stop. Frustrated, my child called out loudly, “When someone says stop, you stop!” The adult recoiled in a mixture of shock and shame. Inwardly, I beamed with pride. I had just witnessed my 2.5 year old child explain the basic concept of consent to an adult.
Rape Culture: What It Is & How To Combat It When Raising Kids
The term “rape culture” is being used in the media and across social platforms a lot lately. Though we may have thoughts about what it means, what are we actually talking about here? Roughly speaking, “rape culture” is a sociological term used to describe a culture in which sexual assault and the routine violation of female autonomy is not only permitted but woven, both subtly and overtly, into the very fabric of our society. In light of the rise of #metoo and #timesup, there’s a widespread interest in better understanding the social forces that are contributing to these horrific and routine violations. As parents of both girls and boys, this interest is multifaceted; we want to understand the forces at play, protect our children from the evils that surround us, and figure out how to raise children who will help to disrupt these horrible cycles—lest we be complacent in perpetuating them.