Do you tickle your child? Do you make sure to ask for their permission before you tickle them? This is what one mother has brought to the table for discussion.
Lottie Daley, mother and good friend of comedian Russell Brand, recently appeared on the ‘This Morning’ TV show to talk about this topic. Lottie talks of how you learn about body autonomy and a child’s consent when they become a little older. She feels that instead, you should model the behavior from the time of birth.
She states that you should let your child know that you’ll be changing their diaper. You should let them be aware of their body and that it’s their body, not yours.
It’s not really about them giving a “yes” or “no” answer. It’s about making a habit of checking with your child and making sure that they are happy with what is happening or what you are doing to them. Lottie goes on to state how the issue of consent needs to be addressed well before the teenage years.
She goes into more detail about how to address these issues with your children. She speaks about how her daughters seem to be apprehensive about being tickled by people that aren’t their mom. She states that she asks her children if they like to be tickled and they say “yes”. But when asked if they are ok with someone else tickling them, they responded with “no”. This was due to fear of not knowing the person and because it wasn’t their mom.
Another person that was in the studio that day had a difference in opinion. Vanessa Feltz felt that tickling is nothing but innocent love. She feels that it’s a shame not to be able to tickle a child because you’re not on their tickling terms.
She states that it’s an innocent type of love. It’s a physical contact with your child that is done in a fun and caring manner. This shows them that you have to love for them and they’ll love you for it. She doesn’t feel that this is invading their space at all.
What are your thoughts? Do you think it’s ok to tickle a child or put a diaper on them without permission? Let us know your opinion on the matter. Keep the conversation going by passing this along to your friends and family!
