Hi Everyone. Hope you all are doing good. We are back with one of the most important topic that we as parents want our kids to learn about. This awareness and this education plays a major role while your kids are growing up. This awareness is important for both boys and girls. Yes, you understood correctly. I am talking about making your child aware of their private and non private body parts and how they should be touched and who are allowed to touch or see them.
This time, I am discussing about a bold topic but I thought to discuss on this topic to have some knowledge on it

Alright, so, I understand that kids are too small and too tiny to understand the basics of this awareness but it is very important to teach them amid all sorts of sexual harrasment cases that we come across and that too for both the genders. But if the kids are small and innocent to learn, we as parents can teach them in their styles and at their par of understanding level.

Alright, come let’s know how to teach your kids or how to make your children aware of this.

1) First things first: First of all, teach your kids about human body and different parts of human body. You can teach your kids in very simple ways as there are so many simple ways available in the market to teach them. You can either buy a chart for an anatomy of human body with parts of human body written on that. You can teach them via Flashcards/ via a short audio visual movie/ via a play toy skeleton etc. Let your kids know and have basic touch and feel of their body parts while they learn audio visually at the same time. Let kids become familiar regarding all their external body parts.

2) Help your kids differentiate between Private and Non Private Body parts: This is the second step. Now here, you are going to teach them which parts are private body parts (parts which should only be touched by themselves) and which are non private body parts. You need to make them see on charts and at the same time make your kids touch and feel their real body parts as well. This should go hand in hand so as to give them first hand experience. Make them repeat learning until the kids are confident and you think that they have grasped it easily

3) Let your kids know who can touch/see which parts of the body: Now, this is the third step where you need to make your kids understand that who can touch or see which parts of your body. This is very important. Let your kids know that private body parts can ONLY be touched or seen either by themselves or the parents (only mother and father). Give example from your real life experiences like teach them if they have ever seen mummy/ daddy without a shirt or pants? Or have they ever seen mummy daddy changing clothes in front of anyone? These real life examples will make learning easy for your kids

4) Answer the “WHY” part for your kids: Now this is also important to teach your kids as to WHY you are teaching them about private and non private body parts. Let them know why should they not change their clothes in front of anyone. And the biggest challenge is “How”. Kids are very innocent to learn these facts. But there is always a way to make your kids understand the same. Let them know that Private parts are called private because they should not be touched by anyone and at the same time, they should not be touching others private parts as well.

5) Teach kids to say anatomically correct name for their private body parts: It is very important that your kids should take anatomically correct names for their private body parts. Make your kids know and understand that they should never be shy taking the correct names wherever required and there is no secrecy at all. Let your kids feel normal about this anatomy. As far as kids will feel normal, consequently they will act normal and they will talk and discuss normal as well in case they will have any issues.

6) Parents to become role models: It is very normal for couples to be engaged physically but as far as possible, avoid kissing or engaging physically or hugging each other in front of your kids. If you will get involved in these acts then a kid might take that as a normal activity and he might replicate the same with his/ her friend unintentionally. If you really want to kiss or hug then you should also kiss and hug your kid as well altogether and this will pass altogether a different message to your kid and this signifies the most purest form of love (bonding between parents and kids)

7) Now teach them or help kids differentiate between a Bad Touch and a Good touch: Let your kids know that when someone touches on their privates part apart from parents then it is a Bad Touch and when someone adores you by touching or snapping cheeks/ hands or shoulders then it is considered as normal good touch. But again we all know that sometimes if someone is touching arms or thighs then it always does not mean good touch. So, teach your kids that his/ her body belongs to THEM only and if they don’t like anybody touching any parts of the body then they should say a clear “NO”. If an opposite person is not stopping then teach your kid to shout and immediately report to the parents without any hesitation. Make your kids know which body parts are “NEVER” to be touched like Private parts/ parts of the body which might or might not be okay to touch like face, shoulders, arms, tummy, thighs and feet. Give example of what a good touch means like hugs and kisses from parents and grandparents or a pat on the back from the teacher saying “good job” or a high five with a friend. Examples of bad touch includes if someone touches your private parts or a touch which makes kids feel nervous and scared. These are the ways how you can make your kids undertsand the difference between a good touch and a bad touch

8) Never force Kids and flourish the environment of TRUST: Never force your kids to hug someone if they don’t like. Please trust their intuitions as well. Apart from that please give a positive ensurance to the kids that if they feel anything awkward between or around the people then they should report to you immediately. This will ensure a bond of Love and trust between you and a kid. One personal tip from my end. My parents always taught me to be er sit on anyone’s lap no matter how hard someone asks me to sit. My parents taught me a very polite way to either say “No” or just diplomatically laugh and go away and let go. If you want you can also make use of this tip.

I hope you will like this article a lot. Please let me know if you want me to elaborate any of these points above.