Jane’s daughter is turning three soon, so she’s trying to teach her that her body is her own and that she can say no to hugs and kisses if she wants to.
But despite her best efforts to teach this lesson, her mother is apparently making it “almost impossible” and won’t stop kissing her daughter when she cares for her.
“Family should always hug”
“She helps me a lot with the childcare, which I’m very grateful for,” Jane explains to NetMums.
“But I’ve noticed that when my daughter says no to a kiss or a hug, my mom always says things like ‘don’t be silly, of course you can hug your nanny’ and goes for the kiss anyway.”
Jane says she has tried to talk to her mum about it, but she says she thinks she is being ‘ridiculous’, that ‘a three-year-old doesn’t know what she wants’ and that ‘the family should always have cuddles’.
Mom told the forum she wants opinions to see if other people think she’s overreacting too.
“I just want my daughter to grow up feeling like she has some control over her body,” she says.
“If everyone thinks I’m crazy, I’ll quit, but if not, I can show my mom it’s not just me!!”
“It’s OK to Teach Your Daughter About Boundaries”
In response, one user wrote: “You’re being ridiculous. Sorry to be blunt.”
Another mother replied: “In short, if you are not satisfied with the level of care, then you can place your child with another child care provider.”
A third added: “Sorry, but you’re wrong. Your mother helps with childcare, but is not allowed to give/receive hugs and kisses from her granddaughter. It might be a good idea to teach your daughter that she is allowed to say no to hugs and kisses from extended family and friends, but not from close family!”
And a quarter agreed: “It’s his wife, she obviously loves him very much and takes loving care of him. It’s okay to teach your daughter about boundaries, but close family in this context is completely different.”
“Daily cuddling ignores our no touching rule”
This mother also teaches her daughter about her bodily autonomy, but found that the daycare ignored her rules.
“When my three-year-old, who doesn’t like to be touched, was starting a new nursery, I told the teachers that she does NOT like hugs and that they should never try to hold or hug her to help her calm down. down”, writes Sophea.
“I gave them a list of other tools they could use to help her feel safe. Her favorite toy. A quiet place in the corner alone. Reading a book. Some space and time so she can come when she’s ready,” she continued.
And to her absolute disgust, they didn’t listen. And because of that, they decided to leave.
“I’ll never forget looking out the window into the outdoor area where all the kids are playing and seeing the teacher pick up my daughter and try to hug her. My daughter was absolutely beside herself. Screaming. Terrified. Extortion. Screaming.”
#mother #kissing #daughter #goodbye #consent
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