Do I Give My Child the Right to Personal Approval?

It is an undeniable issue how important privacy and personal boundaries in children are today. We often give our children information about private areas, personal space and boundaries, but as parents, we have difficulty accepting that the child's body belongs to him and that he should make decisions about his body. The fact that children need the care and guidance of adult parents until they reach a certain age does not change the fact that they are individuals from the moment they are born. It is of great importance for the child to be aware of his/her body limits, to be able to distinguish between good and bad interventions on his/her body, and to develop the ability to behave appropriately in the face of bad interventions in order to protect himself/herself from sexual abuse. For this reason, it is important to give privacy education to the child at an early age.

Everyone is different from each other. Some people like to hug, some people may feel uncomfortable with it; Some people show their love by kissing, some just smile. Each individual decides for himself which behavior he likes. Because I love hugging, I can't hug the child or adult in front of me every time I want. Or I can't kiss or touch her without her approval just because I want to. Sometimes adults tell children what to do with their bodies. Come on, kiss your grandmother, hug your aunt, talk to your uncle... these examples can be extended in countless ways. But it is the child who must decide this. Instead, the child's approval can be obtained by saying things like "Do you want to hug your aunt?" or "You can talk to your uncle if you want." As it is known, like every human being, every

The child may not always want to talk. While they may sometimes express this verbally, they may also express it through behaviors such as shrugging their shoulders, turning their head, or changing the environment. in these times

As adults, we ask children, "wow, has he swallowed his tongue, doesn't he know how to talk?" instead of using expressions such as, "shame on you, this child is a bit wild or cold," we say, "you don't want to talk."

I think it's important to express that it's okay, you don't have to answer. The way to show love and closeness is not to do actions without the child's approval.

-As parents, children have the right to have a say over their bodies, and that any unauthorized intervention to their bodies is wrong and that their bodies should not be touched without their permission.

It should be made aware that it is actually a violation of body boundaries.

- It is important to take the no into consideration when the child says no at home.

- A perception of privacy should be created, such as "Can I change your clothes, can I go into your room, can I take your toy?"

- Avoiding behaviors such as persuading, punishing, depriving the child of love, insisting, putting pressure on the child's unwanted behavior.

(If you kiss me once, I will give you… If you hug me, I will buy you chocolate…)