This is so important.
As parents, our number one priority is keeping our children safe.
One crucial area to discuss with them in a bid to keep them safe is in regards to their body and their personal boundaries.
A lot of schools have started running classes on consent but it's important to get the conversation started at home.
Here are five body safety rules that every parent should talk about with their child.
1 - Teach your child the proper names for their body parts.
Teaching your child the real names for all their body parts is necessary in case a problem should ever arise.
If children know the correct terms for their private parts there will be absolutely no confusion if they want to tell you about being uncomfortable about a touch.
2 - The bathing suit rule
Help them to understand the difference between private and non-private parts with the bathing suit rule.
Everything that their bathing suit covers are private everything outside of it is non-private.
Saying that they should also be aware that uncomfortable touching can happen anywhere like there knee or hand and that other areas, in particular, their mouth can also be considered a private part.
3 - Help them to understand their feelings
We all know what it's like to get a knot in our stomach that tells us that something is not ok, but for small children feelings like this can be hard to describe.
Help them to figure out how to know if they feel unsafe in a certain situation or with a certain person and that if they ever feel unsafe that they should tell you.
4 - Discourage them from keeping ' bad' secrets
Explain to your child the difference between good secrets like surprise parties and bad secrets like being made feel unsafe by an adult.
Let them know that an adult should never ask them to keep a bad secret and that if they do they should tell you immediately.
5 - Help them to speak up
Even as an adult it can feel intimidating when someone crosses the line of consent and its even more frightening for children.
Encourage your child to come to speak to you or another safe adult if they ever feel that someone has touched them inappropriately.
Let them know that even if the adult who made them feel unsafe says it's bad to tell on people not to listen and to speak up when they have been made to feel uncomfortable.
