Resharing this series I wrote on Protective Behaviors and keeping your toddler safe.
Such an important message to spread and cultivate from young.
“You have a right to feel safe”. ❤️
A few months ago, I had the privilege of attending a workshop by Safari Kid Kuala Lumpur on Keeping Our Children Safe.
As a mama, I am terrified and horrified as I think about our littles in our mama tribe that 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before they turn 18.
As a Child & Family Development Specialist, I know the only way to change this is to educate, protect, and empower and it begins with you and me teaching each other, teaching our littles, and creating a shield wall for our teeny tinies.
I wanted to share some tips this morning with the aim to make your little ones as difficult as possible to groom by equipping them with protective behaviors.
Please share this with your mama tribe. Please save this somewhere to remind you. Please read it all with your partner and your caregivers.
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1. NO NICK NAMES
A penis is a penis, a vagina is a vagina, a nose is a nose, an arm is an arm. The first step to prevention is openly talking about their body parts and that they are safe to talk about it with you.
2. NO MEANS NO
If your little one doesn't want to hug or kiss someone else, always respect their no (even if it's embarrassing). It not only reinforces for them to trust their instincts but also reinforces that their body is theirs.
3. STRANGER DANGER IS A MYTH
90% of sexual abuse happened with someone the little one knew. Instead of stranger danger, teach them situation danger. What are dangerous situations? When and where should they look for help? What do they do if they feel uncomfortable? How do they ask for help? Who can they tell?
4. PRIVATE PARTS ARE PRIVATE
No pictures, no games, no showing, no touching, no playing with their private parts with others. For littles, teach them who are the "safe people" that can touch/bathe/wash their bum.
5. NO SECRETS
Abusers usually test the victims by playing "secret" games. Teach your little that we don't keep secrets from each other. Not even innocent ones. A child's ability to keep a secret is usually the measure of how "good" a victim they would be. Secrets are a bad word in our house, in fact, we don't even use it in our vocabulary.
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These are hard heart conversations to have with your innocent little toddler but mama, I beg you, please teach them. Reinforce them. Role model them. Again and again and again.
Be vigilant. Ask questions. Be proactive. Be present.
1 in 10 kids, mamas, we have to change that statistic.
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Racheal Kwacz is a Child and Family Development Specialist, mama tribe advocate, and writer. As creator of the ‘RACHEAL Method’, she combines her 20+ years experience working with children in the USA and in Asia with the foundations of ‘Respectful Parenting’, leading parents and teachers around the world in raising kind, confident, compassionate, resilient little ones.
To learn more about her upcoming workshops, go to kidxy.com/rk
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