There are topics that are often difficult to address with young children, which are important, but for which it is sometimes difficult for us to “break the ice” and start a conversation without seeming forced. Issues such as sexual abuse, gender violence or bullying are unfortunately the order of the day, and they are situations that we must talk about so that children know how to identify when they may be in danger and how they could defend themselves.
Perhaps that is the reason why a conversation between a mother and her 5-year-old daughter published on Witty Mum’s Facebook page, has become so popular and has gone viral: taking advantage of a moment when they were watching one of the Simone Biles’ routines at the Olympic Games , he took the opportunity to tell her about the history of sexual harassment suffered by the gymnast, about the behavior that the older ones should have with the little ones (in this case the coaches), and even about the empathy that we should have with pregnant women.
Simone Biles appeared on the television screen. My husband told our girls, “She is the best gymnast in the world.”
I added, “and she’s really brave.” My 5 year old daughter looked at me and asked, “Why?”
So I said, “Because American gymnasts used to have a team doctor, who turned out to be a bad person. He was touching the private parts of the girls. It was so scary for the girls to tell someone. They didn’t know if anyone would believe them and they were afraid of losing their place on the team. But Simone Biles was one of the girls who spoke up and said what was happening, and now that abusive doctor is in jail. “
I could see that she was still listening, so I added: “And now, she has her own gymnastics center, where they make sure the children are safe, where their parents can easily keep an eye on them and they are spoken to kindly instead of yelling at them. , which is what a lot of coaches do, but it’s not right ”.
My daughter did not reply. He got up from his chair and watched every moment of Simone Biles’ routine. As if that were not enough, Biles left the sponsorship of Nike because the brand withdrew its support for pregnant athletes 👊
⬆️ Teaching moments about body safety and children’s rights are everywhere. Take them. *
I think this is a great example of how to have a conversation naturally with children: if we are at home, in a relaxed atmosphere and sharing a moment with the family, there are perfect conditions to address any matter , even if it is about some “delicate”.
Trust is a field that is cultivated very early, so it is important that children know and feel that they can talk to us about anything. One of our responsibilities as parents is to provide them with the tools so that they can defend themselves and knowledge is one of the most powerful , obviously bearing in mind that we must always speak to them with the truth, calling things by name and with a language that is consistent with his age.
In Babies and More | What to say to a child to prevent abuse?
