Jenny - posted on 09/22/2009 ( 4 moms have responded )
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as a child, i was sexually abused by two different people, one of whom was also a child. i want my children to understand that "good touch, bad touch" is not something that is only received, it is also something given. as they get older, i believe they need to be told more than simply "if someone touches where your bathing suit touches, it's not ok", because the abuse SO MUCH MORE than touching inappropriately. we're about to have our first child, a baby boy, and i'm wondering if i should talk to him when the time comes, or if it's something my husband should do. part of me says my husband should, because he's a fellow male, but then there's the part of me that says "i'm the one who's been through it, i'm the one who should explain to him"... it's also vitally important to me that my son knows very clearly how he should or should not act with other people in this area. as i said, abuse is not simply received, it can also be given. i want to teach my children how NOT to abuse in any way.
all of this to say: how do i deal with this with my children? how do i help them understand about abuse without being explicit? how do i help them understand that just because someone's an adult, doesn't mean you have to let it happen? i desperately want my children to know they are safe, but we don't live in a safe world...
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