Most would ask the question; Why do I need to teach consent to my baby or toddler? They are too young to understand what that means. To that I say yes, you’re right. Your baby or toddler is not going to understand what the word consent means. But what your child is doing from day one is taking in and observing everything around them. According to UNICEF, in the first years of life, a child is making more than one million neural connections every second. This pace of growth is never repeated in life again. The quality of a child’s early experiences shape who they are and create a foundation for learning and behavior.
For children ages 0-5 what we can do to teach consent during this time is to show them what consent looks like. Every day children in this age group are using observation to learn the world around them. We can show a child what consent looks like in a few simple ways. First, we can use consent with those around us in front of the child. This may look like asking before hugging someone or asking to borrow something. Another way to show your child what consent looks like is by asking before changing their diaper. This may seem silly, and I know personally my two-year-old will just run away, but I explain why I need to change his diaper to keep him clean and healthy. It also shows him that people should ask before touching him. Lastly, you can be an advocate for your child. If they don’t want to hug someone they shouldn’t have to. This shows our children that no one should touch them without their consent. Our children are seeing more than we think they are, so lets show them how we use consent and how we want them to be treated by everyone.
Written by: Beth Ganion
