7 Body Safety Rules: Written Specifically For Kids With Disability
Rule 1: Asking for Consent Ensure all people who interact with your child ask for their consent before entering their body boundary. Ensure you child knows that a body boundary is the invisible space around their body (and wheelchair). It is their personal space — a space just for them. Discuss what consent means with your child: it means asking them if something is okay or not okay. It means asking for permission. If your child is non-verbal work out ways they can indicate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when people ask for their consent. Rule 2: Checking In And even...
7 Body Safety Rules: Written Specifically For Kids With Disability
Rule 1: Asking for Consent Ensure all people who interact with your child ask for their consent before entering their body boundary. Ensure you child knows that a body boundary is the invisible space around their body (and wheelchair). It is their personal space — a space just for them. Discuss what consent means with your child: it means asking them if something is okay or not okay. It means asking for permission. If your child is non-verbal work out ways they can indicate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when people ask for their consent. Rule 2: Checking In And even...
Questions to ask your child’s child-care centre and school.
We all want to keep our kids safe especially when they are being cared for by others. Below is a checklist of questions you can ask of your child-care providers and schools. Please ask these questions because as caring, safe adults we need to be our children’s voices in these spaces. Is there a code of conduct for staff and other parents? What checks are undertaken when employing staff and bringing in volunteers including other parents? What is the ratio of child to adult? Is a child ever left alone with an adult and out of view of others? Does...
Questions to ask your child’s child-care centre and school.
We all want to keep our kids safe especially when they are being cared for by others. Below is a checklist of questions you can ask of your child-care providers and schools. Please ask these questions because as caring, safe adults we need to be our children’s voices in these spaces. Is there a code of conduct for staff and other parents? What checks are undertaken when employing staff and bringing in volunteers including other parents? What is the ratio of child to adult? Is a child ever left alone with an adult and out of view of others? Does...
Helpful Parent/Carer Script Explaining Why A Child's 'No' May Not Be Appropriate
Something we hear time and time again (especially from parents of toddlers) are comments and questions such as, "I love that my child is empowered to say NO and that they understand they have a body boundary. But now they are saying NO to everything! How do I get them to hold my hand to cross the street or let me help them with potty training or put their seatbelt on?" We understand, we really do. As parents and carers, we want our children to be happy, however, keeping them safe is paramount. Author, educator, advocate, and mother...
Helpful Parent/Carer Script Explaining Why A Child's 'No' May Not Be Appropriate
Something we hear time and time again (especially from parents of toddlers) are comments and questions such as, "I love that my child is empowered to say NO and that they understand they have a body boundary. But now they are saying NO to everything! How do I get them to hold my hand to cross the street or let me help them with potty training or put their seatbelt on?" We understand, we really do. As parents and carers, we want our children to be happy, however, keeping them safe is paramount. Author, educator, advocate, and mother...
IMPORTANT FIRST TIPS FOR KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN A DIGITAL WORLD
We are hearing more and more stories and sadly evidence of children viewing pornography, being preyed upon and becoming victims to online sexual abuse and sexploitation. As most children have easy access to Smartphones (either their own or friends), I’m afraid this problem will not being going away. It is not IF your child views pornography or is asked to send nudes but WHEN. My advice: let’s start at the beginning. Below is where I think we need to begin. There will be so much more to unpack with your kids, however the below is a crucial first step. 1. Make sure...
IMPORTANT FIRST TIPS FOR KEEPING KIDS SAFE IN A DIGITAL WORLD
We are hearing more and more stories and sadly evidence of children viewing pornography, being preyed upon and becoming victims to online sexual abuse and sexploitation. As most children have easy access to Smartphones (either their own or friends), I’m afraid this problem will not being going away. It is not IF your child views pornography or is asked to send nudes but WHEN. My advice: let’s start at the beginning. Below is where I think we need to begin. There will be so much more to unpack with your kids, however the below is a crucial first step. 1. Make sure...
Every Question You Asked About ... Body Safety And Consent
When should I start teaching body safety and consent? Take a look at our ‘When to Begin Consent and Body Safety Conversations’ poster. It has all the information you need and it’s free to download! Will my child learn about sexual abuse if they are taught body safety? No! They will learn 5 key age-appropriate body safety skills that are empowering. The act of sexual abuse is never mentioned. Why would it be? We are teaching children. Will my child lose their innocence if I teach body safety and consent? No! In fact, they are less likely to be sexually abused...
Every Question You Asked About ... Body Safety And Consent
When should I start teaching body safety and consent? Take a look at our ‘When to Begin Consent and Body Safety Conversations’ poster. It has all the information you need and it’s free to download! Will my child learn about sexual abuse if they are taught body safety? No! They will learn 5 key age-appropriate body safety skills that are empowering. The act of sexual abuse is never mentioned. Why would it be? We are teaching children. Will my child lose their innocence if I teach body safety and consent? No! In fact, they are less likely to be sexually abused...
Unpacking Gender Stereotyping Language With Kids
As your child grows, they will begin to interact with the community around them. Other’s values, ideas and opinions will infiltrate your family. This can be positive, but it can also be negative. You may be bringing up your little person to value all people in an inclusive and kind way, but others outside your immediate family group may not share your values especially around gender equality. And these values, unfortunately, will filter down into your child’s world, that is, in the playground, school settings, play dates, sporting groups, etc. Below are some ‘conversation starters’ you can have with your...
Unpacking Gender Stereotyping Language With Kids
As your child grows, they will begin to interact with the community around them. Other’s values, ideas and opinions will infiltrate your family. This can be positive, but it can also be negative. You may be bringing up your little person to value all people in an inclusive and kind way, but others outside your immediate family group may not share your values especially around gender equality. And these values, unfortunately, will filter down into your child’s world, that is, in the playground, school settings, play dates, sporting groups, etc. Below are some ‘conversation starters’ you can have with your...
A Teenager’s Personal Story – for those who think they are alone
*TRIGGER WARNING* A Teenager’s Personal Story – for those who think they are alone Life, a crazy phenomenon. No one knows what’s going to happen when you are first born; all people know is that they care about you, a tiny-toed human. How do you grasp life? Because at 15 you are asked, what do you want to do for the rest of your life; then you realise you still have 75 years give or take, and you need to make a decision on who you want to be — and before your brain and body are fully formed you...
A Teenager’s Personal Story – for those who think they are alone
*TRIGGER WARNING* A Teenager’s Personal Story – for those who think they are alone Life, a crazy phenomenon. No one knows what’s going to happen when you are first born; all people know is that they care about you, a tiny-toed human. How do you grasp life? Because at 15 you are asked, what do you want to do for the rest of your life; then you realise you still have 75 years give or take, and you need to make a decision on who you want to be — and before your brain and body are fully formed you...
Social Stories
Social Stories are an excellent tool to help kids prepare, understand and practice new situations or events that they may be concerned about. Social Stories were first introduced by Carol Gray in 1991 and are often used with children who have autism. That being said, Social Stories are widely used with all children to prepare them for upcoming new, unknown or challenging events or activities, e.g. beginning school or starting at a new school, going to the dentist, going for a covid injection, going on camp, etc. Social Stories give children time to go over what they might expect to...
Social Stories
Social Stories are an excellent tool to help kids prepare, understand and practice new situations or events that they may be concerned about. Social Stories were first introduced by Carol Gray in 1991 and are often used with children who have autism. That being said, Social Stories are widely used with all children to prepare them for upcoming new, unknown or challenging events or activities, e.g. beginning school or starting at a new school, going to the dentist, going for a covid injection, going on camp, etc. Social Stories give children time to go over what they might expect to...
Keeping Our Kids Safe During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is upon us, and our kids are about to spend A LOT of time around people who they may not have seen for a long time due to Covid 19 restrictions — family, extended family, friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, and total strangers. They will be in amongst groups of people at family gatherings, Christmas parties, carol nights, NYE celebrations, camping grounds, parks, swimming pools, beaches (or ski resorts if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), shopping centres, cinemas, etc. We cannot stress enough how important it is for your children to be educated in Body Safety and...
Keeping Our Kids Safe During the Holiday Season
The holiday season is upon us, and our kids are about to spend A LOT of time around people who they may not have seen for a long time due to Covid 19 restrictions — family, extended family, friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, and total strangers. They will be in amongst groups of people at family gatherings, Christmas parties, carol nights, NYE celebrations, camping grounds, parks, swimming pools, beaches (or ski resorts if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), shopping centres, cinemas, etc. We cannot stress enough how important it is for your children to be educated in Body Safety and...
When to Begin Consent and Body Safety Conversations
We regularly get asked by parents and carers. “When should I start teaching my child about consent and body safety?” It’s an excellent question. Below is an approximate guide on when to begin conversations with your child around consent and Body Safety. All children are different, and you know your child best, so also be guided by their ability to focus and the questions they ask. These conversations are ongoing and can happen over years. Use their questions, family discussions, children’s books, and situations that may occur to have open and ongoing conversations. Everyday situations that may arise, can be...
When to Begin Consent and Body Safety Conversations
We regularly get asked by parents and carers. “When should I start teaching my child about consent and body safety?” It’s an excellent question. Below is an approximate guide on when to begin conversations with your child around consent and Body Safety. All children are different, and you know your child best, so also be guided by their ability to focus and the questions they ask. These conversations are ongoing and can happen over years. Use their questions, family discussions, children’s books, and situations that may occur to have open and ongoing conversations. Everyday situations that may arise, can be...
How adults show children love appropriately and safely
What still remains vivid in my mind, 12 years after starting my work in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse, were two things that I heard time and time again from survivors. He said to me, ‘This is our little secret — others won’t understand. This is how you show me you love me.’ And what was an innocent child (often quite young) to believe from the person, who in the past, had played and loved them appropriately and safely as a caregiver should? And even though they may have felt sick in their stomach and intuitively knew it was...
How adults show children love appropriately and safely
What still remains vivid in my mind, 12 years after starting my work in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse, were two things that I heard time and time again from survivors. He said to me, ‘This is our little secret — others won’t understand. This is how you show me you love me.’ And what was an innocent child (often quite young) to believe from the person, who in the past, had played and loved them appropriately and safely as a caregiver should? And even though they may have felt sick in their stomach and intuitively knew it was...
DIARY OF A WOMAN
I wrote this piece really for men, knowing that most likely, only women will read it. If men read it, they might realise what it's like for us, day to day. To be in our shoes. Not only do women have to cope with the majority of domestic work, pay disparity, feeling unsafe, objectification, the beauty ideal, they have to cope with not being understood by the person closest to them. Please read this piece to your male partner and tell us their response. DIARY OF A WOMAN Monday Got up at 5am. Made it to the gym by...
DIARY OF A WOMAN
I wrote this piece really for men, knowing that most likely, only women will read it. If men read it, they might realise what it's like for us, day to day. To be in our shoes. Not only do women have to cope with the majority of domestic work, pay disparity, feeling unsafe, objectification, the beauty ideal, they have to cope with not being understood by the person closest to them. Please read this piece to your male partner and tell us their response. DIARY OF A WOMAN Monday Got up at 5am. Made it to the gym by...