It is abundantly clear that as a society we still have lots of work to do on the topic of Consent.
We really love this article by Caroline Bologna in the Huffington Post: "How Sex Educators Talk to Their Sons About Consent", and highly recommend you give it a read.
No matter the gender of the kids you may or may not have, the advice is spot on. Here's a couple of important points:
Start Early
"Lydia M. Bowers emphasized the importance of building the framework around consent practically from birth, not just to protect children but also to help them develop healthy mindsets and behaviors. 'The messages we send, intentionally or not, to young children now are carried with them into adulthood,'”
Walking The Walk
"For sex education teacher Kim Cavill, educating your children can also involve educating the adults around you. 'Kids watch how we interact with the world on a daily basis, and one of the most powerful things we can do is to be the person you want your child to eventually become,' said Cavill. “There are moments when I’ve made other adults uncomfortable, not in a way that’s vengeful, but simply because I confront things that I don’t believe are right, regardless of someone else’s discomfort.'
Cavill said she doesn’t let problematic comments fly by, whether she knows the person who said them or not. She says she responds with statements like 'I respectfully disagree with what you just said. And here’s why.' And she makes sure her children see her do this.
'If my children never saw me do that and then I decided to have a conversation with them when they’re 16 about how to counteract harassment that they’re witnessing in their own peer group, that conversation wouldn’t go nearly as well if I hadn’t built a foundation for seeing what that looks like in real life.'"
