Although children are most vulnerable between the ages of seven and 13, there are sexual predators who target victims as early as infancy. Therefore, the best time to talk to your child about good and bad touch is as soon as they are capable of understanding your words but it's best to keep information age-appropriate.
Kids are way smarter than we give them credit for so we should incorporate more direct ways to initiate the good touch bad touch conversation. Kids as young as 2 years of age are smart enough to understand the privacy of body parts, so we should hand them the information exactly how it is.
Talk about good touch and bad touch
Tell your kids about various kinds of touches. For example, good touch feels caring, like a pat on the head, back, or a bear hug. In comparison, a bad touch can hurt your body or feelings, such as pinching, hitting, or touching any private area.
Safe touches. These are touches that keep children safe and are good for them, and that make children feel cared for and important. Safe touches can include hugging, pats on the back, and an arm around the shoulder. Safe touches can also include touches that might hurt, such as removing a splinter.
Find the right moment to talk and listen to what they say
Read more about having a conversation with your child. In the first conversation you should: Reassure them that whatever has happened, you are there for them. Make sure they know that you would never blame them for anything that might happen online.
It helps them handle the not-so-positive events in life in a better way and healthier way. Understanding the difference between good touch and bad touch will help them grow and help them understand various events in their life so that they do not impact their personality and well-being.
Normal sexual behaviors in toddlers and preschoolers
Normative (normal), common "sexual" behavior in 2- to 6-year-olds may include: Touching/rubbing genitals in public or private.
Your child touching everything is not a big deal.
In fact, it helps with brain development and sensory processing. Adults do this too; it's just not as often because as adults, we have felt what a lot of things feel like already.
They're learning about how people show love to other people.” Toddlers see their mom and dad or other adults expressing their feelings by kissing and touching each other, sometimes in suggestive ways, Rinaldi adds, and it's not surprising that they'd imitate this.
5 to 12 years old
As a result, you should see a decrease in the amount of public touching your child does of their own body. This doesn't mean, however, that their self-touching stops altogether — but that's common, too.
Teach children that "they are the boss of their body." Let your children know that they are in control of who touches their bodies and how. Model this for children: "I don't want you to jump up and down on me. Please stop." Likewise, immediately respect their wishes not to be touched in certain ways.
Touch is essential for human survival; babies who are deprived of touch can fail to thrive, lose weight and even die. Babies and young children who do not get touched also have lower levels of growth hormone, so a lack of touch can actually stunt a child's growth.
A pediatrician and a child psychologist say co-sleeping is OK until a child reaches prepuberty. Alicia Silverstone recently shared in a podcast that she and her 11-year-old son share a bed. A pediatrician said co-sleeping should not happen before 12 months and should stop at prepuberty.
"When something seems different from the norm, that's noteworthy to them." Think of it this way: These inappropriate comments are actually the product of a curious and very literal mind, one that hasn't learned how to be tactful or express empathy.
Safe (good) touches feel caring, like pats on the back or wanted hugs. Unsafe (or bad) touches hurt your body or feelings, such as pinching or hitting.
Redirect their attention.
This can be helpful when your child is in public and you don't want to talk about their touching or turn it into a discussion. One of the best things to do it to put something in their hands to touch instead. This gives them an activity and keeps them focused on something else.
The theory behind tactile defensiveness is that your child's light touch receptors on the skin are overly sensitive. When their receptors are activated, they trigger a “fight or flight” response. This emotional, physiological response causes your child to view certain types of touch as threatening.
Other times, kids' unique temperaments mean they're more shy or sensitive to touch. Those aspects of their personality may stay pretty consistent throughout their lives and impact how they feel about hugs and other physical signs of affection. There's nothing wrong with that.
Parents: There's no absolute right answer as to whether it's okay to read your kid's text messages. It depends on your kid's age, personality and behavior. The most important thing is that you discuss responsible texting behavior.
It takes a parent with ironclad boundaries not to sneak a peek at what's happening on their kid's phone. But a full-on investigation without your kid's knowledge and consent probably won't end well. Spot checks, conversations, and transparency should be sufficient to keep tabs on your kid while preserving your bond.
Kids are curious by nature. This can be a great thing, but it can also create risks, especially when it comes to content online. Virtually every child will be exposed to some type of developmentally inappropriate content online at some point during their growing-up years.