Bodily autonomy matters. Apart from making people, particularly women, more comfortable with their own bodies and empowering them to make bolder body-related decisions. Unfortunately, though, it’s something some haven’t embraced yet and the society we live in is definitely to blame.
Many of us grew up in households and communities where women are usually made to feel that they don’t have full control of their own bodies. As children, we heard a lot of comments about how women should behave and what they should do with their bodies.
No wonder as adolescents, we had a lot of doubts about ourselves. Many of us could not even trust ourselves to choose our own clothes, knowing that people around us would always have negative things to say to us.
And yes, it took many of us quite some time to become fully confident when it comes to governing our own bodies and make bold decisions concerning them unapologetically. Of course, there are also some who aren’t quite there yet and we cannot blame them. Society has just been really harsh.
The thing is, we would not have to go through this difficult process if only we were taught about bodily autonomy as children. It would have made a lot of difference. And although we can no longer change our pasts, what we can do now is ensure that the next generation would not experience the same things.
In line with this realization, here are some things we can do to introduce the concept of bodily autonomy to children:
Using proper terms when teaching children about body parts
When we use incorrect terms when referring to body parts, especially genitals, we are making it seem to children that there is something wrong and shameful about those parts. That should not be the case at all.
If we really want individuals to appreciate their own bodies and have the confidence to govern them even at a young age, we should stop associating certain body parts with guilt and shame.
Respecting children’s boundaries
Grownups, especially parents, sometimes forget that children are individuals of their own and whose boundaries should be respected.
The thing is, if we show them that we are more than willing to respect their boundaries, it would be easier for them to claim ownership of their own bodies at a young age.
Not forcing children to hug people
Forcing children to hug people, including relatives and close family friends, is not a good way of establishing personal boundaries among children and teaching them about consent even if we mean well.
What we can do instead is ask them if they want to hug people instead of just assuming that they are fine with it.
Assuring them that they can freely tell you about things they are not comfortable with
One of the most difficult things a child can ever go through is not having the confidence to express to grownups, especially parents, how comfortable they are in certain situations. It is like being robbed of the right to say no to certain things, and it’s not okay. This is why we need to assure them that they can tell us if something is making them uncomfortable. They need assurance that they can call the shots.
Among the things we can try is agreeing on codes or hand signals that our children can use to subtly communicate with us if they are not comfortable around certain people or in specific situations.
As they say, start them young! Let us empower children and help them grow into even more empowered adults by taking some of these steps.
