A mom on TikTok has raised a lot of eyebrows after she revealed she gets her child’s grandparents to ask for consent before hugging them.
Now, there’s nothing quite as rewarding as parenthood.
The love between you and your child is something unlike any other feeling on earth… It’s a pretty magical thing.
Although you try and do the best for your child…
Everyone has an opinion on what you’re doing wrong.
There are many things that make parenthood irritating…
But there’s one thing pretty much every parent out there can relate to, which is feeling like you’re not giving your kids the best.
And there are a whole host of controversial decisions to be made around parenting.
It’s safe to say, people have some pretty strong opinions…
Like, for example, how to split duties between parents…
With single parenting being even tougher!
And modern parents have even more stresses to go through.
Technology has made the already hard job of parenting even trickier — especially as kids grow older.
There’s another big issue for parents, these days.
The highly topical issue of helicopter parenting.
It can be tricky to toe the line between responsible and overprotective.
But it’s important to foster independence and trust in your kids, to risk a serious rebellion down the line.
It often all comes down to communication.
And making sure your kids feel they can come to you with their problems will always make things easier.
Respect is another pertinent issue when it comes to parenting.
As a lack of respect is really what most fights between parents and kids come down to.
Patience is also key.
As any parent will tell you, you need the patience of a saint on some days.
The feeling of inadequacy can also bring parents down.
But if you’re trying your best, rest assured — you’re being a top-level parent!
Trying to instill discipline is key.
But, let’s be honest — it’s not always possible! Sometimes kids just aren’t in the mood to be obedient.
There’s something else that can make parenting seem scary.
That feeling that there just isn’t enough time!
Not only do days rush past when you’re super busy taking care of a little one…
But you want to treasure the precious, fleeting moments of your child’s early days (and years).
Dealing with fear is another big issue of parenting.
With a world out there that feels vast and frightening, it can be tempting to wrap you child up in cotton wool.
But you need to allow your child to experience life for themselves!
So long as they always know they can rely on you to help them out in times of need!
A lot of good parenting actually relies on relinquishing of control.
Which is, as any parent knows, easier said than done.
But you’ve got this!
The very fact you’re concerned about becoming a better parent means you’re already doing a great job!
Although, sometimes the internet might disagree…
One mom has left a lot of her followers questioning her recent comments after she revealed she gets her child’s grandparents to ask for consent before hugging them.
Australian mom of 1, Brittany Baxter took to TikTok to share why she wants to make sure that her child knows when to say no.
At the beginning of her video, she said “something has really been bothering [her] lately,” about her daughter’s grandparents.
The mom shared that she had been teaching her toddler about consent “basically since the day she’s been born.”
But revealed that her efforts were futile as family members wouldn’t ask before hugging her child.
In the video, she said: “Can we please start normalizing the fact that kids do not have to kiss and hug adults?
“My daughter is almost two years old and I’ve been in the process of teaching her consent basically since the day she’s been born and I find it really f**king unhelpful when the adults in her life are like, ‘What, we have to ask for a kiss or a hug?’ even though I’ve explained why multiple times.”
She added: “My daughter and her body do not exist to make anyone feel more comfortable or anyone feel more loved.
“No one’s feelings are ever going to be more important than my daughter’s right to her own body. And I’m sure as s**t not going to allow her to grow up in an environment where: 1. She doesn’t know how to say no and 2. She doesn’t know what it looks like for her not to be respected.”
Despite her comments coming from a place of love for her daughter, her post was met with backlash.
One commenter wrote: “I encourage my 21-month[-old’s] bond with my parents and she is so connected to them, I really don’t get your anger.”
Brittany was quick to respond, writing: “Have you actually asked your child if that’s what they want and that’s what they need? Or are you encouraging and fostering that relationship because it meets your needs?”
A second user wrote: “I love this in theory but I’m curious how you deal with situations involving hygiene and health.”
Brittany replied, before turning her comments off: “My daughter is turning two — I know she cannot wash her body without my help or my husband’s help.
“So when it comes to that time, I state the boundary, ‘Hey Bubby, it’s time to get clean now, we need to wash your body.'”
She continued: “I explain why, ‘We need to wash our bodies because that how we take care of our bodies, that’s going to keep our bodies healthy, etc. etc.’”
You can watch her TikTok here.
What do you think?