Let’s speak to our kids about “CHILD ABUSE..”

Sexual Abuse… let’s prepare our kids to save from any such situation…

While most of us would agree to it, this may involve a stranger, most sexual abuse is perpetrated by someone the child knows and trusts.

It includes any touching for a sexual purpose, fondling of breasts, buttocks, genitals, oral sex, sexual intercourse, an adult exposing them to the child for a sexual purpose.

The effects of any form of abuse are not always immediate or visible. The long-lasting effects of emotional, physical or sexual abuse may only become evident as a child becomes older and begins to show difficult or disturbing behaviors or symptoms.

I don’t want my child to suffer from any of the above.How do I Break the ice with my Five-year-old daughter? It so happened that we went to watch movie Kahaani 2. In that movie, it’s so beautifully depicted that how Vidya Balan takes the little girl in confidence to confess the sexual abuse happening to her.

I got it how to begin the conversation with my child to break the ice. While giving her shower I simply asked her, you remember what did Vidya said in the movie yesterday, that when someone touches my nose and stomach I don’t feel good.  Immediately she said no, she said, “I don’t like if someone touches my chest or Private part”.  I was happy that the point has got into her head. Immediately I didn’t want to pose another question to her or overdo anything.  Since childhood, I have been feeding my daughter mind that, I, her mother is her best friend and all the secrets and every talk is to be shared between us.  If she can’t share some talk with me that means it’s wrong.

While we have to educate the child about abuse, we have to be cautious that in doing so we are not filling too much in their mind and making them very sensitive about the whole thing.

I have a few of working hands at home, my domestic help, gardener, laundry person. So I have been educating my child about good and bad touch. About a safe circle, means people she can trust which would include her grandparents or someone very close.

I have a password tied up with my daughter, that in case, someone tries to woo her, school, to tell her that her mother has sent him/her to pick her school, the park she needs to ask for a password.

Travelling has been a part of my life. My daughter is too young to remember my mobile number, but I scribble it on both her hands while traveling, keep a slip in her pocket, her bag that she carries. Just in case something happens and she gets lost, I trust there are good people still existing I world who would help.

At times mothers still feel apprehensive to talk to their kids, in that case, there are few very nice cartoon short movies on youtube to explain thing better.

I’m working towards making my daughter a stronger female with all the trust in her parents. Speaking about sex or related questions is not a taboo.