Lessons about consent help children develop essential life skills - psychologist

As a parent, starting conversations about consent early can help ensure your children have healthy boundaries and are respectful of others.

A good example of how to have these conversations is with the ‘tea method’.

This analogy says that consent is like offering someone a cup of tea.

If they say yes, they can have the tea.

If they say no, or change their mind halfway, you cannot force them to drink the tea.

This same principle can then be applied to touch, play, and any personal boundaries.

You can also model consent at home by asking your child ‘can I give you a hug?’ or ‘is it alright if I take a picture of you?’ and accept no as an answer.

By doing this you can teach them that their voice matters.

“When we teach our little ones that their bodies belong to them, we are helping them build respect, empathy, and confidence. These are basic life skills,” explains psychologistJogini Packery.

You can also teach them to ask permission for something small like joining a game.

She adds that you can use them to teach that anything other than an enthusiastic yes is a no.

To listen to qualified counselling psychologist Jogini Packery in conversation with Relebogile Mabotja on 702 Afternoons, click the audio player for more: