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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

at what age does 'no' really start to mean no? primary school 'dilemma'...

53 replies

bejeezus · 24/06/2012 18:32

was having a chat today with dd1 (7 year old) today about this and that. earlier in the day, another mum had asked her if she had a boyfriend and she had become all embarrassed and not answered. she said, she wanted to tell me now, about her boyfriend situation (Hmm Grin)..

she said this boy in her class had tried to kiss her hand whilst she wasnt looking; and when she had realised what he was doing she had pulled her hand away really quickly. I told her that boys should only be kissing her if she wanted them too. I said you kiss with someone, it isnt something you do TO someone and both people must be willing. She said that she had been 'terrified' when it happened!. So i went on to say that if she didnt like what someone was doing to her then she should ask them to stop....and if they didnt stop, she should......thump them in the face. And tell me, obviously

Grin so i am sure you can read between the lines and see that i was in my head, having this conversation with her 15 year old self about something more than kissing........

i know they are only 7 yo and it is all innocent and non-sexual, and that being 'terrified' by being kissed on the hand is a complete 7yo over reaction. and that thumping a 7 yo admirer in the nose would be considered by most, an over reaction also (particularly probably the parents of said admirer)

but i cant start giving her messages such as 'oh hes only playing' 'its just a kiss' 'boys do that' etc etc...its the start of the insidious rot isnt it???

she likes the boy and is friends with him btw...they play together

its a bit of a feminist aibu? Grin

OP posts:
SweetGrapes · 24/06/2012 18:43

god natured Hmm
good natured also

SweetGrapes · 24/06/2012 18:42

7 is fine to start this. Ds is 6 and I have been trying to drill the message in for a year so far. He plays with his friends, sister, baby brother etc and gets carried away and has trouble stopping playing. He wants to keep playing and ignores the fact that sister is not happy/baby is crying/friend doesn't like it etc.
It's the same thing isn't it? A sense of entitlement that comes from god knows where genes ?? He's very god natured and has loads of friends loves playing the clown for everyone but does have trouble stopping when he doesn't want to. Rough and tumble mostly.
Also teaching him about bobily integrity stuff - don't let anyone else touch you kind of thing.

If you tell dd it doesn't matter - then that's going to get translated through to other situations. If ds does this to anyone and she thumps him for it - I would think it's a lesson well learnt.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 24/06/2012 18:36

YANBU to tell her that no-one should touch her without her permission - I told my boys something similar when they were that age. I didn't tell them to thump someone in the face, though.

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