to object to DD being constantly touched

[motherlovebone]

Sometimes DD (nearly 6) & I walk home from school with my friend and her DS who is 7.5.
her son is constantly touching my DD, trying to hold her hand, touching her back, tummy, chest...
i asked her about it yesterday and she says she has told him not to but he just keeps acting like it.
i spoke to his mother today and she says she and her husband are tactile, so is their son...
i dont really like people in my space, AIBU, surely one has the right not to be touched?

Tricky. But even if they are a tactile family they should respect your right not to be touched all the time.

My ds1 touches people all the time but he's autistic... I discourage it and remind him, bcause why should other people have to be touched?

Yanbu.

YANBU.

yanbu. It's not too early for him to learn that other people's bodies are their own and permission needs to be given. having said that a 7 year old boy is often very immature - overgrown toddlers, some of them, so I wouldn't be too upset by this.

But I would certainly say that you need to be your DD's advocate here; speak up loudly and assertively when he does it and just let him know he needs to ask if he wants to hold hands or whatever. She'd learn alot about asserting her rights if she sees you do it for her first, IMO.

YANBU however I agree that 7yos are often immature. My charge finds respecting personal space very difficult - his previous nanny was very tactile but his parents aren't so I'm not sure where it came from. Definitely stand up for her and teach her that her body is her own and if it annoys her then he should stop.

It might help to role play with her in a loud voice phrases such as:

"Stop doing that, please."
"I don't want you touching me, X."