Curate, connect, and discover
We’ve taught our children this and it’s amazing to watch them grow into emotionally healthy people.
Can we normalize asking children if we can hug them?
Children deserve a right to make decisions about this sort of thing. Forcing children to hug or kiss relatives they don’t want to can not only be upsetting, but also teaches them that they should do things they’re not comfortable with to not hurt someone’s feelings. I don’t think I have to spell out why that’s a problem.
Teaching children about this is good for their emotional well being but also teaches them about consent both giving and receiving it.