Each parent has a different philosophy regarding how they want to raise their child. For instance, some people favor stiffer rules while others are more relaxed. Since the advent of the internet, parents from all over the world have been able to discuss the methods they believe are most effective for raising a healthy and happy child. Some methods have received universal acclaim, while others have sparked heated discussion.
For instance, a discussion on whether grandparents have the right to hug their grandchildren as they wish erupted when a mom on the internet claimed that her six-year-old daughter bit her grandma because the latter dislikes being hugged. Today, many women are expressing the same sentiment on online forums, adding that permission should be sought before any family members, including grandparents, physically affectionately interact with their kids.
Brittany Baxter, an Australian mother, has fervently defended her position in a series of TikTok videos where she argues that all grandparents ought to ask permission before cuddling their grandchildren, even her own two-year-old daughter. She goes even further, asserting that nobody has the right to demand that her daughter give them physical affection. Since this video was posted in April 2021, there have been discussions over whether this technique is just and legitimate, and many people have joined the discussion. However, Baxter is adamant about it, and her series of videos explaining why consent is crucial for even infants and young children have gone viral online.
Baxter talks about how, after numerous warnings, the grandparents of her two-year-old daughter continue to cross lines. She continues by saying that although even her toddler daughter can comprehend the principles of permission, for some reason adults don’t seem to like it and take the boundaries personally. As a parent, I practice consent with my daughter, and something has been really worrying me lately, says Baxter at the beginning of one of her TikTok videos.
Can we please start normalizing the concept that children do not have to kiss and hug adults? she pondered as she posted on the TikTok site.
She added that she has been instilling the importance of consent in her daughter since since she was a baby “Even though I’ve repeatedly explained why, it’s unhelpful when the adults in her life say things like, “What, we have to ask for a kiss and a hug?” Then, once she declines, they say things like, “Oh, she doesn’t love me, my feelings are so crushed,” and they still violate her personal space.”
She went on, “To make somebody feel more at ease or more loved is not the purpose of my daughter or her body. The fact that the older generation hasn’t invested the time to learn how to control their emotions so that consent isn’t continually disregarded is neither her responsibility nor mine.”
No one’s feelings will ever be more significant, according to Baxter, than my daughter’s right to her own body.
She made it plain that she wouldn’t support consistently ignoring limits because doing so would be disrespectful to others “would permit her [her daughter] to grow up in a setting where: 1. She lacks the ability to say no, and 2. She has no idea what it feels like to be disrespected.” “Grandparents, do better,” she said as she wrapped up the video.
“If we can’t allow our children to say no and we can’t teach them that it’s okay to say no, how are they ever going to be able to do that when they find themselves in difficult situations where they feel uncomfortable?” Baxter asked in her explanation of why she created the film.
No one’s feelings will ever be more significant, according to Baxter, than my daughter’s right to her own body.
Baxter claims that despite the fact that her video generated a range of reactions despite receiving over 400,000 views and countless comments. She told the news organization, “A lot of people are really offended, which I understand, and a lot of people have misconstrued the meaning of the message that I’m trying to get through.
She garnered encouragement from both men and women in her comments section, with one female commenter writing, “speak up, sister. I adore this!” A second man remarked, “This is my 50-year-old, proud uncle. I grew up learning to ask people if they would want a hug, a high five, or nothing at all. Always be calm. always encouraged It’s really crucial!”
Others, though, believed she went too far. Shared reported that a woman left a comment, “My 21-month-old daughter is incredibly close to my parents, and I actively encourage her to develop emotional and physical ties with them. I don’t understand your rage at all.”
It is safe to say that Baxter’s opinions have sparked a discussion, and there are many people who support both sides of the argument.
Watch her video below:
