{"id":135556,"date":"2023-12-16T08:32:43","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T08:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluemull.com\/?p=135556"},"modified":"2023-12-16T08:32:43","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T08:32:43","slug":"im-a-mum-parents-should-get-their-kids-consent-to-sit-on-santas-lap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluemull.com\/lifestyle\/im-a-mum-parents-should-get-their-kids-consent-to-sit-on-santas-lap\/","title":{"rendered":"Im a mum – parents should get their kids consent to sit on Santas lap"},"content":{"rendered":"
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    One mum has urged parents not to force kids to sit on Santa's lap this Christmas and said they should seek consent.<\/p>\n

    Katie Love's recommendation comes after she spotted daughter Adley Martin, three, was nervous while queuing to see Santa. The mum said she knew it was about sitting on the big guy's lap.<\/p>\n

    She used her daughter's visit as a \u201cteachable moment\u201d about consent and respecting boundaries. She urged Adley to speak up and say "no" if she didn't want to do something.<\/p>\n

    READ MORE: Mum praised for teaching toddler son 'consent' while changing his nappy<\/b><\/p>\n

    Check out more real life stories here<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    And Adley turned down the opportunity to sit on Santa\u2019s knee – despite worries she may not get the bike she desperately wanted.<\/p>\n

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    Santa told the tot he admired the way she \u201cstood up for herself\u201d – and said she should continue to say \u201cno\u201d if she wants to, even to people like Santa Claus.<\/p>\n

    Katie, 35, says she regularly teaches her about bodily autonomy. The mum, who is a CEO of a social media agency, from Miami, Florida, said: \u201cToddlers should be able to use \u2018no\u2019 as a full sentence. Boundaries and bodily autonomy are extremely important to us as a family – and consent is such an important topic, even for a three-year-old.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Katie took Adley to see Santa on December 10, at the Ritz-Carlton in Miami. But as they were queuing up, she noticed the tot looking nervous – despite feeling excited about meeting him for \u201cweeks\u201d.<\/p>\n

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    She wasn\u2019t sure how Adley would react once it was her turn – but reassured her she didn\u2019t have to sit on his lap if she didn\u2019t want to. \u201cAdley was definitely nervous,\u201d Katie said. \u201cBut she was super excited – she\u2019d been talking about it for weeks.<\/p>\n

    \u201cI think she's so little, and she saw all those other kids – it made her nervous. I said to her, \u2018you don\u2019t have to sit on his lap – you can say no,\u2019 thinking, you never know with toddlers.<\/p>\n

    \u201cShe told me \u2018no\u2019 – but I could tell she was worried she wouldn\u2019t get the purple bike she\u2019d been asking for.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Once it was Adley\u2019s turn – she told Santa she didn\u2019t want to sit on his lap, and he praised her for it. In a video recorded by Katie, he said: \u201cThis is her body – she\u2019s in control of her body. I asked if she wanted to sit on my lap, and she said \u2018no\u2019 – I said, way to stand up for yourself.<\/p>\n

    \u201cYou can\u2019t let even Santa Claus – if Santa Claus says \u2018do you want to sit on my lap?\u2019 – if you don\u2019t want to, you say no.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Katie felt relieved by the exchange, and thankful to \u2018Santa\u2019 for taking the extra time out to talk to her. She said: \u201cFor Santa to affirm her and say thank you for expressing yourself – I mean, there was a line full of kids. I never expected him to take those five minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

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    Katie and her husband, stay-at-home dad Aaron Martin, 36, have spent almost all of Adley\u2019s life teaching her about consent. From teaching her it\u2019s okay to say \u201cno\u201d to a hug, to not allowing people to touch her in uncomfortable areas, the pair believe toddlers\u2019 boundaries should be respected like anyone else\u2019s.<\/p>\n

    But this hasn\u2019t always been welcomed by the rest of their family. \u201cIf she doesn\u2019t want to hug family members – even mummy and daddy, that\u2019s okay,\u201d said Katie. \u201cIf a family member comes over and says \u2018give me a hug\u2019 – she doesn\u2019t have to say yes.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u201cBut that has sometimes been hard for the rest of our family. I think there\u2019s a fine line and we really try to walk it – she has control over her body, but we don\u2019t want to scare her by teaching her that everybody in the world is going to try and take advantage.<\/p>\n

    \u201cAdley is so affectionate by nature, as well, which is almost sweeter, because if she\u2019s hugging you it means she really wants to.\u201d<\/p>\n

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