Why you shouldn’t force children to hug or kiss relatives this Christmas
The Girl Scouts of America have released a reminder to parents in the lead up to Christmas not to force children to hug or kiss relatives this holiday season.
The organisation published a blog post this week arguing that forcing kids to hug relatives and family friends could muddy the waters when it comes to the notion of consent later in life.
“Have you ever insisted, ‘Uncle just got here—go give him a big hug!’ or ‘Auntie gave you that nice toy, go give her a kiss,’ when you were worried your child might not offer affection on her own? If yes, you might want to reconsider the urge to do that in the future,” the blog post reads.
The blog continues: “Think of it this way, telling your child that she owes someone a hug either just because she hasn’t seen this person in a while or because they gave her a gift can set the stage for her questioning whether she “owes” another person any type of physical affection when they’ve bought her dinner or done something else seemingly nice for her later in life.”
Of course, many children will want to hug and kiss their family members, but the organisation urges parents and guardians to read their children and if they’re reticent, not to force them.
The blog post adds: “Of course, this doesn’t give [children] license to be rude! There are many other ways to show appreciation, thankfulness, and love that don’t require physical contact.”