Body safety discussions can be daunting at times. As a parent we often wonder what do we say? When do we say it? Is my child too young?

Body safety conversations can actually be really positive, simple and even occur daily, empowering your child to understand their personal safety, boundaries and who to talk to if they feel unsafe.

Here are some ideas for your family:

• Read age-appropriate story books about body safety. Some great titles include “Everyone’s got a bottom”, “My Body! What I say goes”, “Body Safety Red Flags”, “No Means No”, “My Body My Rules”
• Encourage your child to wash themselves in the bath / shower. Children 2 years and older will love being independent and trying this themselves and this supports awareness of boundaries around body parts.
• Use correct language for private parts. A child who uses the correct language is less vulnerable than a child who uses a nick name or embarrassed by this.
• Talk about the people in your child’s life they trust & feel safe with. These are their SAFETY HEROES- the people they can talk to when they feel UNSAFE
• Talk about what is SAFE versus UNSAFE and use examples that are relevant to the child such as you are SAFE when you hold Mum’s hand to cross the road. When we are SAFE, we feel happy / relaxed. If you were UNSAFE such as crossing the road alone, how might that feel? We might feel worried, nervous, scared, sad. When you feel unsafe you can talk to one of your Safety heroes.
• Avoid the use of word “secrets”. When we normalize a secret, then children can be vulnerable to keeping secrets.
• Think about when your child refuses to kiss or cuddle a family member or friend. Do we force them? This is a great opportunity to say “if you feel uncomfortable maybe you can hi-5 instead”. When we force a child, we are sending the message – ‘you have to do what the adult says even if you are uncomfortable’.
• If you are engaged in play with your child such as rough & tumble or tickling and they say “no more” or “stop” this is a great time to acknowledge this and say “Ok I’m stopping because you have asked me to”
• Be aware of online safety and set rules about online use at home. For children under 6 years online access should be minimal to no use, however if your child does have access ensure you have parental control. For older children, talk to them about staying safe online. This is not only about child safety but also bullying. For information about online safety for 2-5 years:  https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/safety/online-safety/internet-safety-2-5-years For information about online safety for 6-8 years: https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/media-technology/online-safety/internet-safety-6-8-years

We understand this is a serious issue which causes great anxiety for many families; however, the above ideas do not have to be explored quickly or all at the same time. This approach occurs gently, through everyday conversations and opportunities. It is gentle so that it does not raise a child’s anxiety but instead empowers them to develop lifelong skills in this area.

For more information on this topic please go to https://www.childsafe.org.au/help-for-families/body-safety-resources/