Search Results for: tag appropriate touching

What is NOT Appropriate Sexual Development in Early Childhood.

In the three introduction articles, we’ve looked at sexual development in the three to fives and five to eight year-olds. They were green light behaviors, sometimes shocking and confronting to parents, but very normal from a child’s curious mind. This article looks at amber and red light behaviors that require concern and action. Remember that sexual development is a natural part of a child growing up. However, some behaviors step over the boundary of acceptable and suggest something else may be going on. The something else does not always mean the child has been sexually abused. Rather, it could be … Continue reading →

What is Age Appropriate Sexual Development in Early Childhood? The Five to Eight Year Olds.

This is the third article in the series. Click on the links to view the introduction, or, three to five-year-old articles. The five to eight-years olds are the ones who really seem to get into trouble the most, for simply enacting a normal part of their development. This is the stage where therapists are sent these children to “fix” them. So, is there increased abnormal sexual behavior in this age group? I think not. This age group is highly sociable, have started school, and have many more sets of authoritarian eyes watching their every move. The children are learning the … Continue reading →

Wedding Planning: Music

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A last article featured wedding planning and the tasks that it can involve. This article will continue the discussion about wedding planning and some of the decisions that must be made. The previous article discussed the decision of flowers. Some people prefer to use silk flowers while others like live arrangements instead. In addition to planning what type of flowers your wedding will feature, you must also consider the music that your wedding will have. Some brides have their hearts set on musical instruments such as the harp, piano, and organ. Other brides have certain songs that they want played. … Continue reading →

Book Review: Digging to America

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Novelist Anne Tyler’s book Digging to America centers around the relationships of members of two families who meet at the airport the night their daughters arrive from Korea. Although very different, the couples decide to get together annually to celebrate the anniversary of the girls’ arrival. Eventually their lives intertwine in many different ways over the next ten years. The book is fiction, and not strictly or even primarily an adoption book. One family is Iranian-American and, although they are thoroughly “Americanized”, I enjoyed learning a bit about that culture. We hear a bit about the grandmother’s life as a … Continue reading →

Book Review: From Diapers To Dating: A Parent’s Guide To Raising Sexually Healthy Children

Book Review: From Diapers To Dating: A Parent’s Guide To Raising Sexually Healthy Children, by Debra W. Haffner If you’re having problems talking to your kids about sex, I recommend this book. I admit, I checked it out of the library by mistake. I didn’t notice that it was about sex until I got home (the second part of the title is written in smaller letters under the main title). I thought it was a general parenting advice book. Since I had it anyway, I decided to read it. After all, at some point I will have to talk to … Continue reading →

Teaching Modesty: Creating a “Private Zone”

All children are vulnerable to predators—people who might want to take advantage of their innocence. Children on the autism spectrum and those with developmental delays are obviously even more at risk because of their inability to understand what behaviors are appropriate and inappropriate. An adult or older child might confuse a special needs child with terms that seem harmless like “friendship” or “hugs” or “secret.” And even if our children are never put in a dangerous situation, they could inadvertently embarrass themselves by exposing or talking about their private parts at improper times and places. Especially as our children approach … Continue reading →

BITSS of Say No.

It has always struck me as strange that while we want our children to grow into confident, assertive adults, we do not allow them to practice assertiveness as children. Although many toddlers start out saying “no” on every occasion, we soon halt this learning by telling the babies that saying “no” is not nice. Sexual abuse is not nice either and when children have been trained to never say “no” to grown ups, they become easy targets for predators. Saying “no” is not a form of disrespect. It is an example of assertiveness and high self-esteem. Of course, there will … Continue reading →

Book Review-Changes That Heal

The book-Changes That Heal, How to Understand Your Past to Ensure a Healthier Future by Dr. Henry Cloud is a great read for people who have been through difficult life circumstances-including divorce. The book is written from a Christian perspective and the four main areas that if cultivated would improve our daily lives. Those areas are: 1. Bonding with others 2. Separate ourselves from others 3. Sort out issues of good and bad 4. Take charge as an adult Beginning to bond with others occurs before we are even born. We hear our mother or fathers voices while still in … Continue reading →

Help Your Child Recognize Bullying

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This is a companion blog to my previous one, “Protect Your Special Needs Child from Bullying.” Children with special needs don’t always recognize what bullying “looks” like. That may be because rejection and cruelty has become all too common for them. Or maybe it’s just too difficult to judge the conduct and emotions of others. For example, it might be hard for a child with Asperger’s Disorder to determine whether someone is telling a friendly joke or laughing at him. Unfortunately, bullies will take advantage of these difficulties, putting our kids at risk. I looked around the internet for some … Continue reading →