Mum Praised For Telling Two-Year-Old Daughter She Doesn't Have To Hug Her Grandparents

Jun 25, 2021 by apost team

Respecting people's boundaries is important at any age. While some people may feel comfortable giving out and receiving hugs and cuddles all the time, other people may like to keep more to themselves and shy away from these physical moments of affection. One mother in particular has encouraged her child to say "no" to being touched by anyone if the child doesn't want to be touched, whether it's a kiss, hug or even a high five. She made sure that her daughter knew this applied to family members as well, like the child's grandparents.

While plenty of people enjoy seeing their family and love to engage in the standard hug upon first spotting each other, some people aren't a fan of this act of affection, and this mother wanted people to know how important it is to respect that boundary. This doesn't mean that the child's grandparents can't show affection, rather they just need to respect what she's comfortable with. Knowing that it can hurt some people's feelings by not engaging in these friendly interactions is also important, as it goes along with understanding and demonstrating respect.

On June 21, 2021, the mother posted her story on Reddit to see if other people agreed with her parenting style, since even people in her own family did not agree with her. Balancing being respectful to multiple family members while still understanding what each other is comfortable with can be tricky, but this mother is doing her best to make sure that her family is attentive to her daughter's wishes.

In her Reddit post, the mother talked about visiting her in-laws on Father's Day with her husband and almost 2-year-old daughter. After spending a few hours there, the mother decided to take her daughter home, since she had been unable to nap all day. Everyone was perfectly fine with the decision to leave, but the act of actually leaving was a bit more complicated.

The mom explained how the grandparents struggled to respect her child's autonomy. There have been times when the grandfather would try to get the child to sit on his lap, but after she would refuse and get up, the grandma would simply put her back on the lap. This didn't sit right with the mother. "They know not to force hugs and kisses," she wrote. She has, however, offered a solution to times when the child is not in the mood for so much affection. "I've gotten in the habit of suggesting a high five if my daughter feels comfortable," the mom wrote. 

Her husband disagreed with her on the parenting style. Luckily for her, plenty of other people have praised her for standing up for her daughter and teaching her that it's perfectly acceptable to have boundaries and demand respect. In fact, 96% of the Reddit users who read the post upvoted it and agreed with her actions.

The mother's parents have also adjusted to make sure they show respect to their grandchild's autonomy and give her space when needed. "The difference with my family is that once they see my daughter is uncomfortable or she says no my parents will say they respect whatever it is and remind her that they love her even when she says no," the mother concluded her Reddit post.

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What did you think about this mother's parenting style? Do you agree that families should respect each other's personal space and boundaries? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your loved ones, too!