If there is one thing that we see in the world today, it’s the fact that everybody has an opinion and it seems as if none of those opinions line up with each other. There are constant debates over one subject after another and it isn’t difficult for those debates to turn heated. Perhaps that is why we see so much disunity in the world these days because nobody is willing to admit that there may be two people who are right about the same situation. It doesn’t always have to be black-and-white, it sometimes can be gray and still be acceptable. I think that this applies more than anywhere when it comes to parenting.
Of course, people are going to argue until they are blue in the face about their method of parenting. It seems as if they are right and you are wrong, but as is the case with anything, there is some wiggle room in there as well. Every once in awhile, however, a debate rages over a particular topic with parenting and some people pull out the ‘child abuse’ card. This recently happened in a debate that has been going on for quite some time, over whether tickling is a form of child abuse. Admittedly, when we were tickled as a child, we often would scream for them to stop it but does that make it child abuse? That is where the argument lies.
A mother posted on Facebook in response to another parent, saying: “If they [kids] come looking for it/ask for it, they like it [tickling].
“Stop when they ask you to stop.”
She said that it is all about consent and that they should be teaching the child: “Their body, their rules.”
Seems as if she can’t make up her mind.
Other parents, on the other hand, couldn’t believe what she was saying! One of the parents responded: “So it’d be child abuse to do it to my kids?”
Someone else brought up a valid point, saying: “They will literally tell you to stop, then immediately ask to be tickled more.
“But generally it’s actually the best way to momentarily paralyze a toddler in order to get shoes on them.”
All joking aside, the debate continued to rage on. The first mother said: “This [not tickling] is one small thing you can do to show respect. It’s easy and causes no harm. Why wouldn’t you?”
Of course, everybody had something to say about that response, including one Facebook user who said: “Tickling isn’t going to traumatize a kid in this case.”
While a second added: “What? We argue about tickling now? 2020 is the worst.”
Like anything else these days, it seems as if people just can’t agree on anything. I’ll admit, if you are tickling to the point where it is stressing the child out and causing them harm, it’s not right.
Then again, if you hated being tickled as a child, don’t tickle your kids!