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We had not spoken about this since, just a little reminder here or there, but not enough to make it a lasting impression. I began praying for an opportuniy to talk to her about this without bringing it up at an awkward time or making her uncomfortable.
One Tuesday Morning, the kids and I were in the kitchen. I was washing the dishes, the kids were playing a few feet away, and Mandesa was blasting in the background.
And then my teachable moment happened. (Moms, you need to be on the constant look out for these moments!)
Addie asked Ian for a hug, and my "too-busy" little boy was not interested. So Addie kept at him telling him to hug her. And that is when Mommy stepped in- to keep Ian from being smothered and to teach Addie.
"Addie, he doesn't want to be hugged right now. You know, if you ever do not want someone to hug you, you can tell them no and they have to respect that. You are very special, and you are never to be touched in a way that makes you uncomfortable." We then went on to talk about where people should never put their hands or touch her and what her response should be if, God forbid, she is ever made to feel uncomfortable.
She listened, talked and interacted with me, asking questions and showing a genuine understanding of our conversation, and then ran off to play with Ian. As parents, it is important for us to plan out times to actually sit down with our children to teach them God's Word and other important life lessons, but sometimes, our job is just to be alert to the opportunities God puts before us in our everyday moments. There is so much that our children need to learn, and we are the ones God has chosen to teach these little ones.
"Addie, he doesn't want to be hugged right now. You know, if you ever do not want someone to hug you, you can tell them no and they have to respect that. You are very special, and you are never to be touched in a way that makes you uncomfortable." We then went on to talk about where people should never put their hands or touch her and what her response should be if, God forbid, she is ever made to feel uncomfortable.
She listened, talked and interacted with me, asking questions and showing a genuine understanding of our conversation, and then ran off to play with Ian. As parents, it is important for us to plan out times to actually sit down with our children to teach them God's Word and other important life lessons, but sometimes, our job is just to be alert to the opportunities God puts before us in our everyday moments. There is so much that our children need to learn, and we are the ones God has chosen to teach these little ones.
Great job mommy!!!!
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