KIDDO CHATS: Teaching kids about consent

Kiddo Chats
June 15, 2021

Teaching kids consent. In this episode we’re tackling the important issue of teaching our kids about consent. Talking us through this topic is award winning author, educator and advocate, Jayneen Sanders. Jayneen has actively advocated for body safety, gender equality and respectful relationship education being taught both in homes and in schools for over twelve years and has written and published several books on consent for children and parents.

In this episode we’re tackling the important issue of teaching our kids about consent.

How do we ensure our younger children know about and understand consent? It’s not always easy having these conversations with our kids, but it’s absolutely necessary. Parents are asking at what age should this conversation happen, how should it be introduced? How should we actually be talking about it? The good news is you can start teaching kids about consent from a very young age, without confronting discussions about rape or sexual violation.

Talking us through this topic is award winning author, educator and advocate, Jayneen Sanders. Jayneen has actively advocated for body safety, gender equality and respectful relationship education being taught both in homes and in schools for over twelve years and has written and published several books on consent for children and parents including; ‘No Means No’, ‘My Body! What I Say Goes!’, ‘Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept’, ‘ABC of Body Safety & Consent’, ‘Let’s Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent & Respect’, and ‘Body Safety Education, A Parent’s Guide to Protecting Kids from Sexual Abuse’. Most of these books are suitable for children aged 3-9 years and give parents, carers, and educators the tools and framework to have conversations in age-appropriate ways with the children in their lives to educate and empower them.

In this episode we cover topics including:

How and when to introduce the concept consent to young kids without relating it to sex
Practical ways to model consent to children
Why kids should never be asked to keep secrets
The importance of teaching anatomically correct terminology for body parts
Broaching sex ed with kids

CONTENT WARNING: In this episode, themes and references to sexual abuse and rape are covered. If this raises any issues or concerns for you, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or White Ribbon Australia on 1800 Respect.