Awhile back, we talked about good touching and bad touching.
At one point, I said, “It’s not good to touch someone…” and Bethel finished “when you have dirty hands.” Yes, we’re off to a good start.
I started out talking about mommies and daddies. They like to touch each other. They kiss, and sleep together because they are married. Mommy doesn’t hug other daddies at church, does she? [Yes, I realize that some mommies do] The idea is that God made a context for touching. Touching is good in the right context.
We want to prepare ahead of time for responding to inappropriate touching. It means that some innocent touching is discouraged, but especially when children are young, they are vulnerable.
This is what I told our children they could say “I want to be your friend, but I don’t want to hug you.”
One child responded, “But I like to hug them.” All right, hug your cousins, then.
I’m reminding myself that teaching is a process, not merely a series of lectures.