Lottie Dailey is a woman who’s fairly well known in the United Kingdom. As a high-profile mom and a close friend of popular British comedian Russell Brand, Lottie frequently finds herself and her views being scrutinized by the public and she recently said something in a TV appearance that has raised some eyebrows and is sparking debate. On the TV show “This Morning,” Lottie talked about her parenting style and how she parents her two daughters. For one thing, she addressed the importance of teaching children about body autonomy from a very young age. She even suggested that before changing your baby’s diaper, you should get their consent.
To be clear, she’s not saying you have to give them the option to refuse to have their nappies changed, per se. What she’s saying is that she taught her children from a young age that their bodies belong to them and no one can touch them without specifically telling them what they’re doing and why. Her suggestion is that you tell the baby that you’re going to change their diaper. When one of the hosts asked the obvious question, “What if they say no?”, Lottie clarified that it’s not about getting permission. It’s about teaching them that before anyone touches them, they should expect an explanation.
By Lottie’s thinking, it’s not about giving a yes or no answer. She feels that if children are taught to know what to expect, they’ll know when something is wrong and when someone is touching them when they shouldn’t be doing so. She suggests that you should make it a habit to check with your child to make sure they’re OK with what’s going on and remind them why you’re doing what you’re doing. Particularly, she emphasizes that the issue of consent should be addressed from the very beginning, well before the time a child grows into a teenager.
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Another thing that Lottie wanted to address was the issue of tickling. She thinks it’s inappropriate and her little girls tell her they don’t like to be tickled. The hosts and the other guest on the show, TV personality Vanessa Feltz, found that opinion to be absurd and they all agreed between the three of them that tickling is something that’s innocent and fun. The hosts and Feltz apparently have fond memories of being tickled by their grandparents. However, it should be noted that many abusive situations start with something like tickling that is seemingly benign. Watch the video below.
