One mom's rule for who gets to hug her kids teaches parents an important lesson

Internet - Although it may not sound like it at first, this mom's curious rule has nothing to do with coronavirus. Rather, Brittany wants to teach her daughter to make her own decisions early on – even when it comes to showing affection.

Brittany Baxter is already teaching her one-year-old daughter to make her own decisions (collage).
Brittany Baxter is already teaching her one-year-old daughter to make her own decisions (collage).  © Screenshot/TikTok/brittanybaxter_x

For this reason, her parents and even other family members are only allowed to hug or kiss the one-year-old if she wants them to. That means they have to ask the little one for permission first.

The mother explained this somewhat strange-sounding rule in a video posted on TikTok: "Can we please start normalizing the fact that children don't have to kiss and hug adults? My daughter is almost two years old and I've been in the process of teaching her consent since the day she was born," said a somewhat upset Brittany Baxter.

Many of her relatives apparently don't understand this measure: "I think it's really bad when the adults then say, 'What?! We have to ask for a kiss and a hug?' Even though I've explained to them multiple times why."

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She continued, "And then when she says 'No,' it's like, 'Oh, she doesn't love me, my feelings are so hurt,' and then they proceed to overstep her body boundaries anyway."

No one has the right to go against her daughter's wishes, the TikToker explains. "No one's feelings will ever be more important than my daughter's right to her own body, and I'm sure as sh*t not going to allow her to grow up in an environment where one, she doesn't know how to say 'no,' and two, she doesn't know what it looks like for her 'no' to be respected."

In closing, she has one clear request, "Grandparents, do better."

Other mothers react to Brittany's video

Brittany urges all parents not to give in when relatives arbitrarily show excessive affection towards children.

"My daughter and her body do not exist to make anyone feel more comfortable and to make anyone feel more loved," was the mom's important reminder.

More than 391,000 users have already viewed the clip, with many mothers in particular speaking out – and agreeing with Brittany.

"Yes you should always support this. This is so important," wrote one. "I totally agree with you. It's my daughter's decision," commented another.

And a third summed it up, "I don't even make her kiss me or hug me and you know what, she does it when she wants to and that means a lot to me."

Cover photo: Screenshot/TikTok/brittanybaxter_x

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