UNITED STATES
PopSugar
March 1, 2018
By Angela Anagnost Repke
[Note: First Published: January 25, 2018]
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were at a weekend gathering with food, friends, and a handful of kids running around. My 5-year-old son — the biggest one at the party — was chasing the other kids while playing Monster. The children ran around the kitchen yelling, “Don’t get me, monster!” and their happy and imagination-filled squeals nourished our souls. But then the cute squeals turned into a worry-filled, “Stop! No!” My son had jokingly tackled a 4-year-old girl. While he didn’t do any damage and genuinely thought they were all just playing, I knew I needed to act immediately.
Any other time, I would have taken my son aside and given him a quick but stern chat about being more gentle when playing with other kids. But this time, in this moment, I felt the heavy responsibility as a parent to do more. The Time’s Up and #MeToo movements have made me much more aware of the importance of teaching both my son and daughter about sexual assault. The courageous women who are using their voices to tell their stories have made me realize that teaching good, decent, and kind behavior starts the second kids are born, not when they’re already in high school. It’s never too early to build that foundation.
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