Mom Explains Why Grandparents Have No ‘Right’ To Hug Her Daughter

A mom on TikTok has drawn criticism after insisting that her daughter’s grandparents have no right to hug the little girl without consent. Brittany Baxter, from Australia, has gone viral for insisting that adults shouldn’t automatically be able to be affectionate with her daughter just because they’re family. Instead, she says they should ask permission before touching the child.

@brittanybaxter_x

I said what I said… #gentleparenting #consent #fyp

♬ original sound – Brittany Baxter

  1. Baxter is serious about protecting her daughter’s personal space. “Can we please start normalizing the fact that kids do not have to kiss in front of adults?” she said in a clip that’s been viewed over a million times. “My daughter’s almost two years old and I’ve been in the process of teaching her consent basically since the day that she’s been born.”
  2. People don’t seem to understand why asking for consent is important. Baxter continued: “I find it really f***ing unhelpful when the adults in her life are like, ‘What?! We have to ask for a kiss and a hug?’ even though I’ve explained why multiple times.”
  3. As a parent, Brittany Baxter wants to teach her daughter that no one has a right to her body. Not only does her body “not exist to make anyone feel more comfortable,” but other people should get on board with the idea even if it seems alien to them. “It is not her fault and it’s not my fault that the older generation haven’t taken the time throughout their entire lives to learn how to regulate their emotions so consent doesn’t continue to be overlooked,” she explained. “No one’s feelings are ever going to 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. Two, she doesn’t know what it looks like for her not to be respected.”
  4. Baxter believes grandparents are most guilty of this and can stand to do better. And while some people think she’s being extreme, plenty of others offered words of support. “Working on this with my two-year-old as well. We’ve had to reduce his interactions with my mother as she does not respect this. I feel no guilt,” one person responded. Another added: “This is so important! My husband and I are teaching consent as well. Recently, we started asking for hugs and kisses instead of saying ‘give me a hug.'”
@brittanybaxter_x

An update for anyone who is interested. Part two is in the comments! #consent

♬ original sound – Brittany Baxter

Jennifer Still is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. The managing editor of Bolde, she has bylines in Vanity Fair, Business Insider, The New York Times, Glamour, Bon Appetit, and many more. You can follow her on Twitter @jenniferlstill
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