Advice for Parents to Protect Children from Mental and Physical Harm

Did the saga of Larry Nasser end with his sentencing? Will another Larry Nasser raise his head again? The sentencing of 45 to 175 years in prison is unlikely to put an end to the kind of behavior exhibited by this hideous monster. Therefore we can only provide advice for parents to protect their children from becoming victims of hideous characters of the variety described above.

Parents must not consider the advice provided as something which they can afford to ignore because the incarceration of one individual will not rid the world of the hideous nature of the crime committed for over two decades. They must be prepared to accept the advice for parents which is being offered and make the world a better place for their children to live in. Parents will not be required to spend any money when accepting the advice being provided. They just need to ensure their children are taught some lifestyle behavior which will stand them in good stead. What can parents do to ensure that the likes of Larry Nasser never again get an opportunity to prey on victims who they can exploit?

Parents are advised to allow their children to confront authority

Every child has an individual method of communication and on many occasions, the child can also irritate parents to no end. They may act disrespectfully and give parents the view that they are being a pain in the neck. In such cases, parents are advised to take a few deep breaths or even walk away from the scene for some time. There is a need for parents to understand that the child is attempting to communicate something in his or her own way along with their feelings. They must make an attempt to understand what the child is trying to communicate while making certain that the child understands the communication is not going unheard. Parents must make an attempt to find solutions that are workable for both without trying to display their authority just because they have had enough of the conversation. The child must never be forced into a position where he or she finds themselves in a power struggle.

Children must be encouraged to understand they are the boss of their body

There is a common feeling among parents that they know everything about their children’s body and often dissuade the child from doing certain things when they are countered. Parents may believe this is a good practice and a method to teach the children to follow instructions. However, things will be a lot better if parents decided to let children speak for themselves and try to understand whether they could be ignoring something which needs attention. One thing to do is to stop the habit of distrusting children and overriding their instincts because they could well be expressing a problem in a different manner.

Applauding children for honesty are habits parents should develop

Children should be applauded for their honesty even when they are wrong.

Children are often disciplined for bad behavior or for lying leading to the development of bad habits among them and prompting them to hold back on information from their parents. This is a common problem with many parents who feel it is the best way to control children from going off the track. Disciplining children when the need arises may be a requirement but applauding children when they are honest about their actions even when it is not appreciated by the parents is a quality that parents should imbibe in themselves. Credit must be given to children for being honest but the fact that the child decided to express the honesty should be appreciated by making the child feel for their actions.

Teach children about their personal boundaries

Children should be given information about the boundaries they can or cannot cross. The personal boundaries set for children should also be respected by the parents because children also have a right to express their understanding of what’s right or wrong. Children should not be given the impression that parents can push their boundaries without hindrance because they tend to develop the feeling that others can also do so without any problems.

Encourage children to use empowering language

This is perhaps the most important thing to do because it is essential for them to encourage their children to use empowering language as and when it is required. Parents may have difficulties speaking to children about the kind of inappropriate physical actions people may subject them to but nevertheless, they must make attempts to broach the subject in a manner which will be understood by the child.

Information must be exchanged with the children about who or how anyone can come into physical contact with them especially without their permission. Children who are not scared of expressing themselves without fear must be encouraged to do so not just for themselves but also for others. Children need whatever help they can get to deal with inappropriate victimization from known or unknown individuals and should be encouraged to use every option available to them to accomplish this task.

It is quite possible that these steps are being followed by many just as it is true that many haven’t even considered the subject. The nature of the crime committed by Larry Nasser shouldn’t be considered as a one-off incident and this is the reason why we have decided to mention this subject again.