Little girl praised for telling paediatrician he had to ask permission to touch her

A little girl has been praised after telling her paediatrician that he had to ask permission in order to touch her.

At just seven years old, one mum is totally balled over with just how incredibly her child has grasped the concept of consent.

The mum has since publicly congratulated her daughter after being 'totally comfortable' in advocating for own 'personal boundaries'.

Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels

The girl was in her first year of year school then the now-famous #MeToo movement went viral and took the world by storm after gaining huge traction back in 2017.

The movement gained its most notable prominence in response to multiple allegations of sexual abuse by American film producer Harvey Weinstein.

At the time, the child was taught about consent at school.

The teacher had introduced the concept to the class by explaining: "You need to ask a friend if it’s OK before you hug them.”

While the lesson was initially 'unexpected' for mum Meredith Gordon, she did admit she was 'appreciative' that the teacher had introduced the kids to the concept of consent at 'such a young age'.

Karolina Grabowska / Pexels

"I was pleased that this generation of young kids would be comfortable advocating for their own personal boundaries in a way that people in my generation were not," Meredith revealed.

She added that she 'felt a certain relief' that children today 'wouldn’t be called rude or shy simply for not wanting to do things that made them feel uncomfortable'.

And it's clear that the lesson translated beyond the classroom as Meredith's daughter applied it to a real-life situation.

Meredith recalled: "The other day, during a doctor's exam, my daughter informed her paediatrician he needed to ask permission to touch her.

"It was completely innocent. He had given her a compliment and placed his hands on her cheeks."

According to the mum, her daughter stated: "You need to ask permission before you touch me."

RF._.studio / Pexels

The health professional then 'responded gracefully' telling the little tot: "You’re right. You’re the boss of your body," before completing the examination.

Meredith admitted that she was totally 'taken aback at her words' but it was her own personal reaction which was the most 'worrying'.

"It was the childhood me," she explained. "The one who had been taught to worry about someone else’s feelings if they made me uncomfortable, that was still alive and well."

The mum admitted that she had to 'check' herself in that moment as while her seven-year-old 'had no problem stating her boundaries', she was 'still concerned about repercussions or payback'.

Meredith resolved: "She was right. I was wrong. In that moment, I let her take the lead. I needed her to teach me."

Topics: Real Life, Life, Parenting, Health

Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle is a Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from the University of Manchester in 2021 in English Literature. Alongside her studies, she was the Lifestyle Editor of The Mancunian, the largest student newspaper in the United Kingdom. Her favourite topics to write about include sex and relationships, bizarre lifestyle trends and all things travel.