Children are extremely sensitive to their parent’s behaviour to each other. So as responsible parents it is our duty to be careful with our gestures with each other. While getting close to each other in front of kids it is important that we do not cross the line. With mixed signals from the environment children might develop a very strange idea about sex which might be harmful in the long run.
When adults display sexual behaviour in front of kids, they are in fact engaging in sexual abuse with the child. This subtle sexual abuse of a child’s mind may be ignored, but the effect is as damaging as being physically sexually abused. “Viewing adult sexual behaviour in font of their eyes can be disturbing for the child and at the same time can create arousal in young children even before they are able to understand the actual meaning of sex,” says psychologist Dr. Anjali Chabria. This can even lead to early sexual experimentation, which has its own set of problems like teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases. As responsible parents always restrict sex and for that matter even sexual jokes to bedrooms or even more private place far away from your child’s gaze.
On the other hand if children observe two adults of the opposite gender expressing warm and caring feelings with each other, they learn to value such emotional intimacy. Non sexual gestures like holding hands, a light and affectionate hug, and a hand around the shoulder are absolutely harmless gestures and it gives very positive picture about emotional man- woman relationship. “When kids sense parent’s affection towards each other in such a way, it creates a feeling of security and it makes them feel that all is well between their parents,” says Suparna Sinha, mother of a fifteen year old daughter. “When ever we have fights my daughter insists that we solve the matter and sit with each other holding each other’s hands. Probably it makes her feel secure and that is the reason we avoid any kind of arguments in front of our daughter,” adds Suparna. Adults should be aware of the effects of both the behaviours and make responsible choices while interacting with each other.
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