Miss 6 came into the room a little while ago and got my instant attention when she said “Mum, I got some of the warning signs today”.
Having been at a party with play equipment and tunnels and hidden spaces and older unknown children – I had a couple of warning signs myself.
Being older and wiser than I once was, I didn’t panic but sat down on the bed and asked “really? At the party? What warning signs did you feel?”
She said “Weeeeeeeeeell… my legs were shaking and my hands got all sweaty and my heart felt like it was beeping too fast” (I smile inwardly at ‘beeping’ but don’t want to put her off so keep a straight face).
So I say “Well it’s really good you know about warning signs and are telling me about them” and I ask her “And what was happening when you were feeling those warning signs?”
“Weeeeeeeeeell… I was feeling like I might fall even though there was soft bits at the bottom, and my hands were all sweaty all the time”
So I say, “Yes it was a bit scary and exciting there wasn’t it? And it was hot!”
She, thoughtfully, “yeah…”
There is another little bridge on my mind to cross, so I ask “and what do you understand about good touching and bad touching?”
“Weeeeeeeeeell… bad touching is like, well, [thinking] when you touch a rose prickle and it hurts, or when you get told not to touch something and you do – THAT’s bad touching. Or when you touch a walrus coz when you touch a walrus – or a seal – it will bite you – so THAT’s bad touching – touching a walrus or a seal!”
We did go on and talk more but that has quite simply made my day. Never touch a walrus ya hear?