Expert Claims Parents Should Ask Babies For Permission Before Changing Nappy

Picture: ABC News

To establish a culture of consent from early childhood, a sexuality expert once asserted that parents should ask babies for their approval before changing their nappies.

Deanne Carson, the expert in question, shared her thoughts on establishing consent early in a child's life on Australian TV in 2018.

She claimed on ABC that she works with children as young as three in regard to consent but added that parents ought to start presenting these concepts to their young children earlier.

Picture: ABC News

When asked to provide an example of how parents may develop the culture in their home, Carson stated they could pose queries such as, "I'm going to change your nappy now, is that okay?"

She added: "Of course the baby is not going to respond 'yes mum, that's awesome. I'd love to have my nappy changed.'

"But if you leave a space, and wait for body language and wait to make eye contact, then you're letting that child know that their response matters."

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The presenter was uncertain as to whether or not consent should be taught from birth, as Carson confirmed it should be.

Although it's a contentious topic, Carson isn't alone in his views on it; for example, Lottie Daley, a mother, has previously advocated for parents to inform their kids when it's time to change a child's diaper on This Morning.

But after the interview, a lot of viewers took to social media, and it's safe to say that a lot of them were left feeling a little confused.

"I’ve never been so confused in my life. Teaching children consent is 100% important but come on," one Twitter user penned.

"You’ve got to be kidding me. A child relies their parent to take care of them and that includes personal hygiene! Especially as toddlers and babies."

Meanwhile, a second person added: "All the kids in my family at the age of 2, don't always understand why they shouldn't do certain things (like climbing on everything, running across a road and putting random things in their mouth) but according to Deanne Carson they should consent to a nappy change?"

Debate is good, but after the incident, things got a little out of hand when Carson disclosed that she had gotten death threats after the ABC interview.

Due to troll attacks, the sexuality expert was forced to lock her social media accounts.

Deanne Carson's stance on initiating consent education at a young age reflects the evolving landscape of parenting philosophies.

The contrasting reactions, including confusion and support, underline the complexities of integrating consent into early childhood practices.