People who deal with children—teachers, coaches, mentors—are frequently adored by the students they serve, especially if they are successful at their jobs. Caring adult interactions are crucial in a child’s upbringing, but they may also lead to difficult circumstances as children learn how to express care to various individuals. A baby may give its mother slobbery kisses, but other adults may not like it. As children develop, they learn what is and is not acceptable, not just from their parents but also from the adult community in their life.
A video of a swim teacher at the end of a swim class with a toddler who hugged him and then kissed him provided an excellent illustration of this. The hug was expected and appreciated—”Thank you, Mila.” “I love Mila hugs,” the swim coach said. But when she went to go in for a kiss, he quickly pulled back, softly saying, “No, kissy. No kissing since I’m the coach.” You only kiss Mommy and Daddy, right?”
The small girl seemed unhappy and began to cry, and he swiftly offered her an acceptable option. “Okay, hi! “High five!” he said, sticking out his hand. “High five ’cause we’re all done!” She calmed down and gave him a high five, and he proceeded to clean up.
His smile at the conclusion of the video says it all: he understood it was an educational moment that might have gone horribly wrong, but he handled it with calm professionalism and toddler-friendly knowledge. People enjoyed seeing such a nice example:
“How sweet… I occasionally have young clients who want to offer kisses, which is adorable, but you must tell them “no” since it is an important boundary to learn. “Not everyone wants kisses.”
“On top of knowing not to do it to other people, it also teaches them for themselves that other people shouldn’t be just giving them kisses.”
Teaching boundaries to children
byu/alucard_axel inMadeMeSmile
“The youngster is wonderful, but the instructor is on another level. Setting limits while remaining calm and recording the entire process to ensure the parents’ comfort. ” Dude, you are setting a terrible example.”
“It sounds like he strikes a decent balance between promoting her development and establishing proper boundaries. Children may be quite loving, so it’s necessary to gently assist them in determining what’s appropriate.”
“I also believe it is crucial for the parents’ comfort that a mature guy swimming with their small daughter is not overstepping bounds or being predatory. From the outside, it is difficult to determine if anything is innocent or not. It’s preferable to avoid those situations altogether.”
“The little girls I used to babysit often attempted to kiss me (they were between the ages of two and five), and I had to remind them that I’m not related to you, therefore you can’t kiss me. You can give me a high-five or a hug, but not a kiss!” They still give me running tackle hugs whenever they see me!”
A few users noted that kissing is quite appropriate in certain cultures, where it is commonly used as a warm welcome for persons of all ages and genders. However, even in such cultures, limits based on relationships and contexts are vital to learn, and it is beneficial when adults assist in teaching those lessons so that the burden is not solely on the parents.