You are visiting your grandpa and he asks you to sit on his lap but you REALLY don't want to. Do you have to do it? What can you say?
"No, thank you." You do not have to do anything with your body that makes you uncomfortable (except sometimes at the doctor or dentist).
What is a boundary?
A boundary is a limit. There are physical and emotional boundaries. Everyone gets to decide for themselves what does and does not feel okay.
Your brother asks for privacy to change into his swimsuit in the bathroom. You need to get something while he is in there. Can you just walk in and get it even though he closed the door or should you wait?
You should wait. It is important to respect his boundaries and privacy.
A kid at school's mom packed him Oreos for lunch and you ask for one. He says no. You feel like grabbing one anyway and think he is being selfish. Why does he need 6 oreos?! What do you do?
Respect her saying no even if you REALLY want an Oreo!
You had a bad day at school and your parent asks if you want to talk about your feelings. You REALLY don't. Do you have to anyway?
It is caring of them to offer you but if you do not feel comfortable or are not ready to you do NOT have to talk about your feelings unless you are hurt.
Your best friend asks to borrow your new book but you are not done reading it. What can you say?
"I can't lend it to you right now but when I am finished I will let you know and you can borrow it."
You want to pick up your cat and hug it. The kitty wiggles and wants to get down. Should you pick it up, again?
Animals can communicate their boundaries, too. If the kitty doesn't want to be picked up, do not keep trying to do so. You might get scratched.
Your mom is on a work call and you want to ask her if you can take some ice cream from the freezer. Should you interrupt?
No, you should wait until she is done. ice cream is not an emergency (although it may feel like one!)
Your dad keeps taking pictures of you and posting them on-line. This makes you feel uncomfortable. What can you say?
You can tell your dad how you feel and ask him to please stop posting pictures of you.
You had a big fight with your sister. She keeps a journal where she writes her feelings and you are really curious what she may have written about you. Is it okay for you to sneak and read it?
No, you should respect her privacy. You can ask her to talk about the fight you two had.
You are so excited to see your 2nd grade teacher at the bagel shop that you run up to her and hug her before even saying hello to her. Are you being respectful of her boundaries?
Having good boundaries means asking someone before you hug or touch them.
The dentist finds a cavity and has to fill it. You don't like the feeling of a needle in your gum and you don't like the sound of the drill. Can you refuse to get the cavity filled?
Unfortunately avoiding getting a cavity filled can lead to bigger dental problems. It's important to get it over with even if it's uncomfortable.
You really want to dye your hair blue but you parent says no. Should you go ahead and do it anyway since it is your body?
Unfortunately, if you are under 18 your parent or guardian can object to body alterations you may want to make like hair dying and piercings.
True or False: bodily autonomy is one having the right to make decisions about their own body.
True
True or False: Consent involves getting or giving permission (verbal, written, non-verbal/body language) for someone to do something often involving touch.
True
True or False: Once someone consents to something, they cannot change their mind.
False. If Emily agrees to let her friend braid her hair but wants the friend to stop, Emily can communicate that assertively and respectfully.
