Starting the Conversation
A great way to start a conversation with a child in your life is to ask a question. Having regular conversations with children helps you both practice healthy communication and gives you an opportunity to share your values and feelings. Not every conversation needs to be serious or directly about bodies or preventing abuse. Any healthy conversation can increase children’s skills and help you build a stronger relationship.
Some example conversation starters include:
What do you like most about your body?
What are your personal boundaries (or limits)?
What are the boundaries that you have about your personal space?
What are the boundaries that you have about your feelings?
What are the ways that you show your boundaries in life?
How can you tell when someone else is showing you their boundaries?
What are things that you think are important to talk about between friends/parents & kids, etc?
Who is your best friend? Why?
What is the most important thing for parents to do?
There are many online resources that provide help to start conversations-- 100 Conversations is a project that highlights conversation topics, techniques, and ideas that can make a real difference when talking to kids.
Some example conversation starters include:
What do you like most about your body?
What are your personal boundaries (or limits)?
What are the boundaries that you have about your personal space?
What are the boundaries that you have about your feelings?
What are the ways that you show your boundaries in life?
How can you tell when someone else is showing you their boundaries?
What are things that you think are important to talk about between friends/parents & kids, etc?
Who is your best friend? Why?
What is the most important thing for parents to do?
There are many online resources that provide help to start conversations-- 100 Conversations is a project that highlights conversation topics, techniques, and ideas that can make a real difference when talking to kids.
The Children's Safety Partnership is a program of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA) and a partnership between MECASA, the Maine Department of Education, Maine's local sexual assault support centers, and schools across the state.