Family gatherings, weddings, festivals, and parties are meant to be happy occasions. Children get to meet relatives, play with other kids, and spend time with people they may not see every day. But these gatherings can also put children in uncomfortable situations. Sometimes, adults make comments or jokes without realising how deeply they may affect a child. At other times, parents may ask their children to ignore their own discomfort simply to keep others happy. As parents, protecting a child’s emotional and physical boundaries does not mean teaching them to be rude. It means teaching them that their feelings matter. Here are five things parents should not allow others to do to their child at social gatherings.
