The Girls Scouts are issuing a warning this holiday season urging parents to think twice before asking forcing their daughters to hug relatives at holiday gatherings.... boys are okay though.
“Think of it this way, telling your child that she owes someone a hug either just because she hasn’t seen this person in a while or because they gave her a gift can set the stage for her questioning whether she ‘owes’ another person any type of physical affection when they have bought her dinner or done something else seemingly nice for her later in life,”
The organizations message to parents comes on the heels of many sexual misconduct allegations by men in every industry from Hollywood to politics and the media.
The Girl Scouts encourages parents to offer their daughters ways to show gratitude that do not require physical contact, including a simple smile, a high-five or even an air kiss.
"As parents, we have to use common sense and also realize that it’s never too early to start a conversation about good touch and bad touch," said Taylor. "But also we don’t want to overstep our boundaries so our children are not afraid of who they should not be afraid of."
The reminder has been shared on Facebook with over 6.9k shares and mixed reviews.
“Seriously? So now teaching our kids to show affection to FAMILY is basically child abuse?," wrote one commenter. "Unless something inappropriate is going on, this shouldn’t even be a topic to discuss... and if that is the case, that is an entirely different discussion."
Read the entire discussion at YahooNews.com