Experts urge parents to talk openly about body safety, mental health with children

KARACHI, July 13: A woman speaker in a recent talk show said parents should not feel shy to teach children about body and science. She said she already teach her two daughters when they were 7 and 5 years old.

“I take diagram of human anatomy and show them. I show for men also and for women also,” she said. “This is the time when child become curious. They start asking questions. So better I tell them first.”

She said she explain to her daughters that body will change in this age and this is normal. “I show them how beautiful their body is and how system is working. We need open communication,” she added.

She also agree with other speaker that people must go and take help from welfare camps. “But problem is people dont go. They make it social taboo. If they go for help they think people will label them or give diagnosis,” she said.

The speaker said in her opinion every person need therapy. “Because nobody teach us how to do emotional regulation,” she said.

When asked about child abuse, she said yes therapy can help. “Therapy help child to regularize emotions. If child have trauma then therapy help to take out from that. If child have PTSD symptoms, therapy is needed.”

She said after covid she is seeing many children with OCD. “You will be shock. Children of 9, 10 years old have high functioning OCD. Parents need awareness. Is my child emotionally and mentally safe or not?”

She give example: “If mother see child washing hands again and again, or doing one thing repeatedly, or stuck in rumination, then parents must take help.”

She also talk about boys. “For girls mothers sometime talk. But biggest problem is boys. When they are growing and go to peers, they get misguide. Peer pressure is very big reason children spoil.”

She said some NGOs are going to schools and giving awareness to children. “In my child school, one NGO take permission from all parents. They said we want to teach your children. Teachers have talent to guide. Maybe parents cannot guide properly.”

But she said problem is many parents not sign. “Parents are living in wrong perception that our child is safe with us. But child is not safe because we did not teach safety measures.”

Another point she raised was about internet. “Now children have high sexual libido, hormones changing, and they have full access to digital media. Abuse is not only by teacher. Now it is happening on internet also. Cyber sexual abuse is most dangerous. Children’s videos are leaking.”

She asked: “Are we monitoring what website child is watching? What games they are playing? We are not doing that.”

The discussion ended with message that parents, schools and NGOs all need to work together for safety of children.