An Australian \u201csexuality educator\u201d has ignited a fierce global debate after suggesting that parents should seek permission from their infants before changing their diapers. The proposal, which aims to instill a \u201cculture of consent\u201d from birth, has polarized the online community, drawing both professional support and scathing ridicule\u2014including one netizen\u2019s pointed query about whether it is also necessary to get \u201cconsent from your cat to change its litter tray.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an era where parenting philosophies are evolving at breakneck speed, the concept of consent is penetrating increasingly unexpected territory. While the idea of asking a non-verbal infant for permission to clean a soiled nappy might sound impractical\u2014if not outright absurd\u2014to the uninitiated, Deanne Carson argues that the practice is a vital developmental cornerstone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carson, a speaker and author who specializes in sexuality education, contends that the process is less about receiving a formal verbal \u201cyes\u201d and more about establishing a foundation for body autonomy and respectful boundaries as early as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Carson, a culture of consent must begin at the very start of life to emphasize respect for a child\u2019s body. Her approach involves parents narrating their actions\u2014saying, for instance, \u201cI\u2019m going to change your diaper now, is that okay?\u201d\u2014and then pausing to observe the infant\u2019s body language. By doing so, Carson suggests, parents introduce the concept of personal agency to children long before they can articulate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The goal, she argues, is to foster a two-way communication path. \u201cOf course, a baby is not going to respond, \u2018Yes mum, that is awesome, I\u2019d love to have my nappy changed,\u2019\u201d Carson admitted during a televised interview with Australia\u2019s ABC network. \u201cBut if you leave a space and wait for body language and wait to make eye contact, then you are letting that child know that their response matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This perspective aligns with a broader movement in pediatric development that emphasizes responding to \u201cactive cues\u201d\u2014non-verbal signals such as coos, giggles, or specific movements. Proponents argue that involving babies in the process makes them aware, on some level, of what is happening to their bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the pushback has been swift and severe. Critics argue that infants lack the cognitive maturity to grasp the concept of consent, and that framing a basic hygiene necessity as a choice is both confusing and dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rowan Dean, editor of The Spectator Australia<\/em>, dismissed the proposal as \u201clefty lunacy,\u201d while John Rosemond, a prominent psychologist and parenting columnist, awarded Carson the title of \u201cthe Weird and Even Weirder for the Most Bizarre Idea of All Time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing in the Reno Gazette-Journal<\/em>, Rosemond was blunt: \u201cOnce upon a time, and not all that long ago, a person who proposed that parents should ask infants for consent to change their diapers would be regarded by everyone except herself as deranged.\u201d He further argued that Carson\u2019s approach could lead to a \u201cfamily culture of confusion, mistrust, denial and all-around dysfunction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On social platforms, the reaction was equally volatile. Many users mocked the suggestion, pointing out the inherent biological reality of a crying infant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPretty sure when a baby is crying due to the discomfort of a full diaper\u2026 that\u2019s consent. In fact, I would go further and call it a demand,\u201d wrote one observer. Another critic questioned Carson\u2019s practical experience, stating, \u201cThis tells me she has no experience with kids whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201ccat litter\u201d comparison became a recurring theme of the backlash. One X (formerly Twitter) user noted: \u201cDo you need to get consent from your cat to change its litter tray? No. If it stinks, change it. Same with a baby.\u201d Others raised more serious concerns, noting that leaving a child in a soiled diaper constitutes medical neglect. \u201cDoes this nut job believe in child abuse?\u201d one user asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the outcry, Carson found a faction of supporters who argued that her intentions\u2014if not her specific example\u2014were sound. These defenders suggest that showing respect to a child\u2019s body can do no harm, even if the child cannot yet understand the complexities of the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m seriously shocked at the negative response,\u201d one supporter wrote. \u201cBabies and toddlers learn to communicate well before they can speak. What possible harm is there in showing respect?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others took a middle-of-the-road approach, agreeing with the sentiment of communication but questioning the extreme application. \u201cI think she wants to encourage a conversation about consent amongst kids but has made a mockery of it by taking it to the extreme,\u201d one commenter noted. \u201cBabies can\u2019t consent to anything. Ever. Their safety and survival needs are assumed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the debate persists, the consensus remains that while mindful communication with infants is valuable, the specific mechanics of \u201casking permission\u201d may remain a bridge too far for many. Ultimately, the decision to \u201cask\u201d may simply reflect individual parenting styles\u2014whether one views it as a way to cultivate a loving relationship or as an unnecessary complication to a standard chore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are your thoughts on the concept of seeking consent for diaper changes? Is it a forward-thinking way to teach body autonomy, or a bridge too far in modern parenting? Let us know in the comments.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An Australian \u201csexuality educator\u201d has ignited a fierce global debate after suggesting that parents should seek permission from their infants before changing their diapers. The proposal, which aims to instill a \u201cculture of consent\u201d from birth, has polarized the online community, drawing both professional support and scathing ridicule\u2014including one netizen\u2019s pointed query about whether it …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3125"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3127,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3125\/revisions\/3127"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cehre.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A Social Media Firestorm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In Defense of Respect<\/h3>\n\n\n\n