The Talk

Kayci and I had "the talk" this morning. She said something about a house in town where there are always guys in the front yard, etc. (we pass by it daily, James and I think it's a halfway house). Lately I've been loosening the apron strings a bit, letting Kayci get a bit farther away from me, be a bit more independent, etc. Last week I let Kayci play in the big yard while I was in the little yard, and she looked at me funny when I told her to scream if anyone tried to come into the yard. I realized then that she really had no clue that there were people out there who might not be our "friends." That's totally my fault--we talk to people and meet people wherever we go. The world, to Kayci, must seem like a pretty friendly place. It's been on my mind, and her question this morning opened the door for the talk we've been needing.

So, I put on my big girl panties and did it. I explained to my Bitty that there are people out there--big people and kids, too--who hurt kids and take them from their Mommies and Daddies and yes, even kill them. I asked her if she knew there were people like that and she said, wide-eyed, "noooo." So then we talked through what she should do if someone approached her, tried to touch her, tried to take her. We went through who it's okay to go with, and talked about a few other things, including how it's not okay for anyone (but Mommy and Daddy when we're helping her wash or dress) to touch her body. She got quiet after that one, and told me that one of her friends touched her bottom. Luckily, it was just her bottom and they were playing, it was totally innocent. But it obviously had bothered her and I felt good that she could open up and run that by me. I think I handled it well. I hope and pray I did, to keep that line of communication open in the years to come.

As soon as I dropped her off at VBS, I called Daddyboy and laid it all out for him. It felt good to get it off my chest--it was stressful, but I'm glad it's done. And I pray she never, ever needs to know the stuff I told her today. One of the reasons we live where--and how--we do is so that our kids can stay kids just a little bit longer. Please Lord, let her stay a little girl for a long time. Time's flying by too fast as it is!