In recent years, discussions about consent and how early it should be introduced in human development have become increasingly prominent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One idea that has generated particular attention \u2014 and sparked heated online debate \u2014 is the suggestion by an Australian sexuality educator that parents might ask their babies for consent before changing their diapers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To many, the notion sounds unusual or impractical. Infants lack the language or reasoning to give verbal approval, and diaper changes are a basic caregiving responsibility. Yet, proponents argue the idea isn\u2019t about literal permission, but about cultivating respect, communication, and awareness from the very beginning of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Critics, for their part, say the concept misunderstands both consent and the realities of infant care. Here\u2019s a deep dive into the conversation: why the idea was proposed, how experts and parents responded, and what it means for modern parenting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Continue reading next page…<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The debate began with remarks made by Deanne Carson, an Australian sexuality educator, speaker, and author, during an appearance on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) news network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In that interview, she suggested that parents could use everyday caregiving moments to begin modeling respectful boundaries and communication for their children \u2014 even from birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carson said her recommendation was not a literal bid to get a baby\u2019s spoken \u201cyes\u201d before a diaper change, but rather a way of helping children feel included in what\u2019s happening to their body. She gave the example of narrating actions such as: \u201cI\u2019m going to change your nappy now \u2014 is that okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2026and then pausing to observe the baby\u2019s body language or eye contact as a way of showing that their response matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her view, this approach helps establish early the idea that a child\u2019s body is their own, that adults should announce what they are about to do, and that the child\u2019s reactions \u2014 even non\u2011verbal ones \u2014 are worth attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carson\u2019s comments were part of a broader discussion about teaching consent culture, a term referring to norms where respect for personal boundaries and mutual agreement are emphasized in relationships and interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At its core, Carson\u2019s suggestion is less about diapers and more about language and mindset. Babies cannot talk, and Carson herself acknowledged that a newborn will not respond with a verbal \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d. What she advocates is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Narrating actions: Telling a baby what you are about to do (change diaper, pick up, feed, etc.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creating space for response: Pausing briefly to observe the baby\u2019s reactions \u2014 such as eye contact, body stillness, or fussing \u2014 even if those reactions don\u2019t amount to literal consent<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modeling respect for agency: Helping infants begin to associate caregiving with communication and awareness rather than purely passive experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In other words, the exercise is symbolic, aimed at fostering early awareness and laying the groundwork for later, more explicit conversations about personal boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This framing aligns with some child\u2011development philosophies that emphasize treating infants as active participants rather than passive objects \u2014 not because they can make fully informed decisions, but because even preverbal children perceive tone of voice, eye contact, and interaction cues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In recent years, discussions about consent and how early it should be introduced in human development have become increasingly prominent.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7537"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7539,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7537\/revisions\/7539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tbdig.com\/divaxo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}