In this post I am going to share several thoughts with you about how and why it is important to teach our children about their body.  One of the best places to start teaching a young child about their body is when they are in the bathtub.  Every evening, Little Bee has bath time.  During bath time we always play the "Human Body Game."  Little Bee loves playing this game.  It mostly consists of me asking him where his nose is, or eyes, or ears?  I will also ask him where Mama's nose is?  He will point to his nose or to my nose.  I will also sing him the "Head & Shoulders" song.  I am not even sure if I am singing it to the right tune, but I sing it to the tune of "London Bridge is Falling Down."  So we sing... "Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes (repeat x 2), Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes, Eyes, Ears & Nose."  I point to each body part as we sing.  Little Bee likes to get the song started by patting his head.  This is my cue to start singing!  🙂

Why is it important for a child to be aware of their body and also themselves as a person?  I believe this will help them develop into a secure adult.  As a nurse and a Medical Massage Therapist, I have learned that many of us are out of touch with our own body.  My experience with massaging individuals, is that some people are not aware of an area on their body that is in pain.  We have become detached from ourselves and have forgotten how to connect.  Or maybe we never learned how to connect in the first place.  So let's help our children learn, at an early age, how special and unique their body is.  Let's help them learn how to connect to themselves and the One who created them.

I have grand plans for Little Bee and this discovery of his amazing human body. I want him to know the anatomical names of all his body parts and how each part functions. I desire for him to be able to connect with himself, be aware of his bodily needs, and feel safe to express his emotions.

It is important to teach your child the anatomical name of their "special" parts.  My husband likes to call it the "undercarriage."  🙂  We shouldn't teach them a silly name like... "ding - fill in the blank."  The reason behind this is if your child was ever in a situation with an adult who had an intent to harm and your child said the correct anatomical name as well as being very aware/confident in their own body, this could possibly turn the evil person away.  These types of people don't want to be caught and having a child who is confident in who they are will deter them.  Teach your children at a very young age that nobody is allowed to touch their "special" body parts in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable.  This information was inspired by a blog called, "Married to a Pedophile."  It is very heavy reading, however, every parent should be aware of what to look for and how to train your child.

Let's move on to hair and a much lighter topic!  Little Bee is really fascinated with Mama's hair and my hairbrush.  He loves to touch my hair.  I tell him to be gentle and he very softly strokes my hair.  Children learn by observation and imitation.  Little Bee loves to imitate me brushing my hair, brushing my teeth, and putting lotion on my body.  He watches ever so intently.  I let him play with my hair brush and he attempts to brush his own curly locks.

My last thought is... when you are teaching your children about the anatomical parts of their body, also teach them why that body part is special.  For example, the hands and fingers are special because they can "help" mommy do the dishes or put the toys away.  I believe God made our bodies special and each one of us is completely different than another person.  So I incorporate these thoughts of praise into our human body parts talk.  God made our hands special so we can help others.  And each fingerprint is uniquely different because God made each one of us a special treasure.  Not one person is the same.  God even knows the exact number of hairs on each person's head.

Thanks for visiting!  I hope this blog post has inspired you to teach your child about their amazing bodies.  And hopefully it has inspired you to also connect with your own self.  Take a deep breath, go outside in the sunshine, stretch, or get a massage.  Take the time to connect.  God Bless you and take care!